Volume I, Issue 4

Perspectives on Terrorism -

Al-Qaeda’s Propaganda Advantage and How to Counter It

By Brigitte L. Nacos

In early 2006, Jarret Brachman and William McCants published an article entitled “Stealing al-Qa’ida’s Playbook,” that examined the writings of several prominent Jihadi scholars, among them Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s second in command. Within weeks, al-Zawahiri released a video commenting on the article and mentioning that the review was based on research conducted at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Originally posted on an extremist Internet site, the video was eventually available on Google as well. [1] In response to al-Zawahiri’s review of the article, Brachman remarked that “postmodern doesn’t quite capture it.” [2] Perhaps not, but the incident illustrated how today’s terrorists—even those hiding in the most remote places—can and do utilize global information and communication networks that did not exist a decade or so earlier or were not easily accessible.