Former Home Secretary John Reid set up the Whitehall-staffed unit conducting the propaganda strategy against Al Qaeda

A Government counter-terrorism unit has launched a global propaganda drive to "taint the Al Qaeda brand", it has emerged.

The campaign aims to "channel messages" through internet bloggers and chatroom members as well as major media outlets such as the BBC.

It will seek to persuade people that the terrorist group is "in decline", and its operatives are "not heroes".

The strategy has been drawn up by the Research Information and Communication Unit (RICU) - which was set up by former Home Secretary John Reid and is staffed by officials from several Whitehall departments.

Details of the plans emerged in an internal Government briefing document titled Challenging Violent Extremist Ideology Through Communications, which was obtained by a national newspaper.

It says people need to be told that Al Qaeda has been definitively expelled from large parts of Iraq, and has lost ground in Afghanistan.

Atrocities committed by the terrorists should also be used against it, along with condemnations from senior religious figures and groups such as Hamas.

The paper, dated July 21 2008, states: "We are pushing this material to UK media channels, eg a BBC radio programme exposing tensions between AQ leadership and supporters. And a restricted working group will communicate niche messages through media and non-media."

However, the document stresses that the West should "avoid suggesting that AQ is no longer a threat".

"We are not claiming victory over AQ. We are stressing their declining support."

It also notes that Al Qaeda uses propaganda to keep its 'brand' alive and that it is focused on Palestine because it has failed in Iraq.

The RICU guidance says the propaganda is primarily aimed at "overseas communicators" in embassies and consulates around the world, but could be used in Britain as well.

It consists of recent news reports and articles from Arabic, Middle Eastern and North African news sources along with articles from Western publications such as the New York Times and the Observer and various news websites.

A Home Office spokeswoman said it did not comment on leaked documents. But she added: "As part of our counter-terrorism strategy we are constantly looking at new ways to tackle terrorism and extremism."