- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

FBI Identifies Thousands of Islamic State Twitter Propagandists

© Photo : PixabayTwitter
Twitter - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified thousands of Islamic State propagandists central to disseminating tens of thousands of ISIL social media postings, FBI’s Counterterrorism Division Assistant Director Michael Steinbach said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, June 3 (Sputnik) — During testimony to the US House Homeland Security Committee, Michael Steinbach said:

“[There is] probably a neighborhood of a couple thousand core users, propagandists pushing that message out, then probably another 50,000 individuals retweeting that message, and then upwards of 200,000 receiving that message.”

Islamic State - Sputnik International
Rose-Colored Glasses Off: ISIL Kills European Jihadists - Escaped Prisoner
Steinbach noted that the thousands of core ISIL propagandists is the FBI’s “starting point.”

The Islamic State is considered to be the most adept terrorist group employing social media, including major US social media platforms, according to US intelligence agencies.

ISIL propagandists aim to inspire attacks on western targets by recruiting jihadis to fight abroad or receive training and return home to carry out attacks.

The FBI estimates “upwards of 200 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to Syria to join extremist groups,” Steinbach said in his testimony.

He added that the terrorist recruitment threats “remain among the highest priorities for the FBI and the Intelligence Community as a whole.”

Fighters from the Islamic State group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul, Iraq - Sputnik International
World
Dream Down the Drain: Wannabe Jihadist Gets Toilet Duty Instead of Holy War
In May, two terrorist plots have been attempting in the United States allegedly inspired by the ISIL outreach.

On May 4, two men were killed by US law enforcement after launching an armed attack on a Garland, Texas event featuring controversial cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed.

On Tuesday, the FBI interrupted another plot against law enforcement authorities in Boston, Massachusetts by an individual with alleged ties to the Islamic State group. Boston police shot the suspect and detained another suspect believed to be tied to the plot.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала