Press Release
U.S. Military Captures Al-Qaeda Media Centers
Posted: Friday, October 5, 2007
USA Today (10/5, Michaels) reports that, "The U.S. military says it has captured at least six al-Qaeda media centers in Iraq and arrested 20 suspected propaganda leaders since June. The seizures of the centers underscore the importance al-Qaeda has placed on media, primarily the Internet, as a tool to communicate to its members and use against U.S. forces in Iraq. … The progress against al-Qaeda's media operations stems from new offensives aimed at al-Qaeda sanctuaries and an emphasis on blunting the terrorist group's extensive propaganda operations, U.S. officers say. 'One of our goals is to target these propaganda networks, and we've had more success over the past three months,' says Air Force Col. Donald Bacon, a staff officer at Multi-National Force-Iraq...For some Arab viewers who don't regularly view Western media, the overwhelming impression from the videos is that militants are winning. The benefit for militants is to turn a single attack into a larger strategic weapon."
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