The Rise of Twitter Terrorists and What it Means for Global Security

[Jacaylbaro]

FULL ARTICLE

 

 

 

Al-Shabab, the Islamist rebel group in Somalia with al-Qaida ties, opened its own Twitter account on Wednesday.

 

The English-language @HSMPress, officially listed as the Twitter feed of the Harakat Al-Shabaab Al Mujahideen Press Office, has sent out more than 20 messages since its launch about 24 hours ago.

 

So far, al-Shabab has used its account to report on battles with African Union forces and to taunt the Kenyan Military, which recently invaded parts of Somalia to push al-Shabab away from its border.

 

The Twitter account already has more than 700 followers.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

@MajorEChirchir 50,000 Ethiopian troops couldn't pacify Somalia; you think a few disillusioned & disinclined Kenyan boys are up to the task?

 

@MajorEChirchir Far too lofty an objective don't you think? specially from men more accustomed to pillaging &extortion than peace & security.

 

Unable to foot the bill, the young & temperamental #KDF joins the fatigued & timid #AMISOM in a turbulent marriage of convenience. #Somalia.

 

Military ineptitude, deteriorating economy, social imbalance, & public ambivalence trigger a desultory face-saving attempt by the #KDF: FLEE!

 

By time the intoxicated #TFG militia sober up from their excessive Qaat sessions, the scales of war would have turned rather significantly!

 

I didn't know Barbaarta had this kind of sense of humour in them. Almost every tweeted post of theirs weyba kaa qosolsiineysaa. Unbelievable.

 

And it now has almost 1,500 followers. Laakiin ma iyagaa. Whoever is writing this twitter feed has amazing English skills dosed with a notable sense of humour.

[Somalia]

MajorEChirchir Major E. Chirchir

Request: Pls fwd any form of Al Shabaab media/Cyber warfare materials for our analysis.

Thanks20 Nov »

 

MajorEChirchir Major E. Chirchir

#operationlindanchi TFG Army today engaged Al Shabaab in their camp at Busar area, exchanged fire and 12 Al Shabaab

players

Killed...

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

@MajorEChirchir Like bombing donkeys, you mean! Your eccentric battle strategy has got animal rights groups quite concerned, Major.

The formidable #Somali terrain has subdued the vicarious thrill #KDF boys got from war movies; the bullets, they’ve realized, are real here!

 

oh, maaaaaaan.

[Che -Guevara]

looooooooooooooooooooool

[Valenteenah.]

Hahahaha! This has to be one of the funniest things I have read this year.

[xiinfaniin]

:D @The formidable #Somali terrain has subdued the vicarious thrill #KDF boys got from war movies; the bullets, they’ve realized, are real here!

[OdaySomali]

The Twitter account already has more than 700 followers.

Nearly 3000 now...

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

@nazaninemoshiri This must be #AlJazeera's innovative new approach to Twitter interviews. Should we call it Twinterview?

 

@nazaninemoshiri A little inconvenient, of course, but tele-density here in Somalia is 3X higher than that of some countries, like Ethiopia!

If you read now their page and the Aljasiira reporter's page on Twitter, then you will know what they are talking about. Each one was posting and answering one another on their page on yesterday.

 

The last post is also a response to this blog by that same reporter, who wrote:

 

I have been to Somalia many times. When I am there, I can barely get mobile phone reception and internet access is a luxury. If the group is indeed tweeting from the depths of Somalia, this shows how sophisticated an operation it must have developed.

[Qandalawi]

I'm amazed at HSMPress Office's messages and responses. It's funny, entertaining and full of wit and eloquence. It's a breath of fresh air, at least to some extent, to see a movement based in Somalia responding in such a manner to western journalists given that we have accustomed to incompetent fools that sound restarted when they engage with the international media. But I still have my doubts about the real personalities behind HSMPress.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

@MajorEChirchir It’s a mission failed, Major. Forget the gory details of war & try ballet instead for more suitable career. War is for Men!

[Jacpher]

Rumor has it this major received top orders to not engage AS on twitter anymore but that won't stop them from harassing him.

 

I think this is a fake twitter account. I don't think AS is that advanced to embrace social media and comfortable enough to entertain on twitter. Remember that fake twitter account @MayorEmanuel [Your next mother****ing mayor. Get used to it, assholes] during Chicago mayoral election? So fun and entertaining that it made to national news. The real mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel begged to meet the person behind the fake account. He tried to do anything to stop it or close it. But in the end, it was a university professor trying to poke fun at Rahm Emanuel. So I think this is just another fake twitter account.

 

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/376731/march-08-2011/dan-sinker

[Jacaylbaro]

I don't think it is a fake one looking the accuracy of their information and the timing. During the last incident at MSF office in Muqdisho, this account proved to have more information than the rest of the media & gov officials.

 

I don't even know how they do it but ,,, I'm actually impressed.

[Jacaylbaro]

READ THIS ARTICLE .... VERY INTERESTING

 

Al-Shabab Informants better organized than the Transitional Federal Government’s Spy Agency