‘Another Infidel Defending Cyberspace for God and Country’: Grandfather Turned Hacker Shuts Down Al Qaeda Websites
- Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:20pm by
Mytheos Holt
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Hackers are typically depicted in media as young, frequently subversive and liberal-minded young people, often with a radical ax to grind. Just look at the Wachowski Brothers’ Science Fiction classic, The Matrix.
Yet even that film’s hero, Neo, might not have much on the anti-terrorist computer hacker who calls himself the Raptor. Self-described as an ex-military grandfather (with at least one family member on active duty), the Raptor makes no secret of his mission: he is out to crush Al Qaeda, and radical Islam generally, through the world-wide web.
And he is succeeding. Fox News reports:
Calling himself a patriot acting on behalf of U.S. troops serving overseas, The Raptor claims to be behind last month’s attack on Al Qaeda’s main online forum, Shamukh Islamic Network, and a handful of other sites and forums, including Ansar al-Mujahideen, where jihadists gather online to issue threats and exhort one another to acts of terror. The sites went down on March 22, and most remained dark for nearly two weeks. As the websites stayed offline, The Raptor taunted his targets on Twitter, daring them to “bring it.”[...]
“Our kids keep getting killed because jihadists make better bombs than they do cupcakes,” The Raptor said. “Anything I can do to disrupt and demoralize the enemy is worthwhile and on the table.
“Some say I and others like me are Crusaders; that we hate Islam or desire to offend Allah,” he continued. “That is absolutely and fundamentally wrong. Some of my best friends are Muslims, and I love them. They don’t wish me harm, and I would give my life to defend them. This has only to do with violent criminals who cloak themselves in the wool of a good and peaceful religion to bring death and destruction to the world.”
The Raptor also maintains a blog and Twitter feed. Some highlights from his blog:
Many violent extremist Web sites have become one–stop terrorist recruitment, training, and planning centers. As traditional means of travel and communication have become increasingly difficult for terrorists, terrorist-related Internet sites have become the de facto way for them to accomplish their mission objectives. Operating with unprecedented openness, jihadist Web masters are capitalizing on our deep respect for freedom of speech to the point that it is costing the lives of our soldiers and increasingly diminishing our way of life.
These jihadist Web sites are operational tools of terrorists and thus they deserve to be treated like the weapons of terrorism they are. Just as screaming “fire” in a movie theater legally exceeds tolerable limits on freedom of speech, so should these Web sites be addressed through legal means. They should justifiably draw a response from law enforcement. Inciting violence against innocent people should likewise be intolerable to peaceful societies. Yet, governments seem powerless to stop them - lost in a fog of how to legally and ethically respond.
We can wait no longer. It is our duty, as IT security professionals, to respond to cyber threats in a way which protects life, liberty, and justice for all people. Enough is enough.
And this is his Twitter feed’s main image:
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Comments (73)
grannyjojo
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 3:00amThank you Raptor, as you are doing a service for your country. May the Lord bless you in your endeavors to keep America safe and may He keep YOU safe, as I know that what you are doing is dangerous, if the extremists were to locate you. Thank you again, Sir. “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess”
Report Post »nonofmybiznez
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 10:40pmIts about time we have hackers on our side. They should all fight in this manner. We should have hackers fighting all manner of criminals. May the best and brightest follow you lead!
Report Post »TSUNAMI-22
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 2:53amAlahu Hackedbar…………………
Report Post »Doctor Nordo
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 2:59amlmao
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 3:12amThey seek him here, they seek him there,
Report Post »Those Muslims seek him everywhere!
Is he in heaven? Is he in hell?
Where is that damn elusive Infidel!
th3raptor gives the hadjis nothing but frustration
Popping in and out each week!
Spoiling every lovely execution
LA! What cheek!
lukerw
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 4:01amI’ll wait for the Stan Lee movie… unless there is more to this than just Symbolism!
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:40am@TH30 – lol! Yes he‘s a ’dedicated follower of hacking’.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:23am@ Theo
Brilliant!
Report Post »J_Ruben_Kincaid
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 9:32amHow long before Eric Holder tries to find and prosecute this guy for a hate crime?
Report Post »BuckarooBanzai
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 9:49amTsunami – that was awesome!
Report Post »TH3O – Love the updated Scarlet Pimpernel poem. :)
4XGrace
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 1:44pmA La Who? WhackButt?
Too bad he is a fool that believes that Islam is a “peaceful religion”. Nothing peaceful about it. Wake up before it’s too late and your “good muslim buddies” sell you out to their jihadist WhackNutts.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 2:27amAl Qaeda…a made-up name used for the fabricated “war on terror”. I guess it will be milked for all it’s worth.
Report Post »pumpalope
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:26amwow…your stupidity becomes you….troll
Report Post »go2mikerenzi
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 6:55amwhatever you say mohammad….
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:16am@RISE – My, what a Sunni disposition you have.
Report Post »TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:50amRISE is your average Ron Paul acolyte using the Democrat Party talking points of the day. They will be voting for Obama again as in ‘08 whether they admit it or not. A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for their neo-liberal conscience.
As Ron Paul states in so many words…. America is the enemy around the world, not Islam, giggle, giggle, sound money, buy my gold, stawwwp theeee warrrrrr mongerrrrring, giggle, giggle, end the fed.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 9:15amWHAT is the meaning behind your avatar, may I inquire????
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:11pmaL-CIA.da
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:52pm@Time_2….I would never vote for the Marxist/Fascist Obama. The last time I voted was in 2000 for George W Bush. Like I’ve told you before, I will most likely vote for Paul, (depending on if write-ins are allowed), but if I lived in a State where it could be close, I would probably vote for Romney. Ron Paul is a good man and a patriot.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 2:28pmThe name Al Qaeda goes back years before the uh…war on terror, but it wasn’t a “terrorist group” who came up with it.
Report Post »TeslanEdison
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 2:20amI guess you would have to go back to monitoring cell calls and spying in person if you couldn’t sit in a chat room and listen to a bunch of what if bs, the most valuable Intel is from those who have the greatest capacity to carry it out. Those radical Islamist sites needed to be shut down due to their function as venues for sharing intel, the Pentagon, should be listening to NSA intel, and shutting the doors on those operations on the internet that are posing a real and deadly threat to US interests. Watch bomb patrol Afghanistan, and you’ll get the picture, our guys need more of those grenade tools to clear the bombs of the Iranian/Pakistani trained IED makers!!
Report Post »Latter-Day-Soldier
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 5:43amThose and the websites from “The New Democratic-underground” that is a bunch of liberal college students that hate the military and who publish plans for making i.e.d.s.
Report Post »They should be his next target.
tomacz
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 2:03ambiffem gramps.pow,wham,
Report Post »kapow
may allah send a many eyed snake into their caveholes; thence to light up their lives
lassiegirldawn
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 2:02amNeed to do that to a few more web sites
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:57amThe Feds are p.o.’d because the say they glean intel from those websites. Yet, they support drone strikes and are against waterboarding. Doesn’t make sense.
Report Post »eugenia
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 1:32amThank you Grandfather Raptor! Long may you live and defend the US.
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 9:05amYeee—eeee Haw!! Go, Raptor!!!!
Report Post »zoro51
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 1:15ambettert a infidel than a MURDERING MUSLUM whose god is DEAD as a stone idol of olld. MURDERING MUSLUMS have done enough DAMAGE.. time for the murders to leave this earth n enter HELL… there IS no allah there IS no MOHAMUDDD there is no heaven for MURDERING MUSLUMS.. only the FIRES OF HELL, hack away grampa hack away murdering muslums take note. your day in HELL is vastly approaching.. no tears shed for your filth your lies your hatered your KILLINGS.. sheol has YOUR name n NUMBER in order…
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:15amThe Jester now has some company. (th3J35t3r) http://th3j35t3r.wordpress.com/
Report Post »drenfroe
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:14amNow thats the way to take action. I’m proud to be a fellow American. Good luck to the Raptor.
Report Post »freedomisasfreedomdoes
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:12amWow….
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:01am…Doing the job the DOJ won’t do.
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:33amYou said it. Shouldn’t the CIA be doing this kind of thing all the time? Our “intelligence agencies” are shameful facade.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:32amOn the other hand,perhaps leaving these sites up might have its advantages. As in prior warning.
It might be said that these guys would be too bright to give such a warning, but some that I have seen captured are far from bright. Didn’t the FBI persuade some of these villians that they would supply them with assistance thereby luring them into the open to be arrested?
Just a thought…
Report Post »Thedirtystankytruth
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 11:53pmThanks Raptor! God Bless!
Report Post »DADDYWOREAWHITEHAT
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 11:49pmI want to learn how to do that! They have terrorist training sites. Where can I find an IT defender training site?
Report Post »tzion
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:55pmOne guy did all this? And Anonymous wants us to believe their protecting us while they leave the most dangerous sites around for people like this man to deal with. Such a waste.
Report Post »Gumbercules
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 11:32pmNow if can just get a better pic of a CGI raptor for his twitter avatar. . .
Report Post »GIDEON612
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:54pmLove it !!!
Report Post »May God bless and protect you for your mission is worthy.
readytostand
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:50pmOur own a administration won’t protect our U.S soldiers !! Thank You RAPTOR !! A real American Patriot !
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:48pmI’d say he took a byte out of their a_ss. Gotta love it.
Report Post »cdowis
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:47pmThis guy is an idiot.
Why do you think that the US intelligence or military have not brought down these sites already if grandpa was able to do so easily.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:52pm@CDOWIS….Very simple answer as to why our government has not done this…..Our Muslim loving, Communist masters do not want the websites of their radical friends disturbed.
Report Post »eagle275
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:56pmTX Pilot – Hooah!
Report Post »eagle275
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:57pm@TX Pilot – Hooah!
Report Post »snooop1e
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:45amPassive intel gathering is much more productive IMHO, the DoJ should contract him…….
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 1:20amBecause government jobs are given out on the basis of how you are dressed, not your qualifications. “Ninety percent of an interview is appearance.”
Report Post »kcinco
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:43pmGood ol’ American intelligence…
Report Post »KEL
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:42pmGod bless The Raptor! May your victories be MANY!
Report Post »Got2bRoni
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:35pmDon’t mess with the old man… He got skillz…
Report Post »possom
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:30pmChalk on up for a good guy!
Report Post »The Eleventh Doctor
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:30pmBring the ruckus to al-Qaeda!
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:23pmFinally a hacker I can get behind.
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:38pmYup
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