The role of electronic media in recruiting mercenaries (Iraq as a model)

Given the vastness of social media and the published contents there, which are often deviated from their original or contradict society’s legal laws, assessing their authenticity is a key issue for media administrators which demands constant observations and verifications to be made. If the content is misleading or inaccurate, the publisher would have to immediately remove it or issue statements otherwise the publisher will have to accept the ensuing consequences. Therefore, social media has to employ or quote content from responsible sources or genuine accounts and avoid other unreliable sources which generally engage in fake debates and even openly call for armed confrontations.

The aim of the current study, among others, is to expand upon the proper role of media in delivering the right message to a maximum of audience. It mainly seeks to answer to this question: How do the social media attract mercenaries in Iraq? It also seeks to prove that basically a criminal offense perpetrated online becomes more challenging to demonstrate due to a variety of platforms which are easily accessible by criminals.

Finally, in accordance with the study, the researcher has developed a couple of broad recommendations including:

Demanding that relevant authorities always monitor online recruitment tools because attracting militants via internet is possible through the usage of personal computers and cell phones. Such monitoring should include users’ plans, activities, and their exchanged messages that are related to online recruitment. Authorities should also expose the true identity of person or persons who manage or handle these online recruitments.