Foundation for Defense of Democracies

When terrorist leaders such as Abu Yahya al-Libi, head of the North African al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, are photographed, they often appear holding rifles and laptops. The message they seek to convey is that they are soldiers of jihad, but also prophets of jihadist doctrine. Terrorists rely on conventional and unconventional media to inspire would-be recruits, and spread their incitements to violence.

When terrorist leaders such as Abu Yahya al-Libi, head of the North African al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, are photographed, they often appear holding rifles and laptops. The message they seek to convey is that they are soldiers of jihad, but also prophets of jihadist doctrine. Terrorists rely on conventional and unconventional media to inspire would-be recruits, and spread their incitements to violence.

In 2004, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies established the Coalition Against Terrorist Media to halt the broadcasts of Hezbollah’s al-Manar television, Hamas’s al-Aqsa television, and other terrorist-owned and operated media outlets throughout the world. The Iranian regime is the principal backer of many such outlets.

By Jonathan Schanzer and Steven Miller

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CATM has briefed more than 900 lawmakers, national security officials, diplomats, and private-sector executives in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia on the threat of terrorist media. CATM officials have also appeared scores of times in the media in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

As terrorists increasingly take to the Internet, CATM focuses on their growing presence there, encouraging the U.S. and European governments to take action against terrorist media online, and ISPs to remove terrorist content voluntarily.

By waging a campaign against terrorists’ propaganda machinery, CATM puts the worst offenders on the defensive, and helps set a precedent for going after others.