Evidence has emerged that the leader of the notorious Syrian
Electronic Army (SEA), is a 19-year-old Syrian man called Hatem Deeb.
However, SEA denies Deeb is anything other than an "innocent friend".
The SEA has been all over the news in the last few weeks, following hacks on several prominent media houses.
Although the group has remained anonymous, Vice.com reported that it is headed up by Deeb.
Vice claims that one of its hacking contacts in Syria was able to get his hands on SEA's IP in Damascus, and through that, access the SEA server. Through this access, the hacker claims to have gleaned about 140 e-mail addresses, allegedly belonging to SEA members.
The hacker said there is evidence that the group's leader, who goes by the handle "ThePro" is in fact Deeb. He claims Deeb listed his real name on one vital document - a receipt for the VPS he had rented for the organisation.
On the receipt, the e-mail address was listed as Admin@ThePro.sy, the same address associated with ThePro's blog. The credit card number used in the transaction was tied to Deeb.
The claim is compounded by a tweet on an SEA-related Twitter account, in which the identity of the SEA leader, using the handle "ThePro", was revealed as Deeb.
SEA denial
However, The Desk claims to have interviewed ThePro, who denied he was Deeb, referring to the 19-year-old as an "innocent friend".
During the interview, ThePro claimed that Deeb - who he described as a friend of the organisation - initially gave his permission for his name to be used on registration records of services obtained by the SEA.
The SEA leader now claims that Deeb has left Syria, and that the Vice.com article is endangering his life.
ThePro added that the organisation will do no more interviews with Vice, and said SEA will remove the offending article "in its own way" if Vice does not amend or remove it within 24 hours.
The SEA has been all over the news in the last few weeks, following hacks on several prominent media houses.
Although the group has remained anonymous, Vice.com reported that it is headed up by Deeb.
Vice claims that one of its hacking contacts in Syria was able to get his hands on SEA's IP in Damascus, and through that, access the SEA server. Through this access, the hacker claims to have gleaned about 140 e-mail addresses, allegedly belonging to SEA members.
The hacker said there is evidence that the group's leader, who goes by the handle "ThePro" is in fact Deeb. He claims Deeb listed his real name on one vital document - a receipt for the VPS he had rented for the organisation.
On the receipt, the e-mail address was listed as Admin@ThePro.sy, the same address associated with ThePro's blog. The credit card number used in the transaction was tied to Deeb.
The claim is compounded by a tweet on an SEA-related Twitter account, in which the identity of the SEA leader, using the handle "ThePro", was revealed as Deeb.
SEA denial
However, The Desk claims to have interviewed ThePro, who denied he was Deeb, referring to the 19-year-old as an "innocent friend".
During the interview, ThePro claimed that Deeb - who he described as a friend of the organisation - initially gave his permission for his name to be used on registration records of services obtained by the SEA.
The SEA leader now claims that Deeb has left Syria, and that the Vice.com article is endangering his life.
ThePro added that the organisation will do no more interviews with Vice, and said SEA will remove the offending article "in its own way" if Vice does not amend or remove it within 24 hours.
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