US to ramp up propaganda war with Isis

The US is to ramp up its propaganda war against Isis, in an effort to counter the extremist Sunni organisation's online campaign in which it broadcasts its exploits and appeals to recruits.

The State Department's small Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications is to be expanded, to co-ordinate anti-Isis information campaigns currently being run by the Pentagon, Homeland Security and intelligence agencies, reports the New York Times.

It would also spread information and views critical of Isis from key allies, NGOs, as well as Muslim commentators and scholars, who may have more credibility with young potential followers of the extremist group than the US government.

With more than 90,000 tweets being sent daily from pro-Isis accounts in several languages, Richard A Stengel, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs told the newspaper that the US needed to increase efforts to make its message known.

"We're getting beaten on volume, so the only way to compete is by aggregating, curating and amplifying existing content," he told the newspaper.

The outline of the news campaign is to be discussed in three days of White House meetings involving senior officials and foreign ministers from more than 60 nations next week.

The center, formed by Obama in 2011, tweets anti-Isis messages, and even engages in online debates with hard line Islamists on its Think Again Turn Away Twitter accounts, which send messages in languages including Arabic and English.

Specialist law enforcement agencies in the West have worked to block Isis Twitter accounts, which have spread material designed to highlight Isis' battlefield prowess, brutality to its enemies, and largesse to its supporters, with images of food and fuel being distributed to civilians distributed on social media by Isis.

Isis has even used British hostage John Cantlie as the host of a series of videos which purport to show life prospering in the Islamic State.

In December, the Pentagon drew together experts from the worlds of policy, business and academia to analyse the psychological and ideological pull of the jihadist group.

The centre will harness more than 350 State department Twitter accounts, including those of embassies, media departments and individuals, in order to maximise its message.