to manipulate the media:
Use any images of physical destruction (ala...Trade Center) as "Proof" that the mission was a success....that America was defeated by their actions....One big hit (ala WTC) would be fodder for the pat us on the back mill for years to come....could be used in recruiting new members..."see what we did with a handful of individuals/ with an army of rightgeous fighting men, we could eliminate the enemy".....
I would assume they would eliminate or severly down play any media that would seem as though the attack was not a success.....A sort of look what we can do with sheer determination...without suffiecient armory/ammo/money/volume of fighters....while the supposedly best armed/trained forces in the world are chasing their tails....we are hiding in caves and working with a handicap...while they chase their tails.
They could also use images/news to manipulate the people into believing that the US was hit harder than it actually was....
or spinning the story to appear that America was backing down....ala let's blow a hole in the side of your ship the size of Texas and let the world watch you (appear to be cowards) limp out of port...
Am I on the right track here?
Bren