ABSTRACT
Introduction The speed at which terrorist and extremist groups have embraced the possibilities offered by the Internet has been reflected in the sheer number of websites espousing support for various terrorist and extremist groups including white supremacists and radical Islamic militants, among many others. Levin (2002) partially explains the growth of Internet use by extremists and terrorists with reference to its economical and ‘far reaching’ nature. The speed of Internet acquisition may also be attributed to its inherent nature; it is easy to access with a chaotic structure that facilitates anonymity, and an international character that affords an easy and effective arena for action (Tsafti and Weimann 2002). While violence remains essential to the terrorist movement for the psychological impact of terrorism, the Internet provides a safe, easy and cheap means of communicating, disseminating propaganda, gathering intelligence, promoting support, demonising the enemy and raising funds.
