Isis
Supporters Celebrate Hagel's Resignation On Twitter
read 393 time(s)The World Post
IS Tweet
Just
minutes after The New York Times broke the surprising news on Monday that U.S.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel would resign, supporters of the Islamic State
began celebrating on Twitter with a triumphant hashtag. The tweets described
the defense secretary's resignation as a massive victory for the Islamic State,
also known as ISIS or ISIL, and were accompanied by a hashtag that loosely
translates to "The Islamic State Topples The American Defense
Minister."
According
to officials cited by The Times, Hagel's departure is part of the Obama
administration's effort to shift tactics in the fight against ISIS, a rationale
that the extremist group's followers quickly noticed.
The
numerous tweets are predominantly in Arabic and often accompanied by graphic
ISIS propaganda. Much of that media specifically features Hagel, suggesting
that the images were quickly assembled in the wake of the news. In one
particularly disturbing image, Hagel is shown being killed by a militant while
the words 'Who's Next?' appear in blood beside them.
This
is not the first time ISIS has used hashtags to spread its message, though in
the past it has often done so by taking over already established or trending
hashtags. This past Saturday, the group's supporters hijacked the designated
hashtag of the Halifax International Security Forum, in an effort to spread a
propaganda video showing British hostage John Cantlie. Similarly, the Guardian
reported in September that Islamic State followers on social media were
co-opting topics like Scottish independence and tennis champion Andy Murray.
Twitter
has taken to deleting users who are spreading graphic or threatening material
related to ISIS, but as fresh accounts or backups pop up, some manage to make
it through what can be a difficult game of social media whack-a-mole.
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http://aitonline.tv/post-isis_supporters_celebrate_hagel_s_resignation_on_twitter#sthash.HPDxPJ9Y.dpuf
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