Electronic warfare is considered a battlefield and a confrontation of a different kind, parallel in effect to security, military, and economic wars. Its arena is the internet and social media platforms, where what is known as electronic armies and hackers operate. This "cyberwar" has been growing in its roles, dangers, and attempts to influence our Arab environment in various ways. In Iraq, for example, armed groups play on divisions and use electronic sites as a battlefield for conflicts.
Internal Disputes
Hamid al-Hais, the head of the Anbar Salvation Council, stated that attempts to create discord among provinces are unacceptable. He said, "No one can deny that hundreds of terrorists have appeared in Anbar province and there were dozens of headquarters for extremist organizations," adding, "I have personally faced assassination attempts from members of my tribe." He also mentioned that "polishing the image of provinces and cities at the expense of the truth is unacceptable, and at the same time, we must conduct a comprehensive review to correct mistakes."
Al-Hais pointed out that "the distortion of words and the attempts by electronic armies to target certain political leaders under the pretext of defending the province is very shameful, as these are the ones who destroyed the province the most and defended the leaders of terrorism and ISIS."
Independent politician Mohannad al-Rawi criticized the attempts by individuals who lost their positions to stir discord among the Iraqi provinces. He stated, "Individuals who lost their positions and caused losses to the Sunni community, and who managed their positions by marginalizing and excluding other Sunni provinces, are trying to incite discord among the Iraqi provinces, particularly the Sunni ones."
Al-Rawi added that "there are paid electronic trolls attempting to show loyalty and submission to their master by attacking political leaders simply because they have made unintended remarks, which they misinterpret to suit their agenda and try to incite the public, which is becoming increasingly dismissive of them, with their shares declining." He noted that "these individuals are becoming aware of their loss of the position of Speaker of Parliament, and consequently, their party will gradually fade away, so they are trying to exploit these statements."
