The Best Of Celebrities In 2009!
Jun 22, 2009 4:21 pm US/Eastern
Pentagon Focuses On Role Of Twitter In Iran
(CBS4)
-
-
Iranians are using all available social networking tools to document what's happening in their country.
YouTube/CBS
It's being called the Twitter revolution.
Iranians angered over the election outcome are using social networking sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook as well as text messages and cellphone videos to document what's happening in their country.
It's a communications revolution that's hard for repressive governments to control.
"They just can't draw the net tight enough to stop everything," said Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense.
Many tech savvy Iranians are finding ways of getting around their government firewalls and filters.
"The use of Twitter is a very important one, not only to the Iranian people, but now, increasingly, to people around the world and, most particularly young people," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "I wouldn't know a Twitter from a Tweeter, but, apparently, it is very important."
Gates said he is serious about understanding the new methods of communicating among young people in their 20s and 30s who are doing so faster than the military can react.
"My guess is in some of these countries that -- that the leadership is kind of like me. They don't have a clue what it's about," Gates said. "How do we reach them in a way that they understand? And this department, I think, is way behind the power curve in this, and it's an area where I think we have a lot of room for improvement."
It's a revolution the U-S military is struggling to join. Even Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently started twittering to the troops. He's got nearly three thousand followers.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Stars Celebrating The Big 4-0 In 2009
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
