Experts in the fight against terrorism have been “amazed” by how in recent days jihadist volunteers have managed to spread their propaganda massively through the social networks that Spaniards use the most, thanks to the “huge loudspeaker” of the media. The spark went off in the middle of last week when threats about the Champions League matches at the Santiago Bernabéu and the Civitas Metropolitano, which had been broadcast by two Islamic State-affiliated media platforms, began to appear in the headlines, Al- Azaim Foundation and Sarh al-Khilafah. And in that “springboard” is the success of these propagandist campaigns against which the bodies and security forces fight: to generate social alarm and a climate of terror.
Both the General Information Office of the National Police and the Information Service of the Civil Guard agree to definitively point out that the terrorist threat has not increased in Spain in the last week. The football matches put on the target took place without any incident of this nature. But before that, the Ministry of the Interior had to call for calm and the Delegation of the Central Government in Madrid announced a reinforcement of the police apparatus due to the magnitude that the propaganda campaign acquired. He even went to school in the political debate: the ultra-right took the opportunity to point out “those who open borders” as those “responsible” for the “pain that the savages will cause”.
After the fall of the Islamic State caliphate in 2019, propaganda is what has served the organization to maintain terrorist tension around the world. In fact, despite the fact that the Islamic State is losing its central structures, “the phenomenon of propaganda is increasing because it is starting to be supported by volunteers who participate in a very specialized way”, they point out from the intelligence service of the Civil Guard . In addition to the entities that bear the official seal of the organization, such as the magazines Dabiq and Rumijah or the newspaper Al Naba – which are now only the tip of the iceberg -, the true sounding board of the Islamic State it is made up of a kind of franchised structure in charge of creating and disseminating terrorist propaganda. “The fact that it is spreading through unofficial channels does not reduce the risk”, the sources add.
However, as pointed out by the National Police, the “relentless” propaganda of the Islamic State has access to a restricted public to mock the security forces, who find it extremely difficult to pursue their authors, because they hide behind undetectable profiles due to the zero information that the platforms offer about them. Telegram is the clear example, and therefore one of the favorite networks of terrorists. Terrorist content is jumping from smaller channels to larger ones thanks to the commitment of jihadist volunteers who are responsible for translating and making the material visually appealing. In the vast majority, the propaganda stays in these circles with the aim of attracting adherents to the terrorist cause. Either for their transfer to conflict zones or to commit an attack in western territory. But when the major media echoes it – “involuntarily making fun of it”, point out from the Police -, social alarm is generated, which they are also looking for. And, incidentally, that it may reach some subject who does not consume the specialized channels, but who is encouraged to attack encouraged by these incitements.
Police sources say that they have detected the presence of freelance journalists in small groups of jihadist volunteers who “with the intention of informing or knowing how the terrorist phenomenon works” have captured the threats and “immediately” published them in the media . The agents involved in these channels have verified that after the publications in the media, the members have boasted that the intimidation has had media coverage.
At the moment, the fight against propaganda is focused on preventing terrorist content from circulating freely on the internet, but due to the nature of the medium, it is “highly complicated” to reach the structures that facilitate and favor the spread of propaganda. “It’s a huge challenge”, the experts acknowledge. Operations in Spain generally focus on neutralizing a threat from a tactical point of view with the arrest of individuals who could commit an action after consuming the propaganda. However, strategic success would consist in damaging propaganda structures on a global scale.
The security forces predict that in the coming months, with the Olympic Games in Paris as a backdrop, there will be an increase in propaganda targeting sporting events. This is what happened with the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where propaganda activity intensified, although in the end there was no terrorist incident.
