The U.S. Department of Defense is spending $1.5 million to install a system that can monitor the six major Arab television networks (Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Al-Manar, Al-Alam, Al Iraqiya and Alhurrah) 24/7. The computer based system will keep a months worth of material on file, and allow analysts to search the database for key words (in Arabic or English). The system can also use watch lists, where users get an alert if certain words or phrases are used on any of the six networks. The system also has export and statistical tools, so that the captured content can be used for analysis and presentations. Youd have thought this sort of thing would have been done three years ago.