Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Death squad threats move to the internet
Security
As sectarian violence spreads in iraq, shiite and sunni death squads are using the internet to advertise names, addresses and even occupations of those people they want to eliminate, a media report said on Monday. Sunni and Shia websites offer warnings to Iraqis about neighbourhoods and ministries that may have been infiltrated by militias, but the sites are also increasingly used as tools by those seeking names, addresses and occupations of citizens to kill, Newsweek reported.
Until recently, death threats in Iraq arrived the old-fashioned way of a flier found on a family's doorstep, warning them to leave the neighbourhood or suffer the consequences. Now Iraq's sectarian killers have discovered the anonymity and long reach of the Internet, the report says. The news magazine says it has found at least eight of these sites, but decided not to publish their web addresses.
The practice is openly endorsed by some Iraqi leaders. Jalal al-din saghir, an influential Shia cleric and parliamentary deputy sponsors several sites, it says. Some of the websites can be used to catch spies by tracking their movements, he was quoted as saying by the news magazine. Sunni sites, the report says, provide arabic-speaking users with a place to swap information about people who allegedly collaborate with shiite death squads in Baghdad.
Until recently, death threats in Iraq arrived the old-fashioned way of a flier found on a family's doorstep, warning them to leave the neighbourhood or suffer the consequences. Now Iraq's sectarian killers have discovered the anonymity and long reach of the Internet, the report says. The news magazine says it has found at least eight of these sites, but decided not to publish their web addresses.
The practice is openly endorsed by some Iraqi leaders. Jalal al-din saghir, an influential Shia cleric and parliamentary deputy sponsors several sites, it says. Some of the websites can be used to catch spies by tracking their movements, he was quoted as saying by the news magazine. Sunni sites, the report says, provide arabic-speaking users with a place to swap information about people who allegedly collaborate with shiite death squads in Baghdad.
