NationStates Jolt Archive


Grassroots War on Terror

Sel Appa
21-09-2007, 03:21
Some woman trolls Jihadist websites and tips off the government. I find it quite amusing.

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070920/ap_on_re_us/al_qaida_scooped)

WASHINGTON - Once her son is off to school, Laura Mansfield settles in at her dining room table with her laptop and begins trolling Arabic-language message boards and chat rooms popular with jihadists.

Fluent in Arabic, the self-employed terror analyst often hacks into the sites, translates the material, puts it together and sends her analysis via a subscription service to intelligence agencies, law enforcement and academics.

Occasionally she comes across a gem, such as when she found a recent Osama bin Laden video — before al-Qaida had announced it.

"I realized, oh my gosh, I'm sitting here, I'm a fat 50-year-old mom and I've managed to scoop al-Qaida," said Mansfield, who uses that name as a pseudonym because she receives death threats.

She sometimes spends 100 hours a week online, and she often finds items after word has begun spreading on the Arabic forums of an imminent release.

"It's really important to understand what the jihadists think and how they're planning on doing things," she said. "They're very vocal. They tell us what they're going to do and then they go out and do it."

Mansfield tips off her intelligence sources when she does find something new, part of an informal working relationship with the government.

"When I send them something, it's welcome," she said. "They thank me."

There have been times when an impending video release has kept her from a planned shopping trip with her daughter.

"It gets really challenging when you're trying to do that and cook spaghetti at the same time," she said.
Free Socialist Allies
21-09-2007, 03:23
The "recent Bin Laden video" is more fake than an episode of Spongebob, get real.

I doubt it's much help. The first step to ending terrorism is to kill the American government.
Marrakech II
21-09-2007, 03:27
I have done this exact same thing a couple times. I do not have the time to spend like this women but I do read what kind of ignorant crap they are posting. It is entertaining to read some of the views they have. It shows how far they are from reality.
Tape worm sandwiches
21-09-2007, 03:31
Michael C Ruppert

does a similar thing with his From the Wilderness website.

the best congressperson to serve in recent year Cynthia McKinney
has/had a subscription to his works.
The Lone Alliance
21-09-2007, 03:32
My third favorite internet hobby is going over to Youtube and heckling the Jihadists.
Greater Valia
21-09-2007, 03:38
In a recent interview when asked about the motivation for her actions, Mansfield replied, "I did it for the lulz."

Ok, I made that up, but this is some epic level trolling. Laura, I salute you!
Verdigroth
21-09-2007, 05:09
The "recent Bin Laden video" is more fake than an episode of Spongebob, get real.

I doubt it's much help. The first step to ending terrorism is to kill the American government.

I totally agree..I think the United States of Canada has a nice ring to it...and we would get a workable form of socialized health care.
Lunatic Goofballs
21-09-2007, 21:23
I serve a similar purpose on this forum. *nod*
Sel Appa
21-09-2007, 21:23
I have done this exact same thing a couple times. I do not have the time to spend like this women but I do read what kind of ignorant crap they are posting. It is entertaining to read some of the views they have. It shows how far they are from reality.

How do you know the jihadist websites? I saw a link once after the 7705 bombings on wikipedia, but it was later stripped off (obviously). I had it written down, but I'm sure they have it deeply archived somewhere on the bombing page.
Marrakech II
21-09-2007, 21:39
How do you know the jihadist websites? I saw a link once after the 7705 bombings on wikipedia, but it was later stripped off (obviously). I had it written down, but I'm sure they have it deeply archived somewhere on the bombing page.

Well, half my family are Arabic. My nieces and nephews will send links to me to read on occasion. They send them because of how outrageous some of them are and know that I am interested in reading them. They pull the links from chat rooms they are in. What happens is someone will pop into a chat room about music and throw a link up to these web sites quick and leave. This is one way they spread their information.
Call to power
21-09-2007, 21:39
shouldn't this woman have a job and stuff?
Marrakech II
21-09-2007, 21:45
shouldn't this woman have a job and stuff?

Yeah she does. Cooking and cleaning for her husband. ;)
Call to power
21-09-2007, 21:57
Yeah she does. Cooking and cleaning for her husband. ;)

...you mean if I was a househusband I could sit around all day looking at porn?!
Deus Malum
21-09-2007, 22:04
I serve a similar purpose on this forum. *nod*

In Soviet NSG, Goofballs report YOU!
Deus Malum
21-09-2007, 22:05
...you mean if I was a househusband I could sit around all day looking at porn?!

You mean you don't already? :D
String Cheese Incident
21-09-2007, 22:08
I serve a similar purpose on this forum. *nod*

You report potential terrorists to the U.S. government? sounds like an interesting occupation, how can I get involved?
Call to power
21-09-2007, 22:10
You mean you don't already? :D

you' know those guys that always seems to be a millions miles away

...

I have a very good imagination and funsize pockets :D
OceanDrive2
21-09-2007, 23:02
You report potential terrorists to the U.S. government? sounds like an interesting occupation, how can I get involved?call this number 1-866-347-2423

or this number 1-888-667-7539

US toll free
Agolthia
21-09-2007, 23:58
I serve a similar purpose on this forum. *nod*

You sold us OUT, man, You've sold us out......!
Now Then Here There
22-09-2007, 00:47
This is a highly interesting time to live in.

The CIA is buying intel instead of selling, hording and modifying it.

When being a hacker means your probobly going to end up coding for some big corperation.

10 year olds regularly whoop my ass in videogames but can't make heads or tails of dodgeball.

I'm rooting for uber lurker mom and wondering, what's going to happen next?
Demented Hamsters
22-09-2007, 03:30
100 hours a week online?
That's 14 hours a day!
She needs to get a hobby/life/batteries for her vibrator.