Counter-narratives and Info Ops: Debating Jihadi YouTube Videos

[Valin]

Small Wars Council:

There has been an small interesting thread going on over at Small Wars Council.

Erich G. Simmers
11/7/10

As you have likely read, YouTube has pulled selected videos featuring Anwar al-Awlaki under pressure from the American and British governments. Pauline Neville-Jones, the British Minister of Security, argued that the material is a major component of recruitment and radicalization, providing an impetus for acts of terror and should be pulled. In response, Adam Rawnsley of Danger Room argues that removing the videos

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This made me wonder whether or not removing the videos was beneficial from the viewpoint of combating terrorism. In point 6, Clark implies that there an open space for constructing a counternarrative. By leaving the more radical Awlaki videos online, we can exploit the weaknesses in his argument and pose a viable alternative. In fact, simply removing the videos may sabotage our counternarrative from the beginning, giving radicals ammunition to say, "See, they talk about 'freedom' when all they really want to do is silence opposition [as they do in regime X, regime Y, etc.]" At the very least, we need to know what radicals are saying to combat their message. In point 7, he suggests that removing the videos constitutes a failure to address the underlying causes of Jihadi radicalization rather than a mere "symptom." From a COIN perspective, American interests may be better served in acknowledging and addressing select grievances in Awlaki's message rather than silencing the messenger. To me, removing the video seems to be the digital equivalent of counterterrorism without the COIN.

Many may object that the U. S. should not cede the Internet to terrorists. Certainly, I do not advocate 'ceding' the Internet. Rather, we should engage an ideological contest rather than 'cat and mouse' technological battle with terrorists doing what is essentially a denial-of-service attack against sites that host their message via lawfare, government pressure, or offensive 'cyber' action. However, I wonder if this approach isn't one method to separate the population from insurgents in the 21st century. What, then, is the proper balance between denying terrorists a soap box and countering their message? What are your thoughts and concerns?