Obama Administration plans shake-up in propaganda war against the Islamic State

The Obama Administration is overhauling its faltering efforts to combat the online propaganda of the Islamic State and other terror groups, US officials said, reflecting rising White House frustration with largely ineffective efforts so far to cut into ISIS’ use of social media to draw recruits and incite attacks. Officials will create a new counter-terrorism task force, which will be based at the Department of Homeland Security but aims to enlist dozens of federal and local agencies. Other moves include revamping a State Department program that was created to serve as an information war room to challenge the Islamic State online and erode its appeal. US officials said the unit at the State Department will turn its focus toward helping allies craft more localized anti-terror messages, and will stop producing any videos or other material in English -- ending a campaign that had been derided by critics.