Terrorist Organizations bring about a lot of disruption to the global community in terms of financial and social development hence the need to suppress such organizations. In order to curtail terrorist groups, it is essential to cut off their funding. The main source of funding to terrorist organizations is group members and sympathizers. The mobilization and transfer of funds is facilitated by the internet. Terrorist groups are able to spread and rally new recruits easily using the internet since it overcomes geographical barriers. Similarly, terrorist groups are able to raise and send funds by making online fund transfers within the group in a bid to raise the required money for their terrorist activities. Hence, limiting the access and use of the internet by terrorist groups is an imperative tactic to cut off their supply of funds which helps to exploit the groups. This paper will look at the need for exploiting terrorist funds according to Jacobson’s book, and the effect it has in the quest of a community and the terrorist organization.
Studies have shown that terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda use the internet at to acquire new recruits, communicate with their members who live diaspora, spread their beliefs, mobilize funds and money transfers during their terrorism operations. Other terrorism groups such as the Islamist also use the internet for similar purposes. Terrorist groups require funding to execute their plans. For instance, money is required to purchase firearms and explosives to train new recruits .
Consequently, the two main law enforcing bodies; Homeland security and FBI, keenly monitor the internet thus making it difficult for terrorist organizations to advance terrorism with the aid of the internet. This has curtailed their ability to mobilize funds from members and sympathizers across the world. In addition, it has limited their ability to spread their beliefs and recruit new members over a wide geographical area.
It is also observed that some individuals fund these groups anonymously. Therefore, the government and states tend to monitor and analyze any suspicious money transfers.
Computer and internet experts have been trained with the best equipment in the United States on how to monitor any potential attacks and dealings of the terrorist groups. Proper monitoring of terrorist operations on the internet may eventually suppress terrorism to negligible levels or eliminate it completely.
References
Kisser, S. (2005). Financing Terror: An Analysis and Simulation for Affecting Al Qaeda's Financial Structure. Santa monica: RAND Corporation.
