Austria’s ‘Jihad by Telecommute’

They translated and prepared terror videos, claims of responsibility and al-Qaida propaganda on the Internet. Austrian police have now attributed this handiwork to the Global Islamic Media Front and the leader of this network is reportedly among the arrested.It’s been three weeks since the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) put out an ad for a translator to help with the growing workload in terror news. “Brothers and sisters with English language skills are especially sought,” wrote a GIMF member. “We’re looking for someone with time to sacrifice for Allah and thereby support the jihad.” Instructions were to send an e-mail response, after which one would receive “a little job” in return.”Jihad by Telecommute” could have been GIMF’s business slogan. For almost two years it operated a pair of Internet sites in German, one of which used a discussion forum to publicize acts of terror committed by bin Laden & Co. No one else in the German-speaking world was more effective at this task.At least until Wednesday, when Austrian police took three people into custody believed to be connected with the site — including two men, 26 and 21, and a 21-year-old woman. They are accused of having been involved in the production of a video published on the GIMF homepage on March 11 that showed a disguised Arabic-speaking spokesperson threatening attacks in Germany and Austria if those countries did not withdraw their soldiers from Afghanistan.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,505618,00.html