Asymmetric Warfare: It's not just for the other guys

Asymmetric Warfare: It's not just for the other guys

by Aaron Weisburd

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Jihadi website demographics don't lie. Morocco is a case in point.

The Society for Internet Research gathered demographic data for the leading Arabic-language jihadi forums during 2006, and the data indicates that Moroccans form a significant part of the rank and file of the global jihad.

• Across all the sites we studied Moroccans ranked third, immediately behind Saudis and Egyptians.

• On the Tajdeed forum Moroccans ranked second.

• On al-Hesbah forum Moroccans ranked third.

• On al-Ommh forum Moroccans ranked second.

• On al-Boraq forum Moroccans ranked third.

• On al-Mohajroon forum Moroccans ranked second.

• And on the Ana al-Muslm forum - the oldest of the Salafist/Jihadist Arabic-language forums, and a place known to be used by al-Qaida leadership elements to meet and exchange information - Moroccans ranked first.

Jihadis in Morocco that we encounter online are split evenly between Rabat and Casablanca.

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I take issue with the notion that one can't develop a profile of jihadis. We will find these guys all together on just a handful of websites - before they turn up on a battlefield or in some public place with a bomb vest on - and indeed that time when they are online may be our only chance to identify them as subjects for investigation. Consequently it is of critical importance to actively monitor network traffic to such si