the.world.is.flat-第105节

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recruit　so　many　young　men　〃off　the　shelf〃　who　are　ready　to　commit　suicide　in　the　cause　
of　jihad；　many　of　them　apparently　not　even　Iraqis？　And　they　don't　even　identify　
themselves　by　name　or　want　to　get　credit…at　least　in　this　world。　The　fact　is　that　
Western　intelligence　agencies　have　no　clue　how　this　underground　suicide　supply　chain；　
which　seems　to　have　an　infinite　pool　of　recruits　to　draw　on；　works；　and　yet　it　has　
basically　stymied　the　U。S。　armed　forces　in　Iraq。　From　what　we　do　know；　though；　this　
Virtual　Caliphate　works　just　like　the　supply　chains　I　described　earlier。　Just　as　you　
take　an　item　off　the　shelf　in　a　discount　store　in　Birmingham　and　another　one　is　
immediately　made　in　Beijing；　so　the　retailers　of　suicide　deploy　a　human　bomber　in　
Baghdad　and　another　one　is　immediately　recruited　and　indoctrinated　in　Beirut。　To　the　
extent　that　this　tactic　spreads；　it　will　require　a　major　rethinking　of　U。S。　military　
doctrine。　
The　flat　world　has　also　been　such　a　huge　boon　for　al…Qaeda　and　its　ilk　because　of　
the　way　it　enables　the　small　to　act　big；　and　the　way　it　enables　small　acts…the　killing　
of　just　a　few　people…to　have　big　effects。　The　horrific　video　of　the　beheading　of　Wall　
Street　Journal　reporter　Danny　Pearl　by　Islamist　militants　in　Pakistan　was　transmitted　
by　the　Internet　all　over　the　world。　There　is　not　a　journalist　anywhere　who　saw　or　
even　just　read　

about　that　who　was　not　terrified。　But　those　same　beheading　videos　are　also　used　as　
tools　of　recruitment。　The　flat　world　makes　it　much　easier　for　terrorists　to　transmit　
their　terror。　With　the　Internet　they　don't　even　have　to　go　through　Western　or　Arab　
news　organizations　but　can　broadcast　right　into　your　computer。　It　takes　much　less　
dynamite　to　transmit　so　much　more　anxiety。　Just　as　the　U。S。　Army　had　embedded　
journalists；　so　the　suicide　supply　chain　has　embedded　terrorists；　in　their　own　way；　
to　tell　us　their　side　of　the　story。　How　many　times　have　I　gotten　up　in　the　morning；　
fired　up　the　Internet；　and　been　confronted　by　the　video　image　of　some　masked　gunman　
threatening　to　behead　an　American…all　brought　to　me　courtesy　of　AOL's　home　page？　The　
Internet　is　an　enormously　useful　tool　for　the　dissemination　of　propaganda；　conspiracy　
theories；　and　plain　old　untruths；　because　it　combines　a　huge　reach　with　a　patina　of　
technology　that　makes　anything　onthe　Internet　somehow　more　believable。　How　many　times　
have　you　heard　someone　say；　〃But　I　read　it　on　the　Internet；〃　as　if　that　should　end　
the　argument？　In　fact；　the　Internet　can　make　things　worse。　It　often　leads　to　more　
people　being　exposed　to　crazy　conspiracy　theories。　
〃The　new　system　of　diffusion…the　Internet…is　more　likely　to　transmit　irrationality　
than　rationality；〃　said　political　theorist　Yaron　Ezrahi；　who　specializes　in　the　
interaction　between　media　and　politics。　〃Because　irrationality　is　more　emotionally　
loaded；　it　requires　less　knowledge；　it　explains　more　to　more　people；　it　goes　down　
easier。〃　That　is　why　conspiracy　theories　are　so　rife　in　the　Arab…Muslim　world　
today…and　unfortunately　are　becoming　so　in　many　quarters　of　the　Western　world；　for　


that　matter。　Conspiracy　theories　are　like　a　drug　that　goes　right　into　your　bloodstream；　
enabling　you　to　see　〃the　Light。〃　And　the　Internet　is　the　needle。　Young　people　used　
to　have　to　take　LSD　to　escape。　Now　they　just　go　online。　Now　you　don't　shoot　up；　you　
download。　You　download　the　precise　point　of　view　that　speaks　to　all　your　own　biases。　
And　the　flat　world　makes　it　all　so　much　easier。　
Gabriel　Weimann；　a　professor　of　communication　at　Haifa　University；　Israel；　did　an　
incisive　study　of　terrorists'　use　of　the　Internet　and　of　what　I　call　the　flat　world；　
which　was　published　in　March　2004by　the　United　States　Institute　of　Peace　and　excerpted　
on　YaleGlobal　Online　on　April　26；　2004。　He　made　the　following　points：　
433　
While　the　danger　that　cyber…terrorism　poses　to　the　Internet　is　frequently　debated；　
surprisingly　little　is　known　about　the　threat　posed　by　terrorists'　use　of　the　Internet。　
A　recent　six…year…long　study　shows　that　terrorist　organizations　and　their　supporters　
have　been　using　all　of　the　tools　that　the　Internet　offers　to　recruit　supporters；　raise　
funds；　and　launch　a　worldwide　campaign　of　fear。　It　is　also　clear　that　to　combat　
terrorism　effectively；　mere　suppression　of　their　Internet　tools　is　not　enough。　Our　
scan　of　the　Internet　in　2003…04　revealed　the　existence　of　hundreds　of　websites　serving　
terrorists　in　different；　albeit　sometimes　overlapping；　ways。　。　。　There　are　countless　
examples　of　how　＇terrorists＇　use　this　uncensored　medium　to　spread　disinformation；　
to　deliver　threats　intended　to　instill　fear　and　helplessness；　and　to　disseminate　
horrific　images　of　recent　actions。　Since　September　11；　2001；　al…Qaeda　has　festooned　
its　websites　with　a　string　of　announcements　of　an　impending　〃large　attack〃　on　US　
targets。　These　warnings　have　received　considerable　media　coverage；　which　has　helped　
to　generate　a　widespread　sense　of　dread　and　insecurity　among　audiences　throughout　
the　world　and　especially　within　the　United　States　。　。　。　
The　Internet　has　significantly　expanded　the　opportunities　for　terrorists　to　secure　
publicity。　Until　the　advent　of　the　Internet；　terrorists'　hopes　of　winning　publicity　
for　their　causes　and　activities　depended　on　attracting　the　attention　of　television；　
radio；　or　the　print　media。　The　fact　that　terrorists　themselves　have　direct　control　
over　the　content　of　their　websites　offers　further　opportunities　to　shape　how　they　
are　perceived　by　different　target　audiences　and　to　manipulate　their　image　and　the　
images　of　their　enemies。　Most　terrorist　sites　do　not　celebrate　their　violent　
activities。　Instead…　regardless　of　their　nature；　motives；　or　location…most　terrorist　
sites　emphasize　two　issues：　the　restrictions　placed　on　freedom　of　expression；　and　
the　plight　of　their　comrades　who　are　now　political　prisoners。　These　issues　resonate　
powerfully　with　their　own　supporters　and　are　also　calculated　to　elicit　sympathy　from　
Western　audiences　that　cherish　freedom　of　expression　and　frown　on　measures　to　silence　
political　opposition　。　。　。　
434　
Terrorists　have　proven　not　only　skillful　at　online　marketing　but　also　adept　at　mining　
the　data　offered　by　the　billion…some　pages　of　the　World　Wide　Web。　They　can　learn　from　
the　Internet　about　the　schedules　and　locations　of　targets　such　as　transportation　
facilities；　nuclear　power　plants；　public　buildings；　airports　and　ports；　and　even　
counterterrorism　measures。　According　to　Secretary　of　Defense　Donald　Rumsfeld；　an　


al…Qaeda　training　manual　recovered　in　Afghanistan　tells　its　readers；　〃Using　public　
sources　openly　and　without　resorting　to　illegal　means；　it　is　possible　to　gather　at　
least　80　percent　of　all　information　required　about　the　enemy。〃　One　captured　al…Qaeda　
computer　contained　engineering　and　structural　architecture　features　of　a　dam；　which　
had　been　downloaded　from　the　Internet　and　which　would　enable　al…Qaeda　engineers　and　
planners　to　simulate　catastrophic　failures。　In　other　captured　computers；　U。S。　
investigators　found　evidence　that　al…Qaeda　operators　spent　time　on　sites　that　offer　
software　and　programming　instructions　for　the　digital　switches　that　run　power；　water；　
transportation；　and　communications　grids。　
Like　many　other　political　organizations；　terrorist　groups　use　the　Internet　to　raise　
funds。　Al…Qaeda；　for　instance；　has　always　depended　heavily　on　donations；　and　its　
global　fundraising　network　is　built　upon　a　foundation　of　charities；　nongovernmental　
organizations；　and　other　financial　institutions　that　use　websites　and　Internet…based　
chat　rooms　and　forums。　The　fighters　in　the　Russian　breakaway　republic　of　Chechnya　
have　likewise　used　the　Internet　to　publicize　the　numbers　of　bank　accounts　to　which　
sympathizers　can　contribute。　And　in　December　2001；　the　U。S。　government　seized　the　
assets　of　a　Texas…based　charity　because　of　its　ties　to　Hamas。　
In　addition　to　soliciting　financial　aid　online；　terrorists　recruit　converts　by　using　
the　full　panoply　of　website　technologies　（audio；　digital　video；　etc。）　to　enhance　the　
presentation　of　their　message。　And　like　commercial　sites　that　track　visitors　to　
develop　consumer　profiles；　terrorist　organizations　capture　information　about　the　
users　who　browse　their　websites。　Visitors　who　seem　most　inter

ested　in　the　organization's　cause　or　well　suited　to　carrying　out　its　work　are　then　
contacted。　Recruiters　may　also　use　more　interactive　Internet　technology　to　roam　
online　chat　rooms　and　cyber　cafes；　looking　for　receptive　members　of　the　public；　
particularly　young　people。　The　SITE　Institute；　a　Washington；　D。C。…based　terrorism　
research　group　that　monitors　al…Qaeda's　Internet　communications；　has　provided　
chilling　details　ofa　high…tech　recruitment　drive　launchedin　2003　to　recruit　fighters　
to　travel　to　Iraq　and　attack　U。S。　and　coalition　forces　there。　The　Internet　also　grants　
terrorists　a　cheap　and　efficient　means　of　networking。　Many　terrorist　groups；　among　
them　Hamas　and　al…Qaeda；　have　undergone　a　transformation　from　strictly　hierarchical　
organizations　with　designated　leaders　to　affiliations　of　semi…independent　cells　that　
have　no　single　commanding　hierarchy。　T