Canadian troops told to avoid Facebook

OTTAWA, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- A Canadian Defense Department memo advised soldiers to avoid posting personal information on Internet social networking sites, a national network reported.

"Al-Qaida operatives are monitoring Facebook and other social networking sites," the memo seen by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., says. "This may seem overdramatic ... (but) the information can be used to target members for further exploitation. It also opens the door for your families and friends to become potential targets as well."

Samie Marchand-Whittle, a soldier's wife who maintains a Facebook page for military families told the CBC she has closed public access to the page.

"It's scary to know that they could find out personal information about our families, our children, where we live." she said.

On Feb. 14, Canadian army Brig. Gen. Peter Atkinson told reporters in Ottawa he was concerned that photographs of troops in Afghanistan was providing al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents a free source of intelligence.