Author Description

The Internet provides a window into the full range of Jihadist activities. This study provides quantitative and qualitative assessments of the content of communications in the Jihadist forums. Special attention is paid to the nexus between crime and terorism as it unfolds in the discussions. The data comprise 2112 discussion threads downloaded over two years from over 15 different prominent Arabic-language Jihadist forums. The results suggest that most discussions are short lived, involve a small number of participants from among the pool of registered forum members, and include few entries and pages. Participants often refer readers to approved web sites and share authentic Jihadist multimedia. Four content groups were identified: information dissemination, religious preaching, instruction or training, and social interactions. Figures. This is a print on demand report.