April 19, 2006: One of the more successful counter-terrorism operations was pulled off in plain sight. Saudi and Jordanian counter-terrorism officers apparently set up a number of pro-terrorist sites on the web, and went on to acquire a reputation of providing accurate and reliable information for fans, and practitioners, of Islamic terrorism. The operation was revealed when some of the site users accused the site operators of playing a role in the prompt round up of Islamic terrorists after the recent failed attempt to bomb Saudi oil facilities earlier this year. Apparently, the web sites were collecting useful information on their users, which allowed counter-terrorism agencies to track many active Islamic terrorists in Saudi Arabia.

While several sites are now gone, more can be set up by counter-terrorism organizations. Moreover, many potential users of such sites are now reluctant to get involved. These pro-terror web sites have long been a powerful recruiting tool. Not so much any more.