Safoora attack mastermind Saad Aziz used social media to further agenda
Aziz used other modern means to collaborate and mobilize online
(Web Desk) – The 26-year-old ‘rich kid’ from one of Pakistan’s finest business schools Institute of Business Administration (IBA) shocked everyone by confessing to masterminding the murder of Sabeen Mahmud and Safoora chowrangi carnage targeting Ismailis.
People were stumped to know how the modern Jihadist used modern technology including smartphone apps like Talkray and other modes of encrypted communication to coordinate in his circle.
But more things are surfacing as the investigation into the suspect advances. It was reported today that Aziz carried a gun in his one hand and a cell phone camera in another and wanted to film the carnage.
It has also been reported that Aziz used other modern means to collaborate and mobilize including the social media.
The modern, rich jihadist regularly published an online English language magazine including a pdf edition, Facebook page and Twitter page.
Aziz’s magazine invited guest posts to be published into his magazine that had content inciting violence for religious and sectarian minorities.
With Pakistan having no former legislation to curb jihadist propaganda online other than the vague National Action Plan (NAP), the new age jihadists continue to use the modern communication tools to their advantage.
The social media, however, is not to be blamed here. With effective legislation and intelligence gathering, this powerful media can also be a tool to hunt suspects and assist the law enforcement to counter the attacks.
This is what the United States (US) has been doing to track and counter the ISIS as its Commander of Air Combat Command Gen. Hawk Carlisle admitted. His statement has been quoted by the CNN saying:
"These guys that are working down at Hurlburt (Florida), they re combing through social media. And they see some moron standing at this command and control capability for Da Esh, ISIL. These guys go, ah we got an in,’”
"Long story short...three JDAMs take the entire building out," he added.
United States’ intelligence gathering, however, comes under severe criticism, especially its National Security Agency (NSA). It is unclear whether NSA is used to gather intelligence from Twitter.
