Military successes in Iraq have nearly crippled al-Qaeda's ability to produce battlefield propaganda, hampering for now its ability to recruit fighters and raise money, the U.S. military and analysts say.
The number of Web statements and videos attributed to the main al-Qaeda group in Iraq fell to 12 in May, from more than 200 in May 2007, according to SITE Intelligence Group, an independent organization that tracks terrorist Web activity.
Air Force Col. Scott Maw, a U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, described al-Qaeda's propaganda operations in Iraq as "severely degraded."
Terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda have proved resourceful in the past and have quickly adapted to setbacks, however.
While publicity material linked to Iraq has been declining, the Taliban in Afghanistan has been increasing its presence on the Web in recent months. |