Military success hits al-Qaida propaganda

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. military success in Iraq has translated into success against al-Qaida's ability to get followers and cash, an independent terrorist tracking group says.

SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors terrorist Internet activity, said number of Web statements and videos attributed to the main al-Qaida organization in Iraq plunged from more than 200 in May 2007 to a dozen in May 2008, USA Today reported.

But as propaganda linked to Iraq has been declining, the Taliban in Afghanistan Web presence has increased in recent months, SITE said. More than 100 Taliban statements were posted on terrorist-affiliated Web forums in May, up from about 24 in May 2007, the organization's data show.

Insurgents posted carefully edited film of attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces during the Iraqi war, ensuring wide distribution among terror-affiliated Web sites. The publicity generated helped recruit new followers and fill war chests, USA Today said.

SITE said the drop in al-Qaida publicity in Iraq reflects success in disrupting the organization. Also, U.S. troops could target specifically al-Qaida's propaganda cells as U.S. intelligence-gathering improved.