Could Twitter become terrorists' newest killer app?

US Army intelligence has released a draft report indicating the popular micro-blogging service Twitter as a potential terrorist tool. Although it has not actually been used in this way, the report says that, "Twitter is already used by some members to post and/or support extremist ideologies and perspectives."

Twitter has already been used by activists at the Republican National Convention:

"Twitter was recently used as a countersurveillance, command and control, and movement tool by activists at the Republican National Convention. The activists would Tweet each other and their Twitter pages to add information on what was happening with Law Enforcement near real time.”

The real time use of Twitter was showcased during the July 29, 2008, 5.4 magnitude earthquake in Los Angeles. Before any media outlets were reporting on the earthquake Twitter users already had a map of the epicenter, videos, and various accounts of the earthquake.

One Twitter user, named 'parislemon,' noted that, "It takes reporters time to set up and get the story, but Twitter turns thousands of regular people into citizen journalists — all of whom are on the scene."

The incredible real time action is what US military intelligence believe may become a threat. One Islamic extremist site discusses, for example, the benefits of "using a mobile phone camera to monitor the enemy and its mechanisms."

The intelligence report laid out three possible scenarios for terrorist use of Twitter:

Scenario 1: Terrorist operative “A” uses Twitter with… a cell phone camera/video function to send back messages, and to receive messages, from the rest of his [group]... Other members of his [group] receive near real time updates (similar to the movement updates that were sent by activists at the RNC) on how, where, and the number of troops that are moving in order to conduct an ambush.

Scenario 2: Terrorist operative “A” has a mobile phone for Tweet messaging and for taking images. Operative “A” also has a separate mobile phone that is actually an explosive device and/or a suicide vest for remote detonation. Terrorist operative “B” has the detonator and a mobile to view “A’s” Tweets and images. This may allow ”B” to select the precise moment of remote detonation based on near real time movement and imagery that is being sent by “A.”

Scenario 3: Cyber Terrorist operative “A” finds U.S. [soldier] Smith’s Twitter account. Operative “A” joins Smith’s Tweets and begins to elicit information from Smith. This information is then used for… identity theft, hacking, and/or physical [attacks]. This scenario… has already been discussed for other social networking sites, such as My Space and/or Face Book.

Some say that the functionality of Twitter could easily be recreated using SMS, carrier pigeons, and smoke signals. So I wouldn't raise the threat level to Orange just yet - because as Steven Aftergood, a veteran intelligence analyst at the Federation of the American Scientists, says, "it's important to keep some sense of proportion."