US closes down jihad websites

US intelligence services may have already started the war in cyberspace – many of the world's jihad sites are off line.

The expertise of jihadists and Osama bin Laden's supporters took the US by surprise, and their websites were influential in radicalising Muslims around the world.

Australia's support for the US has led to an increasing number of mentions.

Now out of service are such major sites as Taliban Online, which was at muslimthai.com on a Bangkok server, and islammemo.com, regarded as a reliable source of al-Qa'ida information.

Anti-US, anti-Christian and extremist websites such as jehad-online.com, eljihad.com, mojahedoon.com and khayma.com are all off line.

In Australia, the Islamic Youth Movement site at islam.org.au has not been updated for months.

Australian National University director of terrorism studies Clive Williams said it was "well within the realms of possibility" that the US Government had been closing the sites, but it could also be hackers at work.

Terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna said many jihad sites were under increasing pressure from law enforcement authorities and moderate Muslim leaders.

"Increasingly governments are taking criminal justice measures to control websites that instigate hatred and solicit murder," he said. "We are seeing a new brand of terrorism that we call the loner terrorist – these are Muslims who read these websites and get inspired to instigate attacks."

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[Fagin]

This can only be a good thing, any one who incites people to commit murder, or violence of any kind other than in self defence, should be stopped from spreading their poison at the earliest opportunity.

[Bob The Great]

perhaps geeks do have a place in the military after all

Thats awesome news!

[cyphen]

I'm just waiting for a "freedom of speecher" to defend these sites so i can give 'em both barrels! (metaphorically speaking... )

Good job to whoever put an end to these sites.

[skuz]

How come they use the internet ? Didn't they say the internet is evil ?

[Chuckiechan]

Geeks are this countrys silver bullet!!

[Mike]

Wow who would have thought they were closet nerds?

[willy_ph]

Hmmm, this may get sticky for the US. Clearly those sites, if hosted in other countries are beyond their jurisdiction. It's interesting how the US claims to be the worlds defender of free speech, yet takes draconian actions such as these.

If these actions were administered by the governments in which these servers reside then it's legitimate. However if they were taken off-line by American authorities I despise their actions. Sure they may spread a bad message, but it is up to the individual as to whether or not they pay attention to it. What a hypocritical action.

[swamp-fox]

Willy get a grip on reality. This is WAR. We will do what we need to do to defend the good ole US of A. It's hypocritical to shut down sites telling these terrorist what to target next. Messaging each other. Give me a break. I think you will despise anything Bush or the US does.

[Mike]

swamp, get a grip on reality. This is that YOU should be KIND to others... If he has something to say against what our Government does, then he should be able to say it without YOU trying to say he needs to get on with reality.