Is Twitter 'tweeting' the music of terror?

BANGALORE,INDIA: Though Twitter is the in-thing in the blogosphere, offering new possibilities in micro blogging, US intelligence agencies are not very happy about the advent of such technologies in the backdrop of the mounting terror network all over the world.

In a recent report the agencies have warned that terrorists might start to use such blogging sites to plan and organize attacks.

The draft also points to global positioning system maps and voice-changing software as other potential tools for terrorists.

Combined with such programs as Google Maps or mobile phone pictures or video militants could make use of Twitter to carry out an ambush or detonate explosives, it warns.

The report by the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion, that has been posted on the website of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), examines the potential use of modern technologies by militants. According to the draft, which has a chapter on ‘Potential for Terrorist Use of Twitter’ there are many instances when the news appeared in the micro blog through ‘Tweets’ much before established news outlets.

And this speed is what is worrying the authorities. "Twitter is already used by some members to post and support extremist ideologies and perspectives... Terrorists could theoretically use Twitter social networking in the US as an operational tool,” the draft says.

It points out that the news of the Los Angeles earthquake in July was spread much faster through Twitter than other news outlets. Also activists at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis used it to provide information on police movements, the report said.

According to the report, "Twitter has also become a social activism tool for socialists, human rights groups, communists, vegetarians, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, political enthusiasts, hacktivists and others to communicate with each other and to send messages to broader audiences."

Do you hear any ‘tweet’ of terrorism in the chirping of the little bird in cyber space? Will the microblog become a safe platform for miscreants?