Extremist Content Online: Pro-ISIS Propaganda Group Releases Video

(New York, N.Y.) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. Last week, the pro-ISIS propaganda group War and Media Agency released a video titled “We Have Not Forgotten You and Will Not Forget You” on Telegram and multiple other websites that called for the freeing of ISIS prisoners. Additionally, the twelfth issue of the pro-ISIS web magazine “Voice of Hind” was released on numerous websites, which featured articles that encourage violence against the Pakistani Shia population and accused the Taliban of being mercenaries for the West in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, in a video on YouTube, Robert Rundo, the Rise Above Movement’s co-founder, defended the January 6 Capitol Hill insurrection and urged that if any of his listeners were present, they should “take the vacation you’ve always dreamed about.” Also, several accelerationist neo-Nazi and white supremacist Telegram channels advised their followers to use the platform to communicate with QAnon adherents and others resentful of the election outcome on the app to try to win some over or provoke them.

Additionally, Neo-Nazi and white supremacist Telegram channels encouraged their subscribers to improve their operations and information security due to the app’s removal of several channels starting on January 12 and President Biden's inauguration. Finally, a neo-Nazi Telegram channel with over 2,000 subscribers made multiple posts allegedly shared from a project affiliated with a banned Telegram channel, as part of a series promoting an insurgency in the U.S. and encouraging white supremacists to join the U.S. armed forces.

Pro-ISIS Propaganda Group Releases Video

On January 17, the pro-ISIS propaganda group War and Media Agency released a video titled “We Have Not Forgotten You and Will Not Forget You” on Telegram and multiple websites. The video calls for the freeing of ISIS prisoners and alleges the mistreatment of detainees. The video contains footage of ISIS fighters attacking detention facilities in Syria and Iraq and includes footage from previously released ISIS videos.

The video was posted on pro-ISIS accounts on Telegram, and links were spread via the Internet Archive, JustPaste.It, PasteThis.To, and Archive.Vn. The video was additionally posted on 13 websites, which overwhelmingly favored cloud storage and download websites: Streamable, Ok.Ru, NextCloud, DDownload.Com, Download.gg, Dropapk.To, File.Fm, Gofile.Io, PixelDrain, UsersDrive.Com, WorkUpload.Com, MediaFire, and Zippyshare. Three days later, the video was available on all 13 websites, suggesting that the War and Media Agency videos are not subject to the same scrutiny as content from ISIS’s official media groups.

War and Media Agency video on Streamable. January 21, 2021.

Pro-ISIS Magazine “Voice of Hind” #12 Released

The twelfth issue of the pro-ISIS web magazine “Voice of Hind” was released on numerous websites on January 18. The magazine is meant to appeal to Muslims in the Indian subcontinent and beyond. The recent issue featured an article directed towards people in Pakistan, stating that the government is not Islamic and made up of apostates. The article condemned democracy and encouraged violence against the Pakistani Shia population. Another article accused the Taliban of being mercenaries for the West in Afghanistan and accused them of betraying their principles for their drug trade involvement.

Links to the magazine were spread via RocketChat. The web magazine was released on at least five websites: the Internet Archive, File.Fm, Mega.Nz, Tlgur.Com, and Top4top. Approximately 48 hours later, the magazine was still available on four websites: the Internet Archive, File.Fm, Tlgur.Com (a Telegram file sharing bot), and Top4top.

RAM Co-Founder Defends Capitol Hill Insurrection in YouTube Videos

In a video on YouTube posted on January 17, Robert Rundo, the Rise Above Movement’s co-founder, defended the January 6 Capitol Hill insurrection and urged that if any of his listeners were present, they should “take the vacation you’ve always dreamed about.” In a July YouTube video, Rundo offered advice for leaving the U.S. while on a government watchlist or No Fly List. In the recently released video, Rundo also decried Twitter doxing and suggested that members of the extreme right create dummy accounts to misidentify individuals being doxed by anti-fascist activists. Rundo added that people should provide false information to journalists and that the extreme right should learn open-source intelligence practices.

After being online for four days, the video had accrued over 900 views. In total, the account has over 1,500 subscribers and 50,000 views after being online for seven months. YouTube has refused to take action against the video channel, which uploads content supporting the Rise Above Movement and links to an external website for a media project affiliated with the group.

Neo-Nazi Telegram Channels Encourage Further Radicalization of QAnon on Platform

The week of January 16 to January 23, several accelerationist neo-Nazi and white supremacist Telegram channels advised their followers to use the platform to communicate with QAnon adherents and others resentful of the election outcome on the app, to try to win some over or provoke them. Links for multiple Telegram chats were posted with the advice to use conversation and memes to convince individuals to adopt certain white supremacist and anti-Semitic views or try to make individuals angrier about the election results. These tactics are a substantial change in neo-Nazi and extreme right attitudes towards these groups, who they previously mocked for their conspiratorial and pro-government beliefs. At least two of the neo-Nazi accelerationist Telegram channels advocating for the change in behavior had previously been removed by Telegram the week of January 12, however, two alternate accounts were functioning on January 21.

Neo-Nazi Telegram Channels Urge Their Members to Tighten Operations Security in Light of Telegram Crackdown, Biden Presidential Inauguration

Neo-Nazi and white supremacist Telegram channels encouraged their subscribers to improve their operations and information security due to the app’s removal of several channels starting on January 12 and President Biden's inauguration. A prominent neo-Nazi channel dedicated to online security with approximately 5,500 subscribers urged their audience to be aware that the change in administrations had the potential to be a watershed moment for the white supremacist movement. The channel stated that users should improve their operational security, delete social media accounts, and offered advice on covering one’s tracks on the internet and in real life. Another channel with over 2,000 subscribers stated that now was the time to be quiet and increase real-world networking.

Neo-Nazi Telegram Channel Encourages Domestic Insurgency and Infiltration of U.S. Armed Forces

On January 20, a neo-Nazi Telegram channel with over 2,000 subscribers made multiple posts allegedly shared from a project affiliated with a banned Telegram channel, as part of a series promoting an insurgency in the U.S. and encouraging white supremacists to join the U.S. armed forces. The posts offered advice in joining the military, hiding one’s political views, and networking and promoting neo-Nazism while serving. The channel gave examples of how individuals had previously been found out and discharged.

The banned channel, one of the most prominent neo-Nazi propaganda outlets on the platform, had previously endorsed acts of terrorism and had over 4,000 subscribers when it was removed by Telegram on January 13.

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