Slashdot Mirror


Tracking the Terrorists Online

Anti-Globalism points out a story at the German magazine Spiegel profiling two small US companies that monitor terrorist networks online — IntelCenter and SITE Intelgroup. "[Founders of the two companies] Venzke and Devon are two of the most prominent 'terror trackers' worldwide. In the United States, and increasingly in other countries, the term refers to a community of people who spend their days analyzing traces that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations leave behind, especially on the Internet. The two Americans are essentially digital trackers in the age of globalized terrorism. IntelCenter and SITE Intelgroup are the companies that Venzke and Devon, respectively, have founded. They enjoy a strong reputation within the relatively small community of terrorism experts. Beyond that, though, they are virtually unknown ..."

9 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This makes me sick... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I know what you mean. Especially when the real terrorists are those in the government.

  2. Problems... by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The problem is, what counts as a terrorist? Sure, we all think it means the people who put anthrax in the mail, blow up buildings and plant bombs. But it seems that lately (as in after 9/11) we count anything that doesn't agree with current US politics as terrorist. Not to mention on how we limit our constitutional rights to go after these "terrorists".

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  3. Re:This makes me sick... by v1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    seeing as how the most popular method of government control has always been to make the people afraid of something so they'll do whatever you want them to, I'd say calling the government the terrorists is extremely insightful. They're the ones inciting and magnifying the terror.

    That being said, there'd be a lot less terror if we could take back control of the government. Now if only the sheep would realize this...

    --
    I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
  4. Experts? by SuperBanana · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They enjoy a strong reputation within the relatively small community of terrorism experts

    Would those be the experts that have many failures, few successes, and been largely reactionary?

  5. Re:Part of Bush's "terror" industry... by mi · · Score: 4, Informative

    These organizations have not contributed to the prevention of single terrorist act and exist mainly to monitor people on an arbitrary basis.

    Uh-oh. Here is more... Not only is your "insightful" remark unsubstantiated (you failed to prove it), it is also wrong (I 'm proving it wrong). From the article (I highlighted the most important parts for you):

    Katz almost single-handedly uncovered a number of funding sources of Islamists. Katz, a Jew born in Iraq who speaks Arabic, infiltrated Islamist organizations disguised as a Muslim woman -- and wearing recording equipment. She passed her findings on to the authorities. There were court cases, and some organizations were banned. And SITE has certainly been successful. There is a reason Katz has a letter of appreciation from FBI Director Robert S. Muller III hanging on the wall in her office. The company's work has also led to arrests abroad, including those of would-be suicide bombers who had left farewell letters in chat rooms that SITE managed to penetrate.

    Who pays for this crap?

    From the article, again:

    Almost every statement by Osama bin Laden published on the Internet, to name only one example, is first made public by SITE and IntelCenter. They find the statements in the confusion of Web sites associated with al-Qaida, and within seconds they have sent the first screen shots to their subscribers. It takes the companies only minutes to summarize bin Laden's speeches and within hours, they will have provided full translations, analysis included. A US magazine was one of their first subscribers. Government agencies in Switzerland and the families of Sept. 11 victims soon followed. SITE was in business. Today this former non-profit organization has been turned into a business enterprise.

    Read the article for more... Why wouldn't you? May you die a thousand death by choking on your anti-Bush bile...

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  6. Re:This makes me sick... by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What we really need is a congress, court system and president that follows the constitution. You know, it wouldn't really matter if they were right wing or left wing so long as they followed it, but it seems that the right wing is always pushing for warrantless arrests for "terrorists" and the left wing is always pushing for the abolishment of the second and parts of the first amendment. And we all know that at this time no third party candidate stands a chance.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  7. You bet by toby · · Score: 4, Informative

    This is how you terrorise innocent people. (Today in Minneapolis, not in some remote police state that you can ignore.)

    --
    you had me at #!
  8. memo to pro-Bush by toby · · Score: 4, Insightful

    May you choke on your beloved waterboarding, spying, illegally kidnapping, profiteering, lying administration.

    --
    you had me at #!
    1. Re:memo to pro-Bush by janrinok · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't love the waterboarding, but I don't think, it is a big deal.

      And that is the problem. If you now believe that, as a nation, it is entirely normal to torture people, then you you are no longer the nation that you once were, no longer the nation that you think you are, and you are no longer the nation that will be respected elsewhere. Of course, if that is not 'a big deal' then your argument is lost.

      --
      Have a look at soylentnews.org for a different view