the.world.is.flat-第95部分

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have　been　using　all　of　the　tools　that　the　Internet　offers　to　recruit　supporters；　raise　
funds；　and　launch　a　worldwide　campaign　of　fear。　It　is　also　clear　that　to　combat　
terrorism　effectively；　mere　suppression　of　their　Internet　tools　is　not　enough。　Our　
scan　of　the　Internet　in　2003…04　revealed　the　existence　of　hundreds　of　websites　serving　
terrorists　in　different；　albeit　sometimes　overlapping；　ways。　。　。　There　are　countless　
examples　of　how　＇terrorists＇　use　this　uncensored　medium　to　spread　disinformation；　
to　deliver　threats　intended　to　instill　fear　and　helplessness；　and　to　disseminate　
horrific　images　of　recent　actions。　Since　September　11；　2001；　al…Qaeda　has　festooned　
its　websites　with　a　string　of　announcements　of　an　impending　〃large　attack〃　on　US　
targets。　These　warnings　have　received　considerable　media　coverage；　which　has　helped　
to　generate　a　widespread　sense　of　dread　and　insecurity　among　audiences　throughout　
the　world　and　especially　within　the　United　States　。　。　。　
The　Internet　has　significantly　expanded　the　opportunities　for　terrorists　to　secure　
publicity。　Until　the　advent　of　the　Internet；　terrorists'　hopes　of　winning　publicity　
for　their　causes　and　activities　depended　on　attracting　the　attention　of　television；　
radio；　or　the　print　media。　The　fact　that　terrorists　themselves　have　direct　control　
over　the　content　of　their　websites　offers　further　opportunities　to　shape　how　they　
are　perceived　by　different　target　audiences　and　to　manipulate　their　image　and　the　
images　of　their　enemies。　Most　terrorist　sites　do　not　celebrate　their　violent　
activities。　Instead…　regardless　of　their　nature；　motives；　or　location…most　terrorist　
sites　emphasize　two　issues：　the　restrictions　placed　on　freedom　of　expression；　and　
the　plight　of　their　comrades　who　are　now　political　prisoners。　These　issues　resonate　
powerfully　with　their　own　supporters　and　are　also　calculated　to　elicit　sympathy　from　
Western　audiences　that　cherish　freedom　of　expression　and　frown　on　measures　to　silence　
political　opposition　。　。　。　
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Terrorists　have　proven　not　only　skillful　at　online　marketing　but　also　adept　at　mining　
the　data　offered　by　the　billion…some　pages　of　the　World　Wide　Web。　They　can　learn　from　
the　Internet　about　the　schedules　and　locations　of　targets　such　as　transportation　
facilities；　nuclear　power　plants；　public　buildings；　airports　and　ports；　and　even　
counterterrorism　measures。　According　to　Secretary　of　Defense　Donald　Rumsfeld；　an　


al…Qaeda　training　manual　recovered　in　Afghanistan　tells　its　readers；　〃Using　public　
sources　openly　and　without　resorting　to　illegal　means；　it　is　possible　to　gather　at　
least　80　percent　of　all　information　required　about　the　enemy。〃　One　captured　al…Qaeda　
computer　contained　engineering　and　structural　architecture　features　of　a　dam；　which　
had　been　downloaded　from　the　Internet　and　which　would　enable　al…Qaeda　engineers　and　
planners　to　simulate　catastrophic　failures。　In　other　captured　computers；　U。S。　
investigators　found　evidence　that　al…Qaeda　operators　spent　time　on　sites　that　offer　
software　and　programming　instructions　for　the　digital　switches　that　run　power；　water；　
transportation；　and　communications　grids。　
Like　many　other　political　organizations；　terrorist　groups　use　the　Internet　to　raise　
funds。　Al…Qaeda；　for　instance；　has　always　depended　heavily　on　donations；　and　its　
global　fundraising　network　is　built　upon　a　foundation　of　charities；　nongovernmental　
organizations；　and　other　financial　institutions　that　use　websites　and　Internet…based　
chat　rooms　and　forums。　The　fighters　in　the　Russian　breakaway　republic　of　Chechnya　
have　likewise　used　the　Internet　to　publicize　the　numbers　of　bank　accounts　to　which　
sympathizers　can　contribute。　And　in　December　2001；　the　U。S。　government　seized　the　
assets　of　a　Texas…based　charity　because　of　its　ties　to　Hamas。　
In　addition　to　soliciting　financial　aid　online；　terrorists　recruit　converts　by　using　
the　full　panoply　of　website　technologies　（audio；　digital　video；　etc。）　to　enhance　the　
presentation　of　their　message。　And　like　commercial　sites　that　track　visitors　to　
develop　consumer　profiles；　terrorist　organizations　capture　information　about　the　
users　who　browse　their　websites。　Visitors　who　seem　most　inter

ested　in　the　organization's　cause　or　well　suited　to　carrying　out　its　work　are　then　
contacted。　Recruiters　may　also　use　more　interactive　Internet　technology　to　roam　
online　chat　rooms　and　cyber　cafes；　looking　for　receptive　members　of　the　public；　
particularly　young　people。　The　SITE　Institute；　a　Washington；　D。C。…based　terrorism　
research　group　that　monitors　al…Qaeda's　Internet　communications；　has　provided　
chilling　details　ofa　high…tech　recruitment　drive　launchedin　2003　to　recruit　fighters　
to　travel　to　Iraq　and　attack　U。S。　and　coalition　forces　there。　The　Internet　also　grants　
terrorists　a　cheap　and　efficient　means　of　networking。　Many　terrorist　groups；　among　
them　Hamas　and　al…Qaeda；　have　undergone　a　transformation　from　strictly　hierarchical　
organizations　with　designated　leaders　to　affiliations　of　semi…independent　cells　that　
have　no　single　commanding　hierarchy。　Through　the　Internet；　these　loosely　
interconnected　groups　are　able　to　maintain　contact　with　one　another…and　with　members　
of　other　terrorist　groups。　The　Internet　connects　not　only　members　of　the　same　
terrorist　organizations　but　also　members　of　different　groups。　For　instance；　dozens　
of　sites　supporting　terrorism　in　the　name　of　jihad　permit　terrorists　in　places　as　
far…removed　from　one　another　as　Chechnya　and　Malaysia　to　exchange　ideas　and　practical　
information　about　how　to　build　bombs；　establish　terror　cells；　and　carry　out　
attacks　。　。　。　Al…Qaeda　operatives　relied　heavily　on　the　Internet　in　planning　and　
coordinating　the　September　11　attacks。　
For　all　of　these　reasons　we　are　just　at　the　beginning　of　understanding　the　geopolitical　
impact　of　the　flattening　of　the　world。　On　the　one　hand；　failed　states　and　failed　


regions　are　places　we　have　every　incentive　to　avoid　today。　They　offer　no　economic　
opportunity　and　there　is　no　Soviet　Union　out　there　competing　with　us　for　influence　
over　such　countries。　On　the　other　hand；　there　may　be　nothing　more　dangerous　today　
than　a　failed　state　with　broadband　capability。　That　is；　even　failed　states　tend　to　
have　telecommunications　systems　and　satellite　links；　and　therefore　if　a　terrorist　
group　infiltrates　a　failed　state；　as　al…Qaeda　did　with　Afghanistan；　it　can　amplify　
its　power　enormously。　As　much　as　big　powers　want　to　stay　away　
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from　such　states；　they　may　feel　compelled　to　get　even　more　deeply　embroiled　in　them。　
Think　of　America　in　Afghanistan　and　Iraq；　Russia　in　Chechnya；　Australia　in　East　Timor。　
In　the　flat　world　it　is　much　more　difficult　to　hide；　but　much　easier　to　get　connected。　
〃Think　of　Mao　at　the　beginning　of　the　Chinese　communist　revolution；〃　remarked　Michael　
Mandelbaum；　the　Johns　Hopkins　foreign　policy　specialist。　〃The　Chinese　Communists　had　
to　hide　in　caves　in　northwest　China；　but　they　could　move　around　in　whatever　territory　
they　were　able　to　control。　Bin　Laden；　by　contrast；　can't　show　his　face；　but　he　can　
reach　every　household　in　the　world；　thanks　to　the　Internet。〃　Bin　Laden　cannot　capture　
any　territory　but　he　can　capture　the　imagination　of　millions　of　people。　And　he　has；　
broadcasting　right　into　American　living　rooms　on　the　eve　of　the　2004　presidential　
election。　
Hell　hath　no　fury　like　a　terrorist　with　a　satellite　dish　and　an　interactive　Web　site。　
Too　Personally　Insecure　
In　the　fall　of　2004；1　was　invited　to　speak　at　a　synagogue　in　Woodstock；　New　York；　
home　of　the　famous　Woodstock　music　festival。　I　asked　my　hosts　how　was　it　that　they　
were　able　to　get　a　synagogue　in　Woodstock；　of　all　places；　big　enough　to　support　a　
lecture　series。　Very　simple；　they　said。　Since　9/11；　Jews；　and　others；　have　been　moving　
from　New　York　City　to　places　like　Woodstock；　to　get　away　from　what　they　fear　will　
be　the　next　ground　zero。　Right　now　this　trend　is　a　trickle；　but　it　would　become　a　
torrent　if　a　nuclear　device　were　detonated　in　any　European　or　American　city。　
Since　this　threat　is　the　mother　of　all　unflatteners；　this　book　would　not　be　complete　
without　a　discussion　of　it。　We　can　live　with　a　lot。　We　lived　through　9/11。　But　we　
cannot　live　with　nuclear　terrorism。　That　would　un…flatten　the　world　permanently。　
The　only　reason　that　Osama　bin　Laden　did　not　use　a　nuclear　device　on　9/11　was　not　
that　he　did　not　have　the　intention　but　that　he　did　not　
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have　the　capability。　And　since　the　Dell　Theory　offers　no　hope　of　restraining　the　
suicide　supply　chains；　the　only　strategy　we　have　is　to　limit　their　worst　capabilities。　
That　means　a　much　more　serious　global　effort　to　stanch　nuclear　proliferation　by　
limiting　the　supply…to　buy　up　the　fissile　material　that　is　already　out　there；　
particularly　in　the　former　Soviet　Union；　and　prevent　more　states　from　going　nuclear。　
Harvard　University　international　affairs　expert　Graham　Allison；　in　his　book　Nuclear　
Terrorism：　The　Ultimate　Preventable　Catastrophe；　outlines　just　such　a　strategy　for　
denying　terrorists　access　to　nuclear　weapons　and　nuclear　materials。　It　can　be　done；　
he　insists。　It　is　a　challenge　to　our　will　and　convictions；　but　not　to　our　capabilities。　
Allison　proposes　a　new　American…led　international　security　order　to　deal　with　this　


problem　based　on　what　he　calls　〃a　doctrine　of　the　Three　No's：　No　loose　nukes；　No　new　
nascent　nukes；　and　No　new　nuclear　states。〃　No　loose　nukes；　says　Allison；　means　locking　
down　all　nuclear　weapons　and　all　nuclear　material　from　which　bombs　could　be　made…in　
a　much　more　serious　way　than　we　have　done　up　till　now。　〃We　don't　lose　gold　from　Fort　
Knox；〃　says　Allison。　〃Russia　doesn't　lose　treasures　from　the　Kremlin　armory。　So　we　
both　know　how　to　prevent　theft　of　those　things　that　are　super　valuable　to　us　if　we　
are　determined　to　do　it。〃　No　new　nascent　nukes　means　recognizing　that　there　is　a　group　
of　actors　out　there　who　can　and　do　produce　highly　enriched　uranium　or　plutonium；　which　
is　nothing　more　than　nuclear　bombs　just　about　to　hatch。　We　need　a　much　more　credible；　
multilateral　nonprolif…eration　regime　that　soaks　up　this　fissile　material。　Finally；　
no　new　nuclear　states　means　〃drawing　a　line　under