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Inquiry & Analysis |649|December 10, 2010 Jihad and Terrorism Studies Project Part V: YouTube – The Internet's Primary and Rapidly Expanding Jihadi Base: One Year Later on YouTube – Anwar Al-Awlaki's Presence Expands, Al-Qaeda Goes Viral, Jihadists Post Thousands of Videos of Killing of U.S. Troops; European Jihadists Also Embrace YouTube By: Steven Stalinsky*

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Over the past year, as part of MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project, we determined that YouTube has emerged as the leading website for online jihad. It has replaced – and surpassed – websites administered by jihadists themselves, which were previously the leaders in online jihadist efforts. MEMRI has briefed members of the U.S. government and Congress on this issue, and has also directly offered its assistance to YouTube in identifying videos that incite violence and terrorist acts for possible removal. MEMRI's research reveals that the use of YouTube by terrorists worldwide is a grave national security issue, as proven by U.S-born Al-Qaeda sheikh Anwar Al-Awlaki and his followers. The following report, Part V of the series, focuses on the ongoing use of YouTube by Al-Qaeda, its affiliates, and Islamist groups in the West, and on the growing numbers of young Westerners who have been incited to acts of terrorism by viewing jihadi clips on YouTube – particularly those related to Anwar Al-Awlaki. It also focuses on another way jihadists are using YouTube – posting an increasing number of videos graphically showing the killing of American soldiers, by IEDs, snipers, and other means, in Afghanistan and Iraq. Finally, this report will trace developments related to the effects of recent pressure on YouTube by Western countries, which has led to some preliminary measures to clean up the website. The concern over Anwar Al-Awlaki is so critical that in early November the U.K. government contacted the U.S. government to express alarm about the jihadist presence on YouTube, noting that of Anwar Al-Awlaki in particular. This followed letters from multiple members of Congress to YouTube's CEO requesting the removal of jihadi videos. On September 29, 2010 U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, along with Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ed Royce and Donald Manzullo, wrote: "We are writing to you to express our deep concern regarding the increasing rise of terrorist groups using YouTube to spread their propaganda and violent ideology… Recent reports reveal that YouTube has become the largest clearinghouse of jihadi videos. One of the most frequently featured jihadists on YouTube, with some 1,910 videos, i[s] Anwar Al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki is a U.S.-born imam who is credited with inspiring – through his online activities – 2007's attempted terrorist attack at Fort Dix, November 2009's terrorist attack at Fort Hood, and this past Christmas's attempted airplane bombing near Detroit... We would like to know what YouTube's strategy is for dealing with terrorist videos posted on its site and why it has continued to allow videos like Al-Awlaki's to remain." On October 24, 2010 Rep. Anthony Weiner wrote: "A known terrorist named Anwar al-Awlaki, dubbed the 'bin-Laden of the Internet,' has been using YouTube to promote his extremist ideology and recruit a new generation of terrorists. I am asking that you remove all videos featuring Anwar al-Awlaki from your website and set up safeguards to prevent future videos of from being posted… I understand that YouTube is a clearing house for ideas and that your company aims to not infringe on free speech, but al-Awlaki's message, promoted via YouTube, has caused violence and is a threat to American security. I request that you remove this man and his hateful rhetoric from your website, as he poses a clear and present danger to American citizens." Following growing pressure, YouTube issued a series of statements to the media regarding Al-Awlaki videos and even announced it was hiring additional staff to deal with jihadi videos. On November 3, YouTube told The New York Times that it had removed videos that violated the site's guidelines prohibiting "dangerous or illegal activities such as bomb-making, hate speech, and incitement to commit violent acts," that came from accounts that were "registered by a member of a designated foreign terrorist organization," or that were being used to promote such a group's interests. YouTube went on to say that its owner, Google, seeks to balance freedom of expression with avoiding posting calls to violence: "These are difficult issues… and material that is brought to our attention is reviewed carefully. We will continue to remove all content that incites violence according to our policies. Material of a purely religious nature will remain on the site." It was revealed on the same day YouTube issued this statement, that the May 14 attack on British MP Stephen Timms, in which a woman named Roshonara Choudhry repeatedly plunged a knife into his abdomen, was, as Ms. Choudhry's family stated, directly connected to her spending countless hours listening to Al-Awlaki's calls to jihad. According to a report in The Telegraph, within a period of six months Choudhry metamorphosed from a moderate Muslim with a degree in English into an Al-Qaeda operative "as a result of simply sitting in front of her computer and listening to the sermons of Anwar Al-Awlaki [that are] readily available on YouTube." Al-Awlaki's emerging worldwide army of young followers incited by viewing him on YouTube must be taken seriously. Some of these followers have already attempted to assassinate political figures, murder U.S. soldiers, blow up planes over metropolitan areas, and detonate truck bombs. Just this week another young follower of Al-Awlaki made headlines. Muhammad Hussain (real name Antonio Martinez), a 21-year-old naturalized citizen from Mexico, was arrested December 8, 2010 on charges of attempted murder and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against property used by the United States. His intended target was a military recruiting center. According to a court affidavit and media accounts, he was a frequent visitor to the website of the New York based Islamist group Revolution Muslim, where he viewed videos by Al-Qaeda, including some of terrorists training for attacks. Postings on Martinez’s Facebook page referred to Al-Awlaki as "my beloved sheikh," and include multiple links to jihad videos on YouTube. These videos include attacks and killing of U.S. soldiers, as well as inspirational messages with images of Al-Qaeda fighters. While YouTube should be applauded for adding new staff and a new function to identify and remove jihadi videos, this is only a beginning. The removal of content is one part of the problem; the other part is keeping these videos from being posted in the first place – as shown by the recent removal of hundreds of Anwar Al-Awlaki videos that were quickly reposted to other pages. Table of Contents: Introduction Capitol Hill to YouTube: Remove Al-Awlaki Clips Anwar Al-Awlaki, The Sheikh of YouTube: A Summary of Recent Activity Recent Examples of Clips of Al-Awlaki and His Supporters Al-Awlaki Supports "The Blessed Operation" of Fort Hood Al-Awlaki's "Constants on the Path to Jihad" Al-Awlaki's Young YouTube Followers' Involvement in Terrorism The YouTube Presence of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula YouTube Video By AQAP Leaders In Support of Al-Awlaki Includes Threats Against White House Al-Qaeda Media Strategy: Releasing Al-Qaeda Leaders' Videos Directly On YouTube Somali Al-Qaeda Affiliate's Latest Video Calling Followers to Jihad – Released on YouTube How Jihadists Use YouTube As A Weapon Targamh: An Egypt-Based Translating Service Used By Islamists on YouTube For Adding English Subtitles To Arabic-Language Videos In YouTube Video, London Islamist Discusses His Favorite Jihadist Websites and YouTube Pages – And How to Use Pass Codes For These Sites Jihadist Groups Posting Videos of U.S. Soldiers Being Killed Jihadists in Europe Embrace YouTube Shariah 4 Belgium's Page of YouTube Clips UK Islamist Group "Salaf Media" In Video Titled "Cry From Within" Another British Islamist Group With a YouTube Page: "Muslims Against Crusades (MAC)" The YouTube Pages of Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad and Izharudeen Revolution Muslim YouTube Clips – October 2010 Thousands of Videos of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda Can Easily Be Viewed on YouTube Worldwide Jihad Videos on YouTube Nasheeds (Songs About Jihad) On YouTube Conclusion: YouTube Has Taken a First Step in Dealing With Jihad Clips To read the full report, visit