Spain: Arrested Jihadist Set Up Complex Virtual Network Extolling Islamic State Ideology
Agents belonging to the Valencia Provincial Intelligence Brigade, backed up by the General Commissariat of Intelligence of the National Police, arrested a Moroccan national resident in Valencia, responsible for the creation of an extensive network of profiles on social networks whose ultimate aim was to recruit, radicalize and indoctrinate his followers.
The purpose of the contents of the complex virtual network set up by the man arrested was to extol, vindicate and disseminate Islamic State’s activities, encouraging recruits to collaborate in terrorist actions.
The arrested man was in contact with a large number of Islamic State combatants operating in the zone of the Syria-Iraq conflict, including some high-profile members. On several occasions he expressed his desire to join Islamic State’s ranks as a combatant.
As part of Islamic States organization he was responsible for the generation of propaganda, the production and spreading of anti-Semitic messages, incitement to hatred, vindication and extolling of the jihad, and incitement to violence and terrorist martyrdom. He also created content denigrating and humiliating the victims of Jihadist terrorism.
To achieve these aims he totally indoctrinated the people he contacted over the Internet into the jihadist way of thinking, teaching them the ideology promoted by Islamic State while vindicating and encouraging the use of violence and subversion.
Once beyond this stage, rhetorical techniques were used to test his followers’ moral stance and their willingness to accept total commitment to working with the terrorist organization.
The final stage was carried out on less public communications platforms on which the arrested man would complete the recruitment process with a single purpose in mind; the total integration of his recruits in the structure of Islamic State’s terrorist organization.
The police operation was carried out under the leadership and oversight of the judge of the Central Investigation Court number four and was coordinated by the Prosecution Service of the National High Court.
This police operation once again demonstrates the commitment of the General Commissariat of Intelligence to the fight against any kind of radicalization, the precursor to the commission of acts of violence. To this end the commissariat makes use of all available resources to protect democratic and constitutional values against terrorist brutality.
The operation remains ongoing.