US warning against ISIL social media supporters is red herring: Analyst
The US threats to imprison those who support ISIL on social media is nothing more than “red herring” as American spy agencies are well aware of the terrorist group’s activities, says a former American intelligence linguist.
Scott Rickard made the remarks in a Tuesday phone interview with Press TV while commenting on an announcement by John Carlin, the assistant attorney general for national security, who suggested trying ISIL propagandists on social media as terrorists.
At a cybersecurity conference in Washington on Monday, Carlin suggested that the US Justice Department could bring prosecutions against those who help ISIL spread the word online.
“This is obviously another huge encroachment of privacy and freedom of the American people,” Rickard said, arguing that the “sophistication of these groups is nowhere near the insurmountable capabilities of the United States and their allies.”
“The government and the intelligence agencies are very much knowledgeable about these terrorist organizations.”
Many experts have questioned if the move could be carried out under law, saying it is a violation of free speech.
Apart from that, the US military and government “consistently use social media to create Trojan horses or false scenarios”, Rickard said.
The ISIL group takes advantage of social media to promote Takfiri ideology and recruit militants from around the globe for their battles against the governments of Iraq and Syria.
The militants have committed crimes, including public decapitations, against all communities in the crisis-hit countries.
NT/NT
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