The Anti-Defamation League

September 18, 2002 7:24 PM

The Anti-Defamation League has release a new report, entitled: Jihad Online: Islamic Terrorists and the Internet [pdf] It outlines seven Islamists groups and their use of the Internet to plan, recruit, and even attack over the web. [more inside]
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood (9 comments total)

Along with the web sites outlined in the ADL report, there are many other that are operating, many inside the United States.

For example:

• jihadonline.org, the online voice of Palestinian Islamic Jihad came back online today. It #21 on the US State Department's Foreign Terrorist Organizations list. It contains the wills of homicide bombers and disseminates propaganda calling for jihad. It is hosted by Powweb in Los Angeles, CA who says right in it's Terms of Service that "sites hosted at Powweb cannot be used to 'promote hate'"
• ClearGuidance.com, registered to a man in Staten Island, NY, is forum that provides instruction to muslim youth on topic such as the best way to kill Americans and Jews, as well as creates a place to foster hate. It is hosted by Everyones Internet, Inc. in Houston, TX. (Oddly they have an American Flag and "GOD BLESS AMERICA" on the home page for the company. Indeed.) At one point it was an open forum, until it was flooded with "infidels" and now registration must be approved. Some people have managed to infiltrate, and are bloging some of the posts. You can see them at: http://clearguidance.blogspot.com/ Some excerpts: ?"Talking about Jihaad is not sufficient; You have to be in the battlefield in order to spread Islaam..." ?"DEAR SISTERS IN ISLAM! i justed wanted to bring up the issues of septemmber 11th, i dont know if every1 feels the same way abt it but the way i see it i have no sorrow whatsoever to thr ppl who died, coz in nearly every muslim nation death by the kuffar occurs to the muslim ummah anyway in iraq 6000 children die a day from the sanctions that the un has placed on them what abt palestine they attack young innocent children and women! so plz sister when u c all this media stuff think twice abt all the innocent muslims all over the world inculding afganistan[sic]
• Hizbollah.tv the web site of Hizbollah, #11 on the US State Department's Foreign Terrorist Organizations list. This site is hosted by Norsac/SkyNetWEB based in Baltimore,MD

All of these sites are subject to US Law, and therefor:

US Code:
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 113B > Sec. 2339B.
Sec. 2339B. - Providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations
(a) Prohibited Activities.
(1) Unlawful conduct.
Whoever, within the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, knowingly provides material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 7:25 PM on September 18, 2002

this is news? that extremist groups use the internet. knock me over with a feather.
posted by donkeyschlong at 7:27 PM on September 18, 2002

These are not extremist groups. The are terrorist groups and therefor fall under a different set of laws.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 7:30 PM on September 18, 2002

Interesting post. Know your enemy. Thanks.
posted by ParisParamus at 7:31 PM on September 18, 2002

Tangent: Does any on know where I can get Iraqi news straight from the government? Do they have a Web site?
Short wave braodcasts streamed?
posted by ParisParamus at 8:28 PM on September 18, 2002

Right here

that's one source I know of for Iraqi news
posted by RobbieFal at 9:20 PM on September 18, 2002

The ADL does some good work. But they also have no qualms about playing dirty when it suits them.
posted by euphorb at 11:17 PM on September 18, 2002

Well worth reading a book by a British reporter called "Them; Adventures with Extremists" by Jon Ronson. He has a few run-ins with the ADL that prove to be very amusing and more than a little worrying, especially as Ronson himself is Jewish.
posted by Kiell at 1:37 AM on September 19, 2002

People may jump on me for saying so, but I don't care: I think this law is unconstitutional and unAmerican.

Actual crimes such as incitement to violence, threats of violence, harassment and internet crimes such as hacking are already against the law. There are already laws on the books to deal with these crimes.

Beyond the enforcement of these laws, censoring the websites of what have been designated "terrorist groups" is counter-productive and violates the spirit of the First ammendment of the US constitution.

What is considered a "terrorist group" today was called a group of "freedom fighters" 20 years ago by Ronald Reagan. The designation of "terrorist" is completely subjective and arbitrary. What was considered a terrorist group in the past (IRA/Sinn Fein/African National Congress) is considered by most to be legitimate restance movements today.

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech."

How much more clear could the constitution be? NO LAW

In Europe, most countries have passed laws banning the speech promoting naziism. But has it actually had any effect? There are still Nazis there, and banning their speech on the internet only drives them to take it further underground where it becomes harder for the government to monitor and keep track of. But they also don't have the same protections on free speech that we have.

The US Protection on free speech is one of the foundations of what makes this country great in the first place. If "president" Bush really believes that terrorists "hate our freedom" then why is he playing right into their hands, and heading down the slippery slope of censoring unpopular political speech.
posted by Babylonian at 7:47 AM on September 19, 2002