'NSA spied on internet porn habits to discredit Muslims spreading radical ideology'

'Huffington Post' quotes document obtained from whistleblower Snowden as detailing plan to expose radicalizers' hypocrisy.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Edward Snowden 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Edward Snowden 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The US National Security Agency monitored and documented the online pornography viewing habits of six Muslims accused of spreading radical ideology as part of a plan to potentially discredit them, The Huffington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a document provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The document, originated by the director of the NSA, lists "viewing sexually explicit material online or using sexually explicit persuasive language when communicating with inexperienced young girls," as an example of behavior that can be used to discredit "radicalizers."
Additional behaviors listed as "vulnerabilities" that could be exposed to discredit the targets were "publishes articles without checking facts"; "deceitful use of funds"; "charges exorbitant speaking fees"; "attracted to fame"; and "glamorous lifestyle".
The targets were accused of spreading ideas such as, "Non-Muslims are a threat to Islam"; "offensive jihad is justified"; and "the US perpetrated the 9/11 attack."
"Some of the vulnerabilities, if exposed, would likely call into question a radicalizer's devotion to the jihadist cause, leading to the degradation or loss of his authority," the document posits.
According to the Post, none of the individuals being monitored was accused in the documents of being involved in terror plots, but rather they spread propaganda that radicalized others through social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter.
According to the document, the NSA was in possession of compromising sexually explicit information about at least two of the targets gleaned from electronic surveillance of their online activities.
The document does not specify if the NSA followed through and used the information in question to discredit the individuals, according to the Post.


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