http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/world/eric-harroun-who-fought-with-syrian-rebels-loses-a-court-fight.html?_r=0

This is an interesting article about Eric Harroun, an American citizen who went to Syria to fight alongside an opposition coalition that the United States supports. Harroun was discharged from the US Army and soon found work driving wealthy arab travelers around California. He made many friends this way and was soon invited to visit these individuals in their home countries. He grew a fondness for the culture and for the issues that are taking place in the Middle East. After some time, his views escalated and he found himself fighting along side the Free Syrian Army, which is a group supported by the United States. However, he became separated from his platoon and ended up with another oppositional force.  This force was not on the US list of terrorist organizations, but there was some confusion about which exact group he was fighting with.

As far as how this relates to our discussion of social media, Harroun would regularly upload to YouTube footage of him and his fellow soldiers fighting. These videos helped US federal agents form a case against him, as he was seen firing various weapons and overtaking opposing militant groups. YouTube video’s have become powerful propaganda tools for these sorts of militants, as they will regularly upload videos that show them winning firefights and destroying other groups’ weaponry. Even for non-terrorist groups, YouTube provides a platform for groups to brag about their victories and showcase their success. On the other hand, for extremist groups such as ISIS other user-sourced video platforms have allowed them to upload gruesome videos of them murdering and torturing their opponents. These videos have had a strong influence in the media over the past year, as several American citizens have been decapitated on video that has been sent around the world. In an age where technology is becoming increasingly available and less-costly, we are beginning to see how once innocuous platforms (such as YouTube and Facebook) can be used for new purposes. Who would have thought that extremist terror groups would be using twitter, Facebook and YouTube to further their efforts.