Terrorist Media and its Expanding Influence

Hizballah and Hamas are prominent examples of Islamist terrorist organizations which learned to exploit the communications revolution of the last decade. They make extensive use of the media, especially television and the Internet in the battle for hearts and minds, waged in parallel to the fighting on the ground. They use the media to disseminate their ideology and political propaganda, generate public interest in their activities and attempt to win sympathy and support.

With a stated purpose of waging "psychological warfare," al-Manar and al-Aqsa, respectively owned by Hizballah and Hamas, represent potent instruments that incite violence among their viewers in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and elsewhere. Programming includes calls for attacks against coalition soldiers in Iraq; efforts to recruit children to become suicide bombers; "Blood libels" against the Jewish people, i.e. falsely accusing Jews for killing Christian children and using the blood to make unleavened bread for the Passover holiday; Claims that the September 11 attacks were conducted by the US government, Jews and the Mossad. These stations have also been known to solicit donations during commercial breaks, informing audiences worldwide how to contribute money to promote terrorism.

This course provides attendees with a solid context of the ideology propagated by terrorist-owned and controlled media outlets, their messages, and the influence these outlets wield.

Who Should Attend
Military Personnel
Law Enforcement
Intelligence Analysts
Customs and Border Patrol
Financial Institutions
College Students
Non-profits

Prerequisites
None

Duration
2-4 Hours

Schedule
1. Introduction Terrorist Owned Media
2. Short History of Hamas and Hizballah
3. Communications Revolution
4. Al-Manar Basics
5. Al-Aqsa Basics
6. Coalition Against Terrorist Media
7. European Allies
8. Cutting Off Sources of Funding
9. Satellite Providers