Politics of Terrorism Simulation

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Overview

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Roles

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• Chair
  • Lindsay Fusco
• Scribe
  • Me!
• Public Relations Officer *
• Liaison Officers
  • Ashlee Wilson

Gameplan

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• Other committees, especially government ones will likely not want to talk to us
  • In order to make sure we get the attention we need, it might be advantageous to offer “after action reviews” to the different committees after each ways.
  • The goal would be to

Day 1 (4/16)

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News Item 1

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• ISIS-K committed a deadly terrorist attack against Kabul, the capitol of Afghanistan, with a series of suicide bombers
• 25 people were killed and 200 were injured in the three attacks
• Afghan government associated with the Taliban government blamed attacks on ISIS-K
  • ISIS-K is responsible for killing 183 Afghans and 13 U.S. soldiers

Our plan as the social media companies was to release a PR statement that outlines the following:

• We have been alerted about a terrorist attack that is affecting Afghanistan
• We have alerted our content reviewers and they have been advised to take extra content when reviewing content regarding the attack
• We will be removing extremely graphic content from our site and putting a warning on potentially graphic or disturbing content to ensure the mental wellbeing of our viewers. This is what was released:

Convo with intelligence committee

• wants to know if we have information about the attacks that they can have
• We told them to wait
  • Deliverables:
    • With our review for content warnings
      • Intel wants to be alerted of this
    • DMs with keywords relating to terrorist attacks
  • Our plan is to give public info but still need a subpoena for direct messages
    • response from intel
      • coolio

First Note

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“Online security and disinformation officers of the major social media firms are reporting an increase in activity from social media accounts associated with violent extremist groups. These group accounts have been sharing information and footage of the recent ISIS-K attack and have provided links to other websites run by ISIS-K. Security officers are also concerned about the increase in disinformation posted on social media regarding the ISIS-K attack. This includes disinformation claiming that the attack was a “false flag” attack that was caused by the US CIA.”

Convo with the EU

• detected lots of chatter about the attack especially in their countries
• Do we have any info for them.

Second Note

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“Members of congress have called for hearings on social media companies and extremist online content. They allege that social media companies are not doing enough to combat extremist content and are not cooperating enough with authorities. Similar hearings are planned for parliaments in European countries.”

World Bank

• Pakistani gov taking in large number of refugees
• Shia Muslim majority
• struggling to take in refugees
• allocated resources?
  • waiting for more information to take action
• Is EU or US allocated any resources
  • still formulating a response

EU condemns the attack

• will be sending healthcare food and education
• How are they gonna get the money?
  • tax money!
  • trends in past actions that prove they should be able to do this
• how is aid going to not be taken my militants?
  • Idk
  • goal is that countries receiving aid are responsible for the proper allocation

Help from LA

• prolly going to get an uptick on the meeting that just happened, as in EU condemning the attack
  • banning policies
  • more flagging content
  • extremist on each sides
  • world bank may be good to get funding from to handle attack
  • Europe can be very racist in how they handle middle eastern policy
  • state department also has racist issues and money

Human right committee announcement

• France and Belgium are reporting that Muslim populations in Europe are experience discrimination in the form of surveillance and scrutiny from police

EU response

• working with US intel
• Dismayed by hate crimes
• working to ensure safety of all citizens

Split up to ask for money and to release a pr statement for EU

• PR statement goal is to update that we are asking for funding, especially in light

Talk with world bank:

• funds and resources to flag more content, pay for more translators, etc
• counter terrorism finance, usually to other governments
  • doesn’t want to fund because we have money
• funding would be going to more niche platforms too that don’t have money so that we can cooperate and help out
• offered consultants and advise
• will get back on funding, focus on other committees first
• mentioned that they don’t have a platform for other committees to release they can help,
  • could be used as leverage later\

Break on day one

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• look at us and EU laws on sharing information
• draft potential PR statements
• get update from World bank
• Draft response to congress and EU
  • Congress response is more important (second note)
• research what actual social media companies do

Day 2 (4/23)

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• GDPR: General data protection regulation

Start of day 2

• PR statement on how we are being extra watchful for disinformation and misconduct against Muslims and other vulnerable populations in France and Belgium as well as the global community
• Congress:
  • trying to get funding for technology and training to specifically handle extremist content
  • We are trying to work within the US laws to cooperate as much as possible

Third Note

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“Online security officers from the major social media companies continue to report an increase in activity from the major social media accounts that are associated with the ISIS-K and other violent extremist organizations. More worryingly, posts and videos from ISIS-K are increasingly being shared on accounts used by US domestic extremist actors that previously have expressed little interest in ISIS-K.”

US Intelligence

Human Rights Committee

• World Bank isn’t doing enough to help refugees

EU Releases own patriot act

• Need to get clarification on specific policies, cause this could potentially be pretty bad
• Europe might not like this Americanesque policy
  • might face backlash

DOD Conversation

• couple indictments of several us army officers for sharing online extremist content
• Military trial, handled by military (so differently and more none private)

EU Conversations

• any chatter about terrorist activity on the EU
  • radical ideas, extremist content, etc.
• Not entirely sure what they are looking for from us

Clarification on their patriot act

• period of 2 years, renewable
• not targeting any population
• more surveillance monitoring on social media
• no censoring
  • freedom of speech is important
• IPSs to disclose content to EU in states of emergency

Press release from social media

• Are you monitoring specific state or all of EU?
  • Yes

US Intel Conversations

• what does EU monitoring look based on our recent press statement

Circle Back To Congress

• Congressional support
  • How are we going to do it, fit both sides of content, polarized
• Could consult human rights about best way to handle that

Conversation with Human rights

• How do we approach this from a neutral standpoint?
  • avoid labeling specific people as extremist
• OR can you accompany us to the congress hearing to make sure human rights are an upmost concern

Conversation with congress

• talked about notes 2 and clarify that we are giving an update
• looking to flag and warn violent content
• looked to get more funding to provide more enhanced training
  • nuances and how that effects viewers
  • extremist content tech
• talked about GDPR and how we need to work within that
• mentioned new patriot act as well Response
• previously seen a lack of ability to monitor hateful content in different languages
• asked about AI and if that is a possibility
  • not really a possibility because of drift and the nature of the extremist content
• going in a good direction, not looking to pass legislation against us at the moment
• are we looking into counter messaging
  • intel may be able to help
  • Human rights wants to make sure this is neutral and walk the fine line

Press statements at EU

• High threat of attack in Belgium, so declared state of emergency which triggers their patriot act
• Does not impact refugee deal (not sure what that is)

News Item 2

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“A deadly terrorist attack shook the capital of Belgium today as a team of militants struck the Brussels-Zaventem airport. Belgium Federal Police report that eight people were killed in the attack and more have been injured. Authorities warn that these numbers could increase as first responders assess the situation.

The attack began while passengers were checking in for a flight to the United States. A group of attackers entered the ticketing area and opened fire with automatic weapons. Belgian authorities have closed the airport and have grounded flights nationally.

Immediately after the attack, the Islamic State of Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the assault on a social media site. “This is the first of many strikes we will make. We struck the near enemy. Now we have struck the far enemy.”

The perpetrators of the attack escaped and are at large. The Belgian Federal Police is conducting a nationwide hunt. Authorities have not indicated whether the assailants were living in Belgium or had come from abroad before the attack.”

Conversation with U.S. State Department

• todo

Day 3 (4/25)

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Goals for Press Briefing

• We have been cooperating with U.S. Intelligence as much as possible within the laws
  • Access to public posts/messaging but not private direct messages.
• Monitoring the EU and how they implement their new patriot act
  • We are not currently concerned since their state of emergency has them working with internet service providers (ISPs) which is above our juris
• Conversation with Congress about extremist content on social media and cooperation with human rights committee
• Asking U.S. State department for assistance with translators
  • Agreed to send over translators to help flag and remove extremist content
• Asking U.S. State department about counter messaging
  • Keeping human rights in the loop for counter messaging
• Overall we have been working to closely monitor content to flag or remove extremist or graphic content that poses a threat to our users

Human rights convo

• anti-Muslim messaging on several social platforms
• US, Europe, and India
• Wanted to bring to our attention

US State Department

• Wanted to check in on how we were handling the recent events
• Just increased funding to cultural education programs to bolster translating capacity
  • funding is from world bank
• Agreed to help send over translators to flag and remove extremist content

Brainstorm Questions from Committees

• how are we differentiating on what extremist content is flagged, is it neutral
• how can you limit extremist content without restricting free speech

Final Briefings

• DoD
  • still not sending in any forces
  • increasing airport security
  • conducted target air strikes against ISIS-K
  • Bases in turkey and Europe
  • waiting for more information before considering deploying troops
  • more likely to provide assistance after a clear conversation
  • How much was ISIS-K degraded with airstrikes?
    • Reliable intel on ground
    • no civilian casualties
    • several higher ups in Afghanistan killed
  • What are you doing to protect the civilian population
    • Not really our job
    • Increased base security domestically
  • Updates or intel on turkey bases
    • hundred percent ID checks
    • only military personnel
• U.S. Intelligence
  • alerted state department and DOD of attack reports
  • met with president
  • Got funding from world bank to do this
  • no current danger to U.S. citizens
  • EU did not take action with info they gave about the attack
  • Is the US currently at risk
    • No
    • Always a risk, but no state side evidence yet
  • shared intel with the EU that was not acted upon, how has that changed how you are proceeding
    • still attempting to share intelligence and create more robust avenues to share
  • What are you seeing in terms of online chatter
    • Working with social media, we have been giving updates
  • What is in mind for DoD to help with security
    • if they receive a credible threat, deployment of national guard or other personnel
  • Where are you getting the money from after the funds from world bank are used
    • U.S. tax dollars
• U.S. State Department
  • Condemned terrorist attacks
  • announced collab with EU
  • met with Pakistan addressing concerns of increased violence
    • established open comms with them
  • have been working with social media companies to monitor anti-Islamic extremism in the united states
  • world bank to bolster cultural and translating capacity
    • helps us work with social media
  • generally lacking general resources for critical language support
    • helps to address both current and long term issues
  • in terms of the humanitarian crisis, taking in 20% of refugees
    • funding from world bank to help with assimilation of refugees
  • potential for backlash, so monitoring social media
  • 20% of refugees, what does a refugee look like, is there a risk assessment
    • making sure they have shelter water and resources
    • monitoring both their safety and citizen’s safety
    • they have a really strong vetting system in the US
    • not a thing they have done historically, but the humanitarian crisis is really bad
  • What is the population number, how are you arranging for the transportation of them into the country
    • Details still being worked out, will come to DoD to make sure they are on the same page
  • Refugees to EU, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia, how are the refugees being split?
    • At this moment they have agreed to that, but it is still an open discussion
  • Where are you putting them and keeping them safe
    • still working out the details
  • How are diplomatic relations with countries involved at this time
    • good relationship with Pakistan
      • especially with financing
    • Not cooperating with current Afghan government or Iran
    • Working with EU
• EU
  • extend deepest condolences
  • declared state of emergency
    • implemented a version of the patriot act
  • monitoring social media, phone interactions, etc. across the EU
  • Increased powers are temporary
  • freedom of speech is still important
  • measures should be proportional to threat level
  • efforts focused on capturing those who are responsible
  • committed to religious expressions of all EU citizen
  • Claims from US Intel on their response
    • EU did act on intelligence
    • engaged established surveillance programs
    • acted with necessary caution
    • manpower is employed judiciously
    • Do not believe it could have been prevented
      • not enough detail to take action
  • Focus on protecting the Islamic communities
  • Perpetrators are at large, can US help?
    • can’t share specifics because it is a public briefing
  • Still committed to taking in refugees, is this wise with the attacks that have happened?
    • still committed to helping innocents whenever possible
    • help from other countries will help us ensure more than can be handled won’t be taken in
  • Influx of refugees, will it help make the perpetrators remain hidden
    • not really a concern at this time with intel they have
    • refugees are being vetted
  • beyond countries in the EU and US, is there any other collaborations
    • not particularly
    • UK they suppose
  • Didn’t receive specific attack information, it wasn’t meant to be an order of what you need to do, it was meant to inform you. You should have increased security in your airports
    • Appreciated the advice but they have it handled
    • could have done better, but at the time they had faith in their security infrastructure
  • How are you making sure your countries are protecting religious freedoms and ability to practice cultural stuff
    • passed a previous charter about fundamental human rights
• Human Rights
  • Anti Islamic hate stance
    • especially in countries in the EU
    • encourage EU having a hard stance, maybe criminalize Islamic hate like they did during COVID with Asian hate
  • Refugee approach
    • urging others to continue to honor previous pledges
  • are you working with social media countries
    • continuing to monitor and bring to social media attentions so that we can act
  • Election of far right political party in EU, concerns? also in US?
    • Education and taking down a platform of hate
  • Lobbying state side? What’re you doing domestically
    • sat in with social media companies to talk with congress
    • working with world bank to make sure the proper packages are approved
• Social Media
  • EU
    • legality of receiving info from companies?
  • US State
    • taking public stances? Share this with users?
      • in our policies
  • Intel
    • X has been difficult recently, how are we navigating different companies beliefs
      • just trying to keep the world up to date
• World Bank
  • 200 mil aid packages
    • UN high commission
    • world food program
    • UNICEF
    • doctors without borders
  • 50 mil loan for refugee help and mitigation
  • Sending funds through reputable sources
  • need help establishing border security to get funds and resources over
  • Have you received any backlash?
    • no
  • how to you manage private groups
    • align well with what their goals are
    • they just give them the money over time with certain goals
      • won’t continue to give money if they don’t meet goals
  • allocated a certain amount of resources to UN security
    • not funding they have a history with
    • something they want to work towards
  • misappropriation of funds?
    • always a possibility
    • that’s why they waited until now to announce aid package