PATULOY na pinaiigting ng awtoridad sa United States at mga dambuhalang kumpanya ng social media ang mga pagsisikap na kontrahin ang online propaganda ng grupong Islamic State (IS), bagamat hindi malinaw kung gaano kaepektibo ang mga ito para mapigilan ang public-relations machine ng mga jihadist.
Upang manawagan ng jihad gamit ang mga video ng pakikipaglaban ng mga mandirigmang IS at pagpatay sa mga bihag nito, matagal nang ginagamit ng grupo ang Internet at social media upang himukin ang mga mandirigma na magtungo sa tinatawag nitong caliphate sa Iraq at Syria, at hinihikayat ang mga indibiduwal sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo na magsagawa ng teroristang pag-atake.
Para mapigilan ito, doble-kayod ang mga web giant na gaya ng Twitter at Facebook upang maisara ang mga jihadist account, bagamat karaniwan nang bumabalik ang mga ito gamit ang bagong pangalan.
“Twitter has publicly said they’ve taken down close to 200,000 handles. They’ve taken down way more than that,” sinabi ni Richard Stengel, under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, sa isang seminar kamakailan na layuning kontrahin ang “brand” ng IS.
“YouTube has taken down literally millions of videos. Facebook has hundreds of people who are working 24/7 to take down this noxious content,” sabi pa ni Stengel, na dating managing editor ng Time magazine.
Kasabay nito, pinangungunahan ng Global Engagement Center ng State Department ang mga kaparehong pagsisikap ng Amerika.
Sumailalim sa matinding reporma ngayong taon at pinamumunuan na ngayon ng dating opisyal ng US Navy na si Michael Lumpkin, ang center “is not going to be focused on US messages with a government stamp on them, but rather amplifying moderate credible voices in the region and throughout civil society,” sabi ni Lisa Monaco, pangunahing security advisor ni US President Barack Obama.
Ang Central Command ng sandatahan ng Amerika, na nangangasiwa sa mga operasyon sa Gitnang Silangan, ay “actively engaged” sa social media upang kontrahin ang propaganda ng Islamic State.
“The command has a robust online engagement program that harnesses the professional talents and expertise of both military members and contractors working together,” sabi ni Pentagon Spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway. “We operate using truthful information directed toward regional audiences to combat IS’ lies and deception.”
Ayon kay Stenger, nagbubunga na ang kanilang mga pagsisikap.
“There’s now five times as much messaging on social media that is anti-IS than pro-IS, again, mostly in Arabic,” aniya.
Sinabi naman ni JM Berger, eksperto sa IS na matagal nang naisulat ang tungkol sa malawakang paggamit ng mga jihadist sa Twitter, na ramdam nila ang pressure sa teroristang grupo.
“There is no question that IS supporters on Twitter and elsewhere are under tremendous pressure, and they are performing significantly below the levels we saw last year, or even earlier this year,” aniya.“Supporter accounts have fewer followers and tweet less often. They are still able to distribute their propaganda to a shrinking core audience, but it is harder for them to broadcast widely and to get their message in front of potential recruits.”
Gayunman, kinontra ito ni Rita Katz, isa sa mga nagtatag ng pribadong intelligence firm na Search for International Terrorist Entities Intelligence Group (SITE), sinabing ang propaganda ng Islamic State “at least doubled last year if not even more. Further, in addition to the daily reports, in the last year the Islamic State has also increased substantially its publications, as it started several new ones,” aniya, tinukoy ang mga bagong magazine na gumagamit ng wikang Turkish at Russian.
“These groups and individuals are still online and they’re still recruiting,” ani Katz.
Sinabi naman ni FBI Director James Comey na bagamat nabawasan ang bilang ng mga bumibiyahe upang lumahok sa IS, nananatili ang kakayahan ng mga jihadist “[to] motivate troubled souls”. - Agencé France Presse
