Tweeting Every Drone Strike Has Revealed Possible U.S. War Crimes

The NYU Student Tweeting Every Reported US Drone Strike Has Revealed A Disturbing Trend -- Business Insider

NYU student Josh Begley is tweeting every reported U.S. drone strike since 2002, and the feed highlights a disturbing tactic employed by the U.S. that is widely considered a war crime.

Known as the "double tap," the tactic involves bombing a target multiple times in relatively quick succession, meaning that the second strike often hits first responders.

A 2007 report by the Homeland Security Institute called double taps a "favorite tactic of Hamas" and the FBI considers it a tactic employed by terrorists.

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My Comment: NYU student Josh Begle's twitter feed is here. Complaints of drone "double taps" has been coming out from Pakistan for years. But this is the first time that we can spot the trend .... and yes .... many do believe that hitting first responders in such a fashion is a war crime.

On a side note .... my father fought in the Second World War (Soviet Army) .... and he once told me that for the Nazis this was one of their favorite tactics in bombing .... 10 to 15 minutes after a bombing, a second wave would then come in and kill-off the emergency crews and survivors trying to rescue those who were caught in the first wave.

Will Twitter Pull The Plug On Israel And Hamas?

Does The Israel-Hamas Internet War Violate Twitter's Terms of Service? -- The Atlantic

If so, a new way of war may soon meet its end.

We're now in day two of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. AllThingsD's Mike Isaac asks whether the IDF's swaggering taunt to Hamas in the wake of its opening airstrike represented a violation of Twitter's terms of service:

According to Twitter's rulebook, users are not permitted to "publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others," nor are users allowed to use Twitter "for any unlawful purposes or in furtherance of illegal activities." That includes tweets both foreign and domestic, as Twitter's "international users agree to comply with all local laws regarding online conduct and acceptable content."

Facebook's ToS cites similar bylaws, telling users not to post content designed to incite violence or hate speech.

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My Comment: I would have to say yes .... but Twitter will not "pull the plug" in view of the fact that many civilians on both sides are using social media like Twitter to keep track on the well of each other. In short .... the social good overcomes any usage of Twitter as a propaganda tool by both sides.

The Twitter War Between Israel And Hamas

Hamas Shoots Rockets At Tel Aviv, Tweeting Every Barrage -- Danger Room

On day one of the fight between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces executed a top leader of the militant group — and took to Twitter and YouTube to brag about it. On day two, the Palestinian group hit back, launching its most sophisticated rockets and announcing every new barrage on social media.

The counteroffensive is a major change from the last time the IDF and Hamas battled, during 2009′s “Operation Cast Lead.” Then, the Palestinian militant movement used improvised rocket-launchers to dump crude rockets on the Israeli towns nearest to Gaza. Their information warfare campaign was similarly primitive. Today, Hamas is armed with relatively sophisticated Iranian Fajr-5 rockets, firing them at Israel’s largest city, and tweeting that the rockets are causing havoc in Tel Aviv.

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More News On The use Of Social Media Between Israel And Hamas

Israel and Hamas wage social media fight via social media platforms -- AP
Israel and Hamas deploy Twitter feeds in media war -- The Guardian
Twitter and other social media now another front in Gaza attack -- L.A. Times
Israel, Hamas Fight Twitter War -- Huffington Post
Israel wages Twitter war with Hamas over Gaza -- The Independent
Twitter War Erupts Between Israel and Hamas During Gaza Strikes -- ABC News
Israel Defence Forces and Hamas trade threats on Twitter -- CBC
Israel and Hamas wage online war of words -- France 24
In Israeli Attack on Hamas: Shock, Awe and Social Media -- New York Times
Israeli military puts Hamas on notice via Twitter -- The Hill
Israeli Military, Hamas Battle It Out In Reality -- And On Twitter -- Radio Free Europe
IDF-Hamas Gaza Twitter War: the Spin in Real Time -- The Wrap
Hamas, Israel and why social media like Twitter and Facebook are a new front in the war for Gaza -- Ian Burrell, The Independent

How Twitter Can Be A Useful Intelligence Tool For The Military

Can The US Military Fight A War With Twitter? -- Kerry Davis, Computer World

New projects could bring about a change in the way intelligence is gathered.

IDG News Service - Students at a military graduate school in California are mining social media with new methods that may change the way the armed forces collect intelligence overseas.

Students and researchers at the Naval Postgraduate School have tackled two projects that could begin the shift in the way intelligence is gathered. The first is a piece of software they wrote that harnesses the Twitter API (application programming interface) and the second is a project focusing on Syria that uses social networks to look at U.S. policy options there, though civil liberties experts say the technology concerns them.

The software for Twitter, called the Dynamic Twitter Network Analysis (DTNA), is now being field-tested by three Defense Department units overseas to help gauge public opinion in some of the world's hot spots.

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My Comment: In short .... data mining social media networks will provide intel that is not only detailed and practical .... but also very quickly.

Twitter Is The Tool of Choice For Dissidents In Saudi Arabia

Twitter Gives Saudi Arabia a Revolution of Its Own -- New York times

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia did not have an Arab Spring. But it has had a revolution of sorts.

Open criticism of this country’s royal family, once unheard-of, has become commonplace in recent months. Prominent judges and lawyers issue fierce public broadsides about large-scale government corruption and social neglect. Women deride the clerics who limit their freedoms. Even the king has come under attack.

All this dissent is taking place on the same forum: Twitter.

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My Comment: I suspect that the Saudi security services are monitoring this traffic very closely.

Syrian Supporters Hack Into Reuters Twitter Feed And Blogging Platform

Reuters Blog Backend Gets Hacked, Fake Statements About Syria Posted -- Daily Tech

Top media organization is investigating where the attacks originated from

On Friday Thompson Reuters, one of the internet's most visited sources for interviews, reporting, and analysis, was the victim of malicious hackers who gained access to the content management system it uses to post blogs.

While Reuters says it does not currently know the identity of the attackers, it is clear they were fixated on Syria and were looking to spread negative misinformation about the freedom fighters actively rebelling against the country's despotic regime.

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More News On Reuters Twitter And Blogging Platform Hacked By Pro-Syrian Government Supporters

Reuters Twitter account hacked, false tweets about Syria sent -- Reuters
Reuters hacked by pro-Assad propagandists again, this time on Twitter -- Christian Science Monitor
Hacked Reuters Twitter Feed Used to Spread Disinformation About Syrian Rebels -- the Lede/New York Times
Reuters Twitter Feed, Blogging Platform Hacked -- Discovery News
Reuters Twitter account hijacked, fake tweets sent -- CNet News
Reuters hacked twice in 48 hours; pro-Syrian government stories, Tweets posted -- NBC