Majority of al-Qaida Web sites disabled

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida's Web presence has been greatly diminished as unidentified hackers have shut down four of its five main sites, analysts said in Dubai.

The online forums had frequently been used by the Islamist terrorist group to distribute statements from leader Osama bin Laden and to link members, but since being disabled Sept. 10, have not reappeared, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

That has left al-Qaida with only one functioning Web site, analysts said, adding that a statement by the al-Fajr Media Center, a distribution network created by supporters of Sunni Arab extremist groups, alleged the forums had disappeared "for technical reasons."

"These sites are the equivalent of pentagon.mil, whitehouse.gov, att.com" for al-Qaida, Evan Kohlmann, an expert on al-Qaida's Web presence, told the Post. Noting the terrorist group apparently only has only one left, he said, "This has left al-Qaida's propaganda strategy hanging by a very narrow thread."

U.S. intelligence officials declined to comment to the newspaper about whether American spy agencies have had a hand in disabling the sites. The Post said U.S. and British military experts each maintain joint online commands against extremists.