Who are the SITE Intelligence Group that distributed the Sotloff video before the jihadis?
The intelligence group offers warnings, reports and training to both the US government and commercial clients - with a specialty in online monitoring
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The publication of a video showing the murder of American journalist Steven Joel Sotloff surprised even the terrorists who supported the killing. Why? Because a little-known research group known as Site Intelligence spotted the video (and alerted the media) before even the jihadis did.
Site (it stands for ‘Search for International Terrorist Entities’) is a for-profit US-based consultancy group that monitors and tracks the activities of “international terrorists and the global jihadist network”.
The group has ties to both the US government and commercial clients and specialises in monitoring the online activities of jihadis, watching discussions over the best suicide vests and how to launder money play out over forums – before issuing warnings to their clients (they also keep a regularly updated blog).
A profile of Site’s co-founder and director Rita Katz by the New Yorker magazine in 2006 described Site’s customers as “people in government […] frustrated by how long it takes to get information through official channels” as well as “people in corporate security and in the media”.
“Each day, Katz finds about a half-dozen items on the Arabic message boards that are worth distributing,” writes Benjamin Wallace-Wells in the New Yorker’s profile.
“Her researchers, who monitor English-language jihadist Web sites, often find a few more. Some are propaganda: videos taking responsibility for attacks, statements of intent to attack, announcements of allegiances or splits. Others involve tactics and weapons.”
In 2004 Katz was commended by the FBI for her contributions to counterterrorism investigations, and in 2007 her group was credited with finding the first videos of Osama bin Laden after three years of silence.
The Washington Post reported that these video messages were “snatched from al-Qaeda-affiliated Web sites by groups using a combination of computer tricks, personal connections and ingenuity to find and download password-protect content.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments