Atlas Shrugs

#MyJihad in Egypt: Jihadists "tried to hack through internet ocean-floor cables in attack that could have taken ENTIRE continent offline"

Relentless.

Three Egyptian divers ´tried to hack through internet ocean-floor cables in attack that could have taken ENTIRE continent offline´ Daily Mail [UK] via Lucianne (thanks to Katherine)

Three men have been arrested by the Egyptian army for apparently trying to cut through an undersea Internet cable. A patrol stopped a fishing boat near the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria and arrested three divers, an army spokesman said on his official Facebook page. It is believed they were trying to cut through an SEA-ME-WE 4 undersea cable--one of the main connections between Asia and Europe, running from France to Malaysia and linking Italy, north Africa, the middle east and south Asia. If the men had been successful, experts warned they could have taken an ´entire continent offline´

#savage HASHTAG #Jihad Part II: Twitter Usage By Al-Qaeda And Online Jihadi Affiliated Groups Explodes

Jihad and the social network. Despite their disdain and utter contempt for Western thought, these savages sure love our toys.

HASHTAG #Jihad Part II: Twitter Usage By Al-Qaeda And Online Jihadi Affiliated Groups Explodes; Apps Increasingly Used As Tools For Cyber Jihad MEMRI By: Steven Stalinsky*

Table of Contents Part I: Tweeting Jihad And Martyrdom: Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, Website Of Imprisoned Jihadi Leader And Scholar Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi Part II: Ansar Al-Mujahideen Arabic Forum (AMAF), An Al-Qaeda Affiliate, Tweets Part III: Muhammad Zawahiri – Brother Of Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri – Joins Twitter Part IV: Former Bin Laden Jihadi And Gitmo Detainee Walid Muhammad Hajj Tweets In Support Of Al-Qaeda, Jihad, And Martyrdom Part V: How Online Jihadis Are Using Twitter – The Taliban Video That Revealed Planning Behind June 1, 2012 Attack On U.S. Military Base In Khost Part VI: New Egyptian Pro-Al-Qaeda Google Blog Group Joins Twitter Part VII: The New Breed of Al-Qaeda Groupies on Twitter – Abu Malik Al-Maqdisi HASHTAG "#Jihad" – Easy to Find, Easy to Remove Terrorist-Related Content From Twitter Introduction As part of their online media strategy, jihadi organizations have in recent years begun using Western websites and technologies – uploading videos to YouTube[1] and to the San Francisco-based Internet Archive,[2] creating official Facebook pages,[3] and over the past year, "tweeting" news flashes from the jihadi fronts. During that time, MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project has monitored how Al-Qaeda-affiliated online jihadi groups and their followers have embraced Twitter. As the number and activity of jihadis and terrorist groups on Twitter continue to multiply exponentially, the issue is attracting more attention from media outlets and from U.S. government and military officials; while the latter have been reluctant to take action, Twitter officials remain neglectful. Highlighting this is a September 3, 2012 article titled "Twitter Becomes Terrorists' New Propaganda Machine" in USA Today, which quotes Marine Lt. Col. Stewart Upton, spokesman for Regional Command Southwest, as saying of terrorists' use of Twitter: "They're all over Twitter... they're incessantly tweeting." He adds that over the past year, Central Command has reported about 10 social media violations to Twitter. The paper noted that Twitter could suspend an account if the user violated policies, and quoted Twitter spokeswoman Rachael Horwitz, who said that Twitter does not discuss specific accounts, including military requests, as saying: "We have a process to report terms of service violations." Previously, on August 22, 2012, The Washington Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies that monitor the Internet for terrorist activity are now regularly in touch with the U.S. military's Central Command, who have on their behalf been contacting U.S. social media companies, including Facebook and Twitter, "urging them to halt terrorist recruitment or inciting violent attacks noting that it violates their terms of service." Since Twitter began operating in 2006, there is not one publicly known case of a jihadi or terrorist organization's account being shut down. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Twitter presence of these groups is constantly increasing. Among the organizations that openly utilize Twitter are many that are officially designated by the Western and U.S. governments as terrorist entities, such as the Taliban (alemarahweb and ABalkhi),[4] the Somali Al-Qaeda-affiliated group Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen (HSMPress),[5] Hamas (hamasinfo) and its military wing Al-Qassam Brigades (AlqassamBrigade),[6] Hizbullah and its media arm Al-Manar TV (almanarnews),[7] and other groups. (For a full list of MEMRI research on jihadi and terrorist groups on Twitter, see Appendix I.) While the phenomenon of jihadi and terrorist organizations on Twitter is in its relatively early stages, if it is left to continue unabated, the service will increasingly be used to help build an online community of individuals who support terrorism and are enemies of the U.S. Many of these Twitter users are also now utilizing apps to spread online jihad, which gives Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations additional weapons for their cyber-jihad. As previous reports in this series have noted, Twitter has in fact already become a cyber-weapon used against the U.S.. Furthermore, MEMRI's attempts to alert Twitter, and in particular its CEO and media department, of this and of the risks it entails have been repeatedly ignored. The following report highlights some recent examples of jihadi and terrorist organizations, sheikhs, and other groups who have joined Twitter. Those Twitter accounts, all in Arabic, use the social media site for multiple purposes, including giving religious justification for jihad and terrorist attacks; sending links minute by minute of the latest Al-Qaeda media releases; accounts held by numerous former prisoners jailed for terrorism to provide an outlet to reach followers on their opinions; training purposes for attacks against American forces; and as a vehicle for new terrorist and jihadi groups to easily spread their message for recruitment. Part I: Tweeting Jihad And Martyrdom: Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, Website Of Imprisoned Jihadi Leader And Scholar Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi An extensive report published earlier this year by the staff of the MEMRI JTTM (see Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad English-Language Site, Owned by Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, Peddles Jihad to Non-Arabic Speaking Muslims in the West, March 12, 2012) gave detailed information about one of the main online centers of the global Salafi-jihadi movement[8] – Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad (MTJ), "The Pulpit of Monotheism and Jihad," belonging to Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi.  As the report noted, Al-Maqdisi has long been at the fore of the radical Salafi movement in Jordan, and is considered a religious authority and spiritual leader by many Salafi-jihadis worldwide. His website has served as a primary means of disseminating Salafi-jihadi doctrine and texts, and jihad-related fatwas. The website is overseen by Al-Maqdisi himself, in addition to a shari'a committee of radical Salafi-jihadi clerics from various Arab countries, some of them residing in the West. In addition to its main Arabic-language website, MTJ has an English website, Tawhid.net. This website serves as an online library of Salafi-jihadi material translated from Arabic, including sermons, articles, books, magazines, and interviews by Islamist luminaries such as Al-Maqdisi himself, Sayyed Qutb, and Al-Qaeda leaders past and present, including Osama bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, 'Abdallah 'Azzam, and others. Also offered is original English-language material, much of it by the late Yemeni-American cleric Anwar Al-'Awlaki, who is featured prominently on the site with books, articles, audio recordings, and magazines such as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) English-language magazine Inspire. With its English forum, MTJ aims to propagate jihad and serve as a virtual library for the Salafi-jihadi education of Muslims who are distant from active jihad communities. This includes preaching jihad as an individual duty incumbent upon all Muslims; eliciting support for Al-Qaeda and disseminating its leaders' messages online; playing up grievances suffered by Muslims in the West's anti-Islam "Crusade"; and glorifying slain jihadis, publishing fatwas in support of suicide operations, and so on. Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad's Twitter Account On January 12, 2012, Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad launched a Twitter account, twitter.com/MinbarTawhed, and has since posted over 200 tweets. Most of the tweets include content from MTJ's website as well as links to the main MTJ website itself. Tweets include rulings on fatwas and answers to Islamic law questions – many of which are related to jihad. Examples Of Topics In Tweets By Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad Minbar al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad tweets on a number of topics. The following are examples: Becoming a martyr in the battlefield of jihad. The permissibility of fighting with the mujahideen without pledging allegiance to a specific group. The permissibility of working with Jews and Christians to collect money to go wage jihad. Rulings on using stolen money for jihad. The permissibility of killing drug dealers in the land of jihad. Rulings about disclosing the secrets of the mujahideen. Whether one should wage jihad or pay off a bank debt. The permissibility of joining the mujahideen fighters in the Levant. Waging jihad in Nigeria, Tunisia, Libya, Syria. Leaving one's country to wage jihad in another country's battlefield. Rulings on joining the armies of Western countries. Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad Uses Twitter Apps Twishort And TwitMail Service To Post Longer Texts Over the past year, the Middle East has seen the emergence of a plethora of apps and other tools which have helped to innovate social media usage in the region. What makes Minbar al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad's Twitter account unique is its extensive use of such Twitter-specific apps, including Twishort and Twitmail. MTJ uses Twitter's Twishort (twishort.com) service to ask questions that link to the answering longer fatwas or rulings. These Twishort tweets often include hashtags such as #jihad, #fatwa, and #mujahideen. Users do not need to register to use Twishort. To use the service, they post longer texts on the Twishort website, and the service then tweets the first 140 characters, including a link to the longer post, from the user's Twitter account. Most MTJ Twishort links lead to long items directly on MTJ. Twitter's Twitmail service allows Twitter users to attach their emails to Twitter posts. To use the service, which is not affiliated with Twitter, users must open an account. They then send an email with the content they wish to tweet to their Twitmail account, and the service tweets it to their Twitter feed with a link to the email, which is publicly viewable along with all attachments to the original email. TwitMail on MTJ's Twitter account includes Al-Qaeda material posted on the main jihadi forums. One example, sent July 17, 2012, includes a DVD collection of Osama bin Laden's speeches and videos for downloading, as well as the usual links to download the material, including links to the San Francisco-based Internet Archives.[9] It should be noted that the use of services such as Twitter, including apps such as Twishort and Twitmail, is a growing trend among online jihadis. After encountering increasing difficulty in posting content to main jihadi websites, they are now looking for quicker and easier ways to spread jihad online. Part II: Ansar Al-Mujahideen Arabic Forum (AMAF), An Al-Qaeda Affiliate, Tweets One of the most prominent Al-Qaeda affiliated forums, Ansar Al-Mujahideen Arabic Forum (AMAF), opened a Twitter account (https://twitter.com/as_ansar) on April 13, 2012.[10] As of August 15, 2012, AMAF's Twitter account has 3,141 followers, and has tweeted over 623 times.[11] Ansar al-Mujahideen Twitter Homepage                                                           Top Of AMAF Twitter Account Page Includes YouTube Link To Video Of AQAP Leader Discussing Importance Of Online Jihad, How To Use Cyber Tools And Weapons Featured prominently on AMAF's Twitter page, next to its official logo, is a link to a YouTube video in which Abu Hurayrah, an Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader, praises online jihadi forums including AMAF. He stated, "The enemies of the Muslims are taking the true and clear facts from jihadi forums on the Internet."[12] The same YouTube video also provides very specific instructions on installing Tor, a program designed to hide the user's identity online.[13] In fact, at the conclusion of the video, AMAF instructs users not to access its website without installing Tor. Abu Hurayrah al-Sana'i praising jihadi Internet forums[14]         Screenshot of Tor program from AMAF instructional video[15] Screenshot from AMAF instructional video on how to access the main forum[16] Instructions offered to users at the end of the instructional video[17] AMAF Gives Advice On How To Effectively Disseminate Its Message On Twitter On May 7, 2012, the Ansar Al-Mujahideen Arabic Forum (AMAF) published "important instructions" regarding its Twitter account, which it had opened on April 13. The announcement said that, having understood the crucial role jihadi media plays in the battle between Islam and its enemies, the AMAF is using all legitimate means to support Islam. Among the steps it took in this regard, it said, was the recent opening of the AMAF's Twitter account, "as_ansar@". As for its instructions to jihadis, the announcement asked them to follow AMAF's Twitter account and to disseminate its content via "retweeting" and the use of hashtags.[18] Examples Of Topics In Tweets By AMAF Many of the AMAF tweets are links to YouTube videos of suicide bombers; jihadi groups training for attacks; Al-Qaeda leaders including Osama bin Laden, Al-Zawahiri, Al-Zarqawi, Al-Awlaki, and others; and videos of dead jihadi fighters. Al-Qaeda groups in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Africa are heavily represented. AMAF Twitter Account Relies On San Francisco-Based Internet Archives A large number of AMAF tweets link to files on the San Francisco-based Internet Archive (archive.org), where jihadists can download PDF's of books, articles, and statements on AMAF, along with links. MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis No. 724, Al-Qaeda, Jihadis Infest The San Francisco, California-Based 'Internet Archive' Library, published August 17, 2011, detailed this website's importance to online jihadis. Founded in 1996, the Internet Archive is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose stated mission is to provide "universal access to all knowledge." The Internet Archive is recognized by the state of California as a library, and is a member of the American Library Association. It states that its purposes include "offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format. The Internet Archive includes texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages."[19] Multiple U.S. government agencies, including NASA, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institute collaborate with the Internet Archive,[20] and, according to a Washington Post report, federal prosecutors, the FBI, and CIA "frequently" use it.[21] Besides the U.S. government, Al-Qaeda and other jihadi groups are continually and increasingly using the San Francisco-based Internet Archive by posting links on Twitter to spread their propaganda/recruitment messages, including video and audio recordings of speeches, attacks, publications, and much more. They often include content encouraging, and urging, terrorist attacks against the U.S. It can be assumed that Al-Qaeda-related material was first posted to the Internet Archive for legitimate research purposes, but that at some point jihadis discovered that it was an accessible website that could be easily used for online jihad; jihadis now upload content to and download content from the Internet Archive on a daily basis; all anyone needs in order to use the Archive is a valid email address.[22] Part III: Muhammad Al-Zawahiri – Brother Of Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri – Joins Twitter On August 13, 2012, a post by Ishmael Jad on the Al-Qaeda-affiliated forum Al-Fidaa announced that Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, brother of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, had opened a Twitter account. Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, a member of the Egyptian organization Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya, served 13 years in prison in Egypt on allegations that he was linked to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. Even before posting his first tweet, on August 18, 2012, Muhammad Al-Zawahiri had nearly 1,000 followers; to date he has tweeted 12 times and has 1,562 followers. Examples of Muhammad Al-Zawahiri's Tweets Al-Zawahiri's second tweet, on August 19, 2012, links to the Ansar Al-Mujahideen forum, to an article he published August 7, 2012 titled "Is It Legally Correct That We Only Fight Those Who Fight Us?"[23] in which he defends the Islamic notion of offensive jihad. Other posts include his first TV interview after his release from prison[24] (posted August 20, 2012), a biography of Zawahiri found on a jihadi blog[25] (posted August 21, 2012), as well as another Islamic legal response titled "A response to the Saudi fatwa regarding warning the youth against going abroad with the intention of fighting jihad."[26] (posted Aug. 21, 2012). Part IV: Former Bin Laden Jihadi And Gitmo Detainee Walid Muhammad Hajj Tweets In Support Of Al-Qaeda, Jihad, And Martyrdom On June 13, 2012, Walid Muhammad Hajj, a former Guantanamo detainee who fought in Osama bin Laden's 55th Arab Brigade, joined Twitter (WaleedGaj2002); to date, he has posted 2,272 Tweets, has 12,072 followers, and is following 55 well-known jihadis and jihadi groups. Walid Muhammad Hajj Is Following These Twitter Accounts: Muhammad Al-Zawahiri @Mohamed-Zawahiri twitter.com/Mohamed_zawahir Ansaar Al-Mujahideen @as_ansar (AMAF) twitter.com/as_ansar Tawheed and Jihad Platform @MinbarTawhed (Sheikhs of Jihad and the Shar'ia Committee of the Tawheed and Jihad Platform) twitter.com/MinbarTawhed The Madad News Agency @W_mdd (AQAP) twitter.com/W_mdd Hazem Al-Masri @hazim10000 (Ansar Sharia Blogspot) twitter.com/hazim10000 Walid Muhammad Hajj: Background According to an unclassified official report,[27] in September 2004 a tribunal was appointed at Guantanamo to review Walid Muhammad Hajj's designation as an enemy combatant; he allegedly participated in military operations against the U.S. or its partners and was defined as "an individual who was part of or supporting the Taliban or Al-Qaeda forces, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners. This includes any person who committed a belligerent actors has directly supported hostilities in aid of enemy armed forces." The Guantanamo Bay detainee file on Walid Mohammad Haj Mohammad Ali, US9SU-000081DP, dated December 2007, which in April 2011 was passed to the Telegraph (U.K.) by WikiLeaks,[28] stated that he "is assessed to be a member of Al-Qaeda and a fighter in Osama Bin Laden's 55th Arab Brigade." It added that he had "admitted participating and being wounded in hostilities during U.S. and Coalition action against Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan" and that "Al-Qaeda operative, Anjasha, recruited detainee for jihad, and detainee's name was recovered on an Al-Qaeda affiliated document. Detainee acknowledged receiving militant training from an Al-Qaeda commander, and is assessed to have received... more extensive training. Detainee is also assessed to be affiliated with Jama-at Tablighi (JT)." A Department of Defense assessment of Walid Muhammad Hajj, also released by Wikileaks, stated that he posed a "medium" risk of threat to the U.S. and its interests and allies. According to the document it is believed that he received training at the infamous Al-Faruq training camp, and was involved in da'wa, "areas of potential exploitation," "communications," and "terrorist recruitment of juveniles."[29] Some five years after his release, Walid Muhammad Hajj is free to communicate to potential Al-Qaeda recruits; he has over 10,000 followers on Twitter.

Much more here.

Terror Tweets call for the "slaughter" of Zionists and death to the West

Twitter is allowing the devout Muslim terror faction Al Qassam Brigades to tweet a continuous stream of genocidal and annihilationist messages on the the social media site.

@AlqassamBrigades has Tweeted calls for the "slaughter" of Zionists, among other things. Al Qassam Brigades, the paramilitary wing of Hamas, has been responsible for some of the bloodiest terror attacks in recent history, including the 2001 Jerusalem Sbarro attack that killed 15; the infamous Dolphinarium attack in 2001, in which 21 young people were murdered at a Tel Aviv night club; and the 2002 Passover attack in Netanya that left 30 dead.

"Twitter’s terror handle" The Times of Israel, Ashley Rindsberg, May 29

The last thing you’d expect to find beneath Twitter’s cute little blue bird is an @ sign followed by the name of one of the world’s bloodiest and most ruthless terror groups. But to my surprise (and disgust) while searching for new streams on Twitter, a handle called @AlqassamBrigade was suggested to me by the social media platform.

Incredulous, I clicked the link. What I discovered is a Twitter stream that bills itself as “The official website of the Al-Qassam Brigades in Palestine.” Al Qassam is the paramilitary wing of Hamas, the Iran-backed Islamist political organization that has controlled Gaza since 2006.

Hamas is classed as a terror group by the US and the EU, as well as a number of other nations. As its “military wing,” the Al Qassam Brigades are directly responsible for carrying out terror attacks — including some of the deadliest attacks on Israeli civilians, like the August 2001 attack at a Sbarro pizzeria in Jerusalem that killed 15 people and injured 130, the Dolphinarium attack in Tel Aviv in 2001 which killed 21 young partygoers and the 2002 Passover festival attack in Netanya, which took the lives of 30 people.

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas in Gaza and prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority, made headlines last year for praising Osama bin Laden as a “martyr” and “Arab holy warrior” and condemning his killing by the US. (Here’s a more complete rundown of the terror group and its activities.)

So what are the Al Qassam Brigades doing on Twitter, complete with a slick illustrated background of two terrorists at work (ostensibly targeting more civilians)? For the terror group, which enjoys a fairly robust following of nearly 2,500 people on Twitter, the motivation is clear: the dissemination of anti-Israel Islamist agitprop.

Though showing a good deal of sophistication and discipline by Tweeting headlines and links to news stories in a polished English, the group also seems to be using Twitter to give itself a sheen of credibility and even legitimacy. Aware of the rules of perception in our age of media warfare, the administrators of the handle also show restraint in most Tweets.

But dig a little deeper, and you come across @AlqassamBrigades Tweets openly calling for the “slaughter” of Zionists, as in the April 16th Tweet:

There are also calls for the destruction of Israel, as in another Tweet from that date which reads:

This raises some serious questions for Twitter, a social media platform that relies on its reputation as a forum for fair, tolerant and, presumably, non-genocidal ideas. Twitter has so far not responded to my emailed request for comment.

Read the rest.

Report: Devout Muslims targeting students for jihad via social media

Obama say, "respect it!" There is nothing being advanced and promoted by these authentic Muslims (pure Islam) that is inconsistent with Islam. This is jihad in the cause of Islam and it is not unique to the UK. The very same pattern is manifesting itself in the US.

Vile, vicious pro-jihad voices like Amir-Abdel Malik-Ali, Reza Aslan et al are welcome on US university campuses, invited by Muslim Brotherhood groups (MSU, MSA etc.), while defenders of freedom are shutdown by these same jihadists.

Extremists Targeting Students via Social Media, Says Report

LONDON, May 28, 2012/PRNewswire/ -- British students are being targeted online by Islamist extremists using social media, a new report has shown.

'Challenging Extremists', a report by Student Rights and the Henry Jackson Society, shows how individuals invited to address students on UK university campuses have promoted fear of a Western war against Islam, support for paramilitary violence in Israel, intolerance of non-believers and Islam as an obligatory political system for law and governance.

There is evidence of individuals targeting student social media pages to share extremist material:

• - One individual targeted students via social media to share a video of Abu Ibrahim, designated by the US government as an al-Qaeda linked fighter, recruiter, facilitator and propagandist; - Also posted was an audio recording of Abdul Rahman Saleem, convicted in 2008 of inciting terrorism overseas during a speech at Regent's Park mosque; - In some cases, students themselves have shared extreme videos of deceased senior al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

The extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, identified by the British government as targeting specific universities, continues to infiltrate campuses and remains influential among some students:

• - The University of Westminster Student Union President and Vice President for Education have both been 'No-Platformed' by the National Union of Students and are not allowed to attend conferences after they refused to comply with an investigation into their links with the group; - A small number of student activists at London universities, as well as recent graduates that they interact with, engage in Hizb ut-Tahrir activism and disseminate Islamist material.

The report also provides universities, student unions and the UK government with practical recommendations for challenging extremism while preserving an open environment on campuses.

• - The recommendations account for stakeholders' legal duties as well as the requirement under charity law that student unions must preserve their charitable reputation; - They include extending the NUS 'No Platform' policy to front groups for banned organisations; details on appropriate risk assessments of external speakers; how to challenge candidates for student union positions with suspected links to extremist groups without compromising democracy; and practical steps to challenge extremist material on student social media.

Executive summary: http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/SRExecutiveSummary.pdf

E-Terror: Islamic Video Calls for 'Electronic Jihad' Cyber Terror

Iran, Al Qaeda, Taliban ..... it's all the same thing. The motive is the same, the root cause is the same. Islamic jihad.

Virtual Terrorism: Al Qaeda Video Calls for 'Electronic Jihad' ABC News

Al Qaeda may be turning its destructive attention to cyber-warfare against the United States. In a chilling video, an al Qaeda operative calls for "electronic jihad" against the United States, and compares vulnerabilities in vital American computer networks to the flaws in aviation security before the 9/11 attack.

The al Qaeda video calls upon the "covert mujahidin" [devout Muslims] to launch cyber attacks against the U.S. networks of both government and critical infrastructure, including the electric grid. The video was obtained by the FBI last year, and released today by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

"This is the clearest evidence we've seen that al Qaeda and other [Muslim]  terrorist groups want to attack the cyber systems of our critical infrastructure," Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said in a statement.

"This video is troubling as it urges al Qaeda adherents to launch a cyber attack on America," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the ranking member on the committee. "It's clear that al Qaeda is exploring all means to do us harm and this is evidence that our critical infrastructure is a target."

The national security community says the threat of cyber attack is real, and the gap between terrorist aspirations and capability is closing. The senior intelligence official at Cyber Command, Rear Adm. Samuel Cox, has said al Qaeda operatives are seeking the capability to stage cyber attacks against U.S. networks and terrorists could purchase the capabilities to do so from expert criminal hackers.

Increasing evidence also suggests that Iran is looking to commit cyber attacks against the United States, according to testimony last month before the House Committee on Homeland Security. Iran's sponsorship of terrorist groups takes on a new dimension in cyberspace, where it could develop a powerful cyber weapon and pass it on to a terrorist group.

Lieberman is using the al Qaeda video to underline what he says is the need for new legislation..

"Congress needs to act now to protect the American public from a possible devastating attack on our electric grid, water delivery systems, or financial networks," he said. "As numerous, bipartisan national security experts have said, minimum cyber security standards for those networks are necessary to protect our national and economic security. That is why the Senate needs to act on our bipartisan Cyber Security Act that requires minimum security performance requirements for key critical infrastructure cyber networks."

The Homeland Security Committee says the Department of Homeland Security received more than 50,000 reports of cyber intrusions or attempted intrusions since October, an increase of 10,000 reports over the same period the previous year.

Twitter stands fast for free speech, Pakistan blocks Twitter because of offensive tweets UPDATE: Pakistan Removes Ban

UPDATE: Pakistan Unblocks Twitter After Eight-Hour Ban.

Perhaps they rethought it after considering Yemen's creative tweets.

======================================================

Kudos to Twitter, which didn't cave, as so many do when Islamic supremacists demand the enforcement of sharia and the blasphemy laws (restriction of free speech) under Islam.

Pakistan won't have twitter? Why should barbarians enjoy the fruits of that which they wish to destroy?

My new favorite oxymoron: "chairman of Pakistan's telecommunications." Ha!

Pakistan blocks Twitter because of tweets considered offensive to Islam Winnipeg Free Press

ISLAMABAD - The chairman of Pakistan's telecommunications authority says the government has blocked the social networking website Twitter because of material considered offensive to Islam.
Mohammad Yaseen says the website was blocked Sunday because Twitter refused to remove material related to a competition on Facebook to post images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
Many Muslims regard depictions of the prophet, even favourable ones, as blasphemous.
Yaseen said Facebook agreed to address Pakistan's concerns but officials have not been able to get Twitter to do the same.
Officials from Facebook and Twitter could not immediately be reached for comment.
Pakistan blocked Facebook for about two weeks in 2010 because of a similar competition.

The 140-character fatwa

They invent nothing, create nothing, cure nothing, but they can take every Western invention, every modern marvel, every product of the individual mind, and turn it into an instrument of death, oppression and subjugation.

Hey, it's what they do.

The 140-Character Fatwa Foreign Policy Magazine:

Enormously popular, extremist Saudi clerics are promoting hatred, violence, and intolerance on Facebook and Twitter. Can they be stopped?

 "Despite assurances from the Saudi government that it is cracking down on religious radicalism, the kingdom's top clerics continue calling for attacks on Christians across the Arab world. And in the Internet age, these voices of hate have been handed a larger megaphone than ever before...

... To put this in perspective, Arefe's 1.5 million Twitter followers rival the number who follow football phenom Tim Tebow. Tebow's religious messaging may be controversial, but Arefe has him beat. In a July 2010 sermon, Arefe declared, "The desire to shed blood, to smash skulls, and to sever limbs for the sake of Allah and in defense of his religion, is, undoubtedly, an honor for the believer."

Qarnee spews similar invective. Shortly after Israel and Hamas completed the prisoner swap for Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit in October 2011, Qarnee rushed to the defense of a fellow Saudi cleric who offered $100,000 to any Palestinian who could capture another Israeli soldier. Qarnee lauded "all who struggle with their tongue, their money, their blood, or their knowledge [against] the Zionist entity."...

... Alarmingly, of the thousands of messages ConStrat scored, 75 percent could be described as xenophobic, bigoted, or openly hateful. Some Saudi clerics like Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, head imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, still describe Jews as "sons of monkeys and pigs." Saleh al-Fawzan of the Council of Senior Ulema (CSU) ruled that fathers may arrange marriages for their daughters "even if they are in the cradle." And the Permanent Committee for Research and Ifta, one of the kingdom's highest religious bodies, suggested in December 2011 that repealing the Saudi ban on female driving could "provoke a surge in prostitution, pornography, homosexuality, and divorce," predicting that in 10 years, there would be "no more virgins."...

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/05/09/twitter_fatwa_facebook_saudi_arabia

Islamic scholars Approve E-Jihad and Cyber Warfare

Jihadists have been engaged in cyber warfare for some time. Those of us with counter jihadist websites are only too familiar with these attacks. (SIOA's website was virtually destroyed by a cyber attack a few months ago. We will be back up as soon as we raise the funds.) Of course, the global jihad has its sights set on much bigger infidel targets.

Reviewing the recent acts of jihad and the role jihadist websites and forums had on the fueling of Islamic religious fervor, this fatwa seems a bit redundant. But the imprimatur of Islamic legitimacy adds a level of urgency and sacrilege to the jihadists' compulsion for destruction.

Note the mention their desire to destroy the Jewish state. The Islamic obsession with the Jews is all-consuming. It's their reason for living, their reason for dying. it infects everything, and I mean everything. Look at this video -- a simple, fun video, showing young American Muslims dancing and singing, normal kid stuff. But at minute .45, they gotta throw their peculiar brand of Jew-hatred in (yehudi is Jew in Arabic.) They can't help, they just can't help it. They are weaned on this hate.

Islamic scholars approve "electronic jihad" Jihadwatch

Scholars differ on circumstances for acceptable use, and its position in the pecking order of means of jihad, but are in agreement in principle that it can and ought to be used as a weapon of war. Electronic jihad is ultimately familiar destructive behavior, only applied to an electronic medium instead of detonating a truck bomb. Imagine if that ingenuity, resourcefulness, and planning were actually applied to something constructive. "Scholars speak out in favor of “electronic Jihad” against the enemy," from Al Arabiya, January 29:

In light of the increasing support of “the electronic Jihad” and the divergence of views regarding this subject, Islamic scholars have underlined their support for this new phenomenon, arguing that “any attempt to spite the enemy and endorse religion is legitimate”. They consider that Muslim youth involved in this phenomenon are in fact leading a jihad”.

But what do those who refuse to support this phenomenon have to say? They believe that “bringing down the enemy’s electronic devices could help in realizing certain objectives in some instances, but it can also be harmful if done at the wrong time.”

They noted that there is “a large number of people in the world who sympathize with Israel and might get involved in this battle, which would widen the circle of damage.”

On the other hand, Sheikh Fahd Bin Saad Al Jahni, a professor of sharia graduate studies, says that “in Islam, the Jihad is a broad concept that could be defined according to the interpretation of the and texts that cite the jihad. There are many types of jihad: the personal jihad, the jihad by money, and verbal Jihad. The last type includes the intellectual jihad, jihad by composition and by the call to God”.

Al Jahni added that “any attempt to spite the enemy and empower the religion must be conducted by legitimate means and according to Muslim rules. Therefore, religion could be widely empowered through electronic websites. This is what some people call “the electronic Jihad”. Thus, the terminology is correct, but it is the definition that matters as well as the extent to which the concept respects the legitimate procedure.”

“Therefore, I believe that the young Muslims who are striving to take advantage of this wide electronic window and fight the perverted ideology or shut down obscene websites and the websites of those who offended and dishonored the people of Islam and put hand on their holy sites like the Zionist aggressors, are using all legitimate means and are indeed leading a jihad provided they don’t exceed the limit of God in their rivalry,” Al Jahni said.

Moreover, Abdullah Al Aalwit, a Muslim law researcher, pointed to the fact that electronic jihad means “destroying the enemy’s electronic devices or surreptitiously taking valuable information from these devices.” He confirmed that “the electronic jihad, like any other type of ihad, is legitimate in determined instances and might be harmful if used at the wrong time and in the wrong circumstances.”

“However, it is clear that the nation’s condition does not allow any type of Jihad against any of its enemies because our enemies are way more advanced than we are in all kinds of fields. If an electronic war shall erupt, it is expected to have serious repercussions due to the big number of those who sympathize with Israel in the world and who might enter this battle, which would widen the circle of damage,” he added.

Al Aalwit advised that people should “take this factor in consideration because sympathizers with Israel exceed us in number and in their scientific and technological skills. We are not discouraging this type of jihad because the true original jihad is led by fight and struggle and any other attempt is simply a means to exert pressure and strangle the enemy rather than a jihad. The term “jihad” here is used as a metaphor, and since electronic wars are means of pressure, they do not conform to the known provisions of jihad”.

“In addition, the electronic Jihad is immoral because it is similar to theft, spying and embezzlement. Jihad is not fought in this manner, as if we are spreading drugs in the enemy’s society. Electronic jihad only serves in times of war when fighters want to disrupt the enemy’s communication devices. However, we are not in war and electronic battles under these circumstances are considered as a type of corruption.”

The Saudis in particular know they can only encourage freelance jihad so much, lest it be turned against the Saudi establishment, electronic jihad included.

On a larger scale, supporters of the electronic jihad have raised their tone. Newspapers reported the announcement of Sheikh Jamal Kotb, chairman of the Fatwa Committee in Al Azhar, who advocated for the confrontation of the Israeli piracy “to prevent them from attacking us,” although he refused “to harm them if they did not attack first”. Dr. Mustafa Mourad, professor at Al Azhar University, said that “the electronic jihad is a type of jihad because jihad is not limited to military weapons or any other type of painful means. Under jihad, it is possible to use any tool that might fulfill the goal behind the attack against the enemies of God in response to their attempts to violate our rights and seize our holy sites.”...

Apple Removes Third Intifada Jihad App

Apple has removed the lowlife Third Intifada App because it violated the Apple Manual. Apple responded after receiving many calls, letters and emails. Thank you, Atlas readers, for responding to the call :)

More here: The Apple of Jihad's Eye: “The Third Intifada” App

The Apple of Jihad's Eye: “The Third Intifada” App

"Son of Moe"

Jew-hatred, calling for Israel's destruction, hey -- it's the new chic. Where's the defeat jihad app? 

There is a new Arabic-language app at the Apple Store called “The Third Intifada” Hat tip John Kohos, Justice Watchers

In a nutshell, it incites hatred and glorifies violence against Israel and offers strategies to those who would like to participate. It even offers a popular collection of “Intifada music” to kill Jews by.

But this is an Apple app, so you know there’s an extra special social something in it. And this one doesn’t disappoint.

This app features a social media component, designed to help activists organize “flash mobs”, gathering quickly at specific times and places to attack Israelis.

And if you don’t already understand “flash mobs”, let me explain.

It is a dangerous phenomenon, picking up speed that uses social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to send out a “broadcast” to incite [mostly young people] to participate in some kind of mass action. All it takes is [somebody] to light the fuse.

And we aren’t just talking about toppling dictatorships in Egypt and Libya. This danger is a lot closer to home.

Here are a few examples…

1.      A message goes out on Facebook or Twitter to gather in a public place and start dancing. Suddenly hundreds of kids show up and start dancing.

2.      A message goes out… to meet in a downtown park for an impromptu concert. And suddenly it’s Woodstock again.

3.      A message goes out… to “mob” an opponent’s political or social event which is suddenly crushed by a bunch of kids who have no idea why [somebody] really sent them there.

4.    A message goes out… to “mob” the home of a so-called “racist” who dared to criticize Barack Obama and nobody is sure who even started the message. But everybody gets the message that speaking up isn’t safe.

5.    A message goes out… to violently shut down a business or a legislature or disrupt an election or intimidate voters

6.    A message goes out… to riot in the streets of Vancouver [after a hockey game]… and Vancouver burns.

Think of all the ways “flash mobs” can be used.  Let me assure you, some pretty bad people are figuring out ways right now.

This thing is coming. And these are not the peaceful love-ins of the 70’s.

We’ll talk more soon.

Pamela Geller, American Thinker: Islamic Supremacists Envision a Takeover of the Internet

Islamic Supremacists Envision a Takeover of the Internet Pamela Geller,  American Thinker

It was hardly noticed at the time, but its consequences could be catastrophic.  Late last September, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which assigns internet domain names, approved a huge change in the way it operates .  Europe and North America will now have five seats on its Board of Directors, instead of ten, and a new "Arab States" region will have five seats as well.

How big a deal is this?  ICANN at the same time took a reference to "terrorism" out of its Draft Applicant Guidebook.  Why?  Because Arab groups complained.  And so now jihad terror websites can grow and prosper, as ICANN has removed its own ability to police them.

This has been a long time coming.

Back in October 2009 , I warned of a seismic transformation in internet regulation and free speech.  Under the transnational-happy Obama administration, the U.S. relinquished control of the net at that time.  ICANN ended its agreement with the U.S. government.

If not America, who?  Now we know the answer to that.  The new agreement gave other countries (including dictatorships and rogue nations) and the U.N. the ability to set internet use policies.  At the time, I wrote, "[W]atch for Sharia law to find its way into this."

Well, that didn't take long.  The ICANN action in September gave the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and other unfriendly nations a prominent internet role -- something they never could get during the administration of George W. Bush.

News analyst Daniel Greenfield explains:

The OIC has already effectively used the UN to push its censorship agenda. But the UN is virtually toothless when it comes to the United States. However if the Muslim world can dominate ICANN the way it dominates the UN General Assembly, then free speech on the internet is dead.

In practice, the new arrangement makes it much easier for Muslim countries to dictate what stays on the internet and what doesn't.  The removal of the material about "terrorism" was just muscle-flexing; there is much more of that kind of censorship coming.  If this stands, anti-jihad sites like my own site AtlasShrugs.com and the JihadWatch.org site run by my colleague Robert Spencer will likely lose their domain names.  It will become harder and harder to find the truth about jihad activity, or any resistance to it, on the internet or anywhere else.

Why is this necessary at all?  Why should the U.S. relinquish control of its own invention?  The internet was our extraordinary gift to the world.  We kept it free.  And now, like some depraved drunk, we are tossing it away and relinquishing control to the vultures and destroyers.

The new "net neutrality" rules approved last week by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will just make that easier as well.  Columnist Jonathan Gurwitz explains:

Net neutrality is anything but neutral. It takes the operation of the Internet away from the heterogeneous and diversified interests of the private sector that has created it and concentrates it in the hands of an unelected and unaccountable board of political appointees atop a federal bureaucracy.

"Few proposals in Washington have been sold employing such deceptive language - and that's saying something," observed James G. Lakely, the co-director of the Center on the Digital Economy for the Heartland Institute, a free-market think-tank.  "But few public policy ideas can boast the unashamedly socialist pedigree of net neutrality."

Read the whole thing.

Islamic Supremacists Target a Takeover of the Internet

Back in October 2009, I warned of a seismic transformation in internet regulation and free speech. Under the transnational-happy Obama administration, the US relinquished control of the net. ICANN ended its agreement with the US government. The move gave the Organization of Islamic Conference and other nations a prominent internet role. They couldn't accomplish this under Bush (see July 2005 Atlas post).

John Bolton said at an appearance at Duke University at the time, "it's not American strength that's provocative, it's American weakness."

Why should the US relinquish control of its own invention? It was our extraordinary gift to the world ............... and like some depraved drunk, we tossed it away and relinquished control to the vultures and destroyers. We kept it free.

If not America, who? The new agreement gave other countries (dictatorships and rogue nations) and the UN the ability to set internet use policies. At the time, I wrote, "watch for Sharia law to find its way into this."

Well, that didn't take long.

Flashback 10/09:

After complaints about American dominance of the internet and growing disquiet in some parts of the world, Washington has said it will relinquish some control over the way the network is run and allow foreign governments more of a say in the future of the system.

Icann – the official body that ultimately controls the development of the internet thanks to its oversight of web addresses such as .com, .net and .org – said today that it was ending its agreement with the US government.

The deal, part of a contract negotiated with the US department of commerce, effectively pushes California-based Icann towards a new status as an international body with greater representation from companies and governments around the globe.

Icann had previously been operating under the auspices of the American government, which had control of the net thanks to its initial role in developing the underlying technologies used for connecting computers together.

Fast forward -- the poisonous fruit of Obama's skulduggery: Islamic takeover.

Arabs Target the Internet Israel Alert (hat tip Jill)

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the entity responsible for assigning domain names on the Internet.

On September 25, 2010, the ICANN board of directors approved the following resolution: “The definition of Continent or UN Regions in the Guidebook should be expanded to include UNESCO’s regional classification list which comprises: Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.” The new “Geographic Region” definition collapses Europe and North America into a single region, while creating a new “Arab States” region.

The change marks a fundamental shift from what are more or less geographical regions to cultural/ethnic regions.

Should the September 25 resolution become applicable to ICANN’s board of directors, it would mean that the “Arab States” region would be entitled to between one and five directorships, while the collapsed “North American and Europe” region would have a maximum of five seats.

ICANN’s board also removed a reference to “terrorism” from the fourth version of its Draft Applicant Guidebook after complaints were received from several Arab individuals and organizations.
Failing to retain the ability to investigate applicants for ties to terrorism would significantly hamper ICANN’s effectiveness, and could lead to a proliferation of pro-terrorist websites.

And this from Israel Lives:

Critical  ICANN IS A NEW INTERNATIONAL ISSUE WHICH WILL CERTAINLY IMPACT ISRAEL   ICANN is the next frontier in the war between Islamo-fascism and Democracy
 
......a shift in the International geographical makeup of ICANN's Board of Directors to include Arab Nations, would mean a considerable shift in power towards the Arab League, which would presumably vote as a bloc far more than preexisting Geographic Regions as they have at the UN.
 
Should the League of Arab States gain bloc voting power at ICANN, there is every indication that it will seek to replicate its effective takeover of the United Nations General Assembly, likely in conjunction with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).  THIS WILL EFFECTIVELY CONTROL FREE SPEECH ON THE INTERNET
 
Should the League of Arab States gain bloc voting power at ICANN, there is every indication that it will seek to replicate its effective takeover of the United Nations General Assembly, likely in conjunction with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).  If this succeeds then 10 years from now, not only will sites like Jihad Watch or Religion of Peace lose their domain names, and most discussion of Islamic terrorism have to 'go on the run' in pop up social media groups that constantly get shut down (already the situation on sites such as Facebook) functioning like rats in the walls. But even the sites of mainstream politicians and newspapers will be targeted. Mandatory filtering by ISP's. The removal of Israel's Il domain, are all possibilities. And if anything I probably haven't gone far enough.

The two-pronged approach of silencing dissent and unleashing terror is underway. This is why the internationalization of ICANN poses the gravest of threats not just to the thing we call freedom of speech on the internet, but to the entire global organization of knowledge and debate that has come to run through its networks. If ICANN goes IslamCANN then they will have captured the consensus.

This is a situation that few are talking about, even though in retrospect it may come to be one of the 5 issues that dramatically changes the world as we know it.

Meanwhile the UN is working along its own track.  At a meeting in New York on Wednesday, representatives from Brazil called for an international body made up of Government representatives that would attempt to create global standards for policing the internet - specifically in reaction to challenges such as WikiLeaks.  The Brazilian delegate stressed, however, that this should not be seen as a call for a "takeover" of the internet.

But that's exactly what it is. A unified set of laws with regard to the internet is not about policing criminal activity. That is already policed under existing laws. It's about criminalizing dissent.  Brazil's left wing regime, which just decided to recognize Palestinian Arab terrorists as a state, tried to help Iranian dictator Ahmadinejad get nuclear fuel, is acting as a stalking horse for the takeover of the internet.  India, South Africa, China and Saudi Arabia appeared to favour a new possible over-arching inter-government body.

The appearance of China and Saudi Arabia on this list is not exactly shocking. China wants to tightly control all content that its citizens access. And Saudi Arabia representing the Muslim world wants to control the depiction of Islam worldwide. Between the Muslim world and China and left wing regimes like Brazil, there is a common agenda. Censorship. Control.

US politicians have responded to moves from within the United Nations to form an inter-Government panel to regulate the internet, putting forward a resolution demanding the UN maintain a "hands-off approach".  Republican California Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (Her district is based in Palm Springs and includes most of central and eastern Riverside County. Bono Mack sits on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, and was named on December 16, 2010 as the next Chairman for the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. Bono Mack is singer Sonny Bono's widow)  has put forward a resolution that the United Nations and other international governmental organizations take their hands off the Internet.  Introducing House Resolution 1775 [see full text below], Mack argued that "the Internet has progressed and thrived precisely because it has not been subjected to the suffocating effect of a governmental organization's heavy hand.

"The attempt of the United Nations to overtake something that is so central to our economy-like the Internet-is offensive and completely out of line," she said.  "We have a hard enough time keeping the Federal Communications Commission's hands off the Internet; imagine having to convince governments like Syria, Iran and Venezuela."

A Republican congress is better position to oppose this, but the Obama Administration is committed to few things more seriously, than to weakening American power and collaborating with the ascension of the Muslim world.

The only real obstacle is likely to come from tech companies such as Google who benefit from open policies and don't want to see the boot of dictatorships come down on them. Not just for ideological reasons, but for profit motives too.  Vint Cerf, widely regarded as the father of the internet, also hit out at the United Nations plan.  "Today, I have signed that petition on Google's behalf because we don't believe governments should be allowed to grant themselves a monopoly on Internet governance," Cerf said on Friday on behalf of Google where he works as its chief internet lobbyist.

Dictator Obama Seizes Control of Internet

Mad with power.

This power-mad president continues to power grab. And the subdued state-run enemedia couldn't be happier. The net has been the only outlet (along with talk radio) that actually reports the news. That does the job and tells the truth. And the American people have been abandoning the networks and newspapers in droves.

This is Obama's first strike against the internet. If this tyrannical administration atttempts to regulate free speech and information dissemination, the people will not go quietly.

We don't need no stinkin badges.

FCC Gives Government Power to Regulate Web Traffic WSJ online

WASHINGTON—Federal telecommunications regulators approved new rules Tuesday that would for the first time give the federal government formal authority to regulate Internet traffic, although how much or for how long remained unclear.

A divided Federal Communications Commission approved a proposal by Chairman Julius Genachowski to give the FCC power to prevent broadband providers from selectively blocking web traffic.

The rules will go into effect early next year, but legal challenges or action by Congress could block the FCC's action. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) on Tuesday called the FCC's action "flawed" and said lawmakers would "have an opportunity in the new Congress to push back against new rules and regulations."

The new FCC rules, for example, would prevent a broadband provider, such as Comcast Corp., AT&T, Inc. or Verizon Communications Inc., from hobbling access to an online video service, such as Netflix, that competes with its own video services.

The rules would also require Internet providers to give subscribers more information on Internet speeds and service. Broadly, the rules would prohibit Internet providers from "unreasonably discriminating" against rivals' Internet traffic or services on wired or wireless networks.

The rules would allow phone and cable companies to offer faster, priority delivery services to Internet companies willing to pay extra. But the FCC proposal contains language suggesting the agency would try to discourage creation of such high-speed toll lanes.

Companies that operate mobile wireless networks would have fewer rules to contend with. Phone companies wouldn't be able to block legal websites from consumers. They also can't block mobile voice or video-conferencing applications. Wireless providers would be allowed to block other applications, however, that they say could take up too much bandwidth on wireless networks.

The five-member Federal Communications Commission board approved the new rules on a 3-2 vote, with the agency's two Republican members rejecting the measure.

"For the first time, we'll have enforceable rules of the road to preserve Internet freedom and openness," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Tuesday morning. He said the rules offered "a strong and sensible framework—one that protects Internet freedom and openness and promotes robust innovation and investment."

Republicans at the FCC and on Capitol Hill blasted the FCC's new rules, saying that they could stifle new investments in broadband networks and are unnecessary since there have been few complaints about Internet providers blocking or slowing web traffic.

The FCC's action "is not motivated by a tangible competitive harm or market failure," said Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker, a Republican, who said she couldn't support the rule because the agency was intervening to regulate the Internet "because it wants to, not because it needs to."

Read the rest. Disband the FCC.

Muslim, student at York University, calls for genocide on website called "Filthy Jewish Terrorists"

This is the natural progression of what I witnessed last night. This is happening at breakneck speed. Islamic anti-semitism is very real. It is Islamic doctrine, and no matter how many well meaning non-Muslims avoid talking about it or addressing it, we will not be able to avoid the consequences of avoiding it.

It is the next catastrophe:

Toronto Muslim, student at York University, calls for genocide on website called "Filthy Jewish Terrorists"

He also says, "if there were any planned attacks against Canadian/American soldiers by 'Muslim militants' in Canadian soil, I'd support it."

Clear and present danger. "Toronto man investigated again for hate writings," by Stewart Bell for the National Post, March 3:

TORONTO -- Just months after Ontario decided not to charge a Toronto man with hate crimes, partly because he was undergoing rehabilitation, he is again being investigated over his online writings on a website called Filthy Jewish Terrorists.

Police are probing Salman Hossain's recent postings on the Arizona-based Internet site on which he writes harshly about Jews, Christians and moderate Canadian Muslims, whom he calls "traitors."

He refers to Jews as "diseased and filthy," "the scum of the earth," "psychotic" and "mass murderers" and writes that "a genocide should be perpetrated against the Jewish populations of North America and Europe."

In addition, he blames Jews for terrorist plots, such as the Toronto 18 bomb conspiracy, which was the work of Islamist extremists. He also praises God for "the victorious resistance operations" in Afghanistan.

Abbee Corb of the Hate Crimes Extremism Investigative Team, which is made up of representatives of 13 Ontario municipal police forces, confirmed yesterday that an investigation was underway. [...]

"It's pretty hard to believe that in the 21rst century there is a blogger right here in Canada who calls for the genocide of the Jewish people. Can it get any worse than that?" Mr. Farber said.

Dave Ross, a spokesman for the Ontario Provincial Police, said yesterday the Hate Crimes and Extremism Unit of the force's anti-terror section "was aware of a site and is conducting an investigation."

Counter-terrorism investigators first took notice of Mr. Hossain, who claims to know the ringleader of the Toronto 18 plot, three years ago after he posted messages online supporting terrorist attacks in Canada.

"We should do that here in Canada as well," he wrote at the time. "Kill as many Western soldiers as well so that they think twice before entering foreign countries on behalf of their Jew masters ... if there were any planned attacks against Canadian/American soldiers by 'Muslim militants' in Canadian soil, I'd support it."

After the National Post first reported on the investigation of Mr. Hossain, students at University of Toronto at Mississauga began a campaign to have him expelled or suspended for tarnishing the image of Canadian Muslims and the campus. Almost 500 people joined a Facebook page calling for his expulsion.

The Ontario Provincial Police hate crimes and extremism unit conducted a lengthy investigation and brought the case to Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley last year.

After reviewing the case, however, Mr. Bentley decided not to press criminal charges because he said Mr. Hossain had taken down the postings in question, had refrained from similar conduct for over a year and was undergoing rehabilitation.

But Mr. Hossain is now posting on filthyjewishterrorists.com, where he writes that he is now at York University and that "there are tons of Jews on campus." A York spokesman confirmed he is a student.

He might find some kindred spirits there.

"No one in this world can take our history away from us..."

Muslim Facebook group: "We hate Jews for the sake of Allah as he has told us to do in the Koran."

UPDATE: And Farhan Firi-Hd Ahmed (creator) started this group: JOIN IF U JUST HATE JEWS  (108 members - click below to see the members) - hat tip Mac

But not to worry, Facebook is busy deleting Stop the Islamization groups: SIOEngland is gone, SIOAustralia is gone. SIOBulgaria is gone. Stop the Islamization of India is gone, and so is SIOA.

Muslim Facebook group: "We hate Jews for the sake of Allah as he has told us to do in the Koran." Jihadwatch

Misunderstanders of Islam active on Facebook! "Police launch investigation into anti-Semitic Facebook group," by Chloe Markowicz for TotallyJewish.com, February 4 (thanks to Philip):

Police have launched an urgent investigation into a horrific Facebook group that gave graphic details of anti-Semitic incidents perpetrated by its members against Ilford's Jewish community.

The group, created by a student at Loxford School of Science and Technology, attracted more than 500 members in two weeks following its launch last month and featured teenagers boasting about engaging in anti-Semitic behaviour.

It featured messages from youths using language rife with spelling errors,
profanities and teenage colloquialisms.

One girl wrote: "Jews are the ones that killed prophets in the past. Dirty filthy scum-bags. No wonder they have the curse of Allah upon them. Burn Jew burn."

Another stated: "OMG! ii Saw a Jew Todaii ii Swearr downn Weariingg Dahh Hatt He Lookedd At Me Liike Man Knowsz Me [sic]."

She went on to describe screaming obscenities at the man and rudely telling him to go away.

In a further disturbing post, a girl bragged about aggressively confronting
a Jewish woman in Argos after she was "looking at me". She wrote: "Looool i Had a Fight Wif 1 Urgh in Argos [sic]."

The Jewish News was informed about the group, created by a student at Loxford School, by a private investigator in Australia. It has since been removed from the popular social networking site....

Several comments on the vile Facebook site include misguided references to Islam and the Koran as justification for targeting Jews.

"Misguided," says Chloe Markowicz, who is no doubt a Qur'anic scholar, and is certain, certain!, that there is no antisemitism in the Qur'an or Islam in general!

One female youth wrote: "We hate Jews for the sake of Allah as he has told us to do in the Koran."

The group page included offensive jokes invoking pejorative stereotypes about Jews and money as well as an anti-Semitic cartoon. There was also a link to a YouTube video entitled "Kill All Christians and Jews".

In addition several members expressed anti-Israeli sentiment. There was a photograph of graffiti saying "Jihad 4 Israel" and a link to another YouTube video of "a brave Palestinian girl standing up to Israeli soldiers".

Mike Gardner, director of communications at the CST, said he was left "utterly chilled" by the casual way that the youths displayed their anti-Semitism.

He said: "It shows how new media is now facilitating the most shocking anti-Semitism among groups of youngsters, as if hatred and violence and gross ignorance were all just a part of their normal lives.

Mike, it's what they're taught in their mosques and schools. It has nothing to do with Facebook or "new media" per se, or "gross ignorance" of anything except the idea that the Qur'an and Islam should be open to questioning rather than blind obedience.

Fans of the Join if U just Hate jews group:

Cyber-security chief resigns in protest: calls consolidation of power in National Security Agency 'bad strategy', "unwise to hand over the security of all government networks to a single org"

Obama - it's all bad.  The National Policy Institute is reporting but the Washington Times reported it back in March 2009 , but I never saw it .............. I think it's important. (hat tip Mike)

Cyber-security chief resigns in protest

Calls consolidation of power in National Security Agency 'bad strategy'

Rod A. Beckstrom has resigned director of the National Cyber Security Center in the Department of Homeland Security.

The official in charge of coordinating the U.S. government’s cyber-security operations has quit, saying the expanding control of the National Security Agency over the nation’s computer security efforts poses “threats to our democratic processes.”

“Even from a security standpoint, it is unwise to hand over the security of all government networks to a single organization,” said Rod A. Beckstrom, the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) when speaking to United Press International.

“If our Founding Fathers were taking part in this debate [about the future organization of the government's cyber-security activities], there is no doubt in my mind they would support a separation of security powers among different [government] organizations, in line with their commitment to checks and balances,” he said.

In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last week, Mr. Beckstrom said the NSA “dominates most national cyber efforts” and “effectively controls DHS cyber efforts through detailees, technology insertions and the proposed move” of the NCSC to an NSA facility at the agency’s Fort Meade, Md., headquarters.

“I believe this is a bad strategy on multiple grounds,” Mr. Beckstrom wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by UPI. “The intelligence culture is very different than a network operations or security culture. In addition, threats to our democratic processes are significant if all top-level government network security and monitoring are handled by any one organization.”

The White House Tracking Atlas readers

UPDATE: COOKIES EXPLAINED! SEE BELOW

This is from a reader who asks to remain anonymous. Anyone else in Atlas land have this happening to them? Not sure if this is a blip or if the creepy White House is doing Big Brother really big.

Tell the boys at Politico as well.

Whitehouse.gov is putting a “cookie” in the Macromedia file on my computer when I visit your site. I’ve had this happen lately with Politico too. Please don’t identify me if you mention this anywhere.

UPDATE: I've been getting messages like this one like crazy:

Dear Atlas Shrugs!

Regarding your posting from anon reader - I just checked my computer files (per your post/reader's screen shot) - SURE ENOUGH "www whitehouse gov" is in there.

I can assure you - I totally avoid any and all government websites -and particularly the WH site - these days... So how/why is the whitehouse cookie on my computer?!

Vile vipers and thieves!

I did a screen shot/save to word (if you want it i'll be glad to send it)

Best wishes (and knock 'em out in Ohio - Please pass thanks to all those who attend!)

UPDATE: From Tom:

I am a regular reader of Atlas Shrugs.  I saw the article on the site about the WH installing cookies onto someone's computer.  I found two on my computer from the WH.  One was the same name as the one you mentioned on the site; the other had a # in front of the filename. 

    Egads. 

UPDATE: I am getting more and more confirmation:

Regarding White House.gov cookies on people's PCs. I checked into my Mac and founded two suspicious White House.gov cookies in the Flash Player folders within my Mac's Library. Very inappropriate and highly illegal of them to do so since I have not visit the White House website for months. This is pure government surveillance without warrant. Any visitor to your blog (or other blogs) is illegally subjected to government surveillance without cause. It is equivalent to Stalin's domestic spies snooping on citizens for any criticism of Stalin. I removed and deleted these files immediately. Advise everyone to do likewise.

 

UPDATE: They are coming in fast and furious now:

We are in Canada, and also have whitehouse.gov in our macromedia flash folder.  We deleted it, started over and went back to your site again, then checked and--sure enough--it was back again! 

Th XXXXX  in Winnipeg

UPDATE: James in Costa Rica:

 

UPDATE: Arun explains:

The White House is not doing any kind of spying on you or your readers. The reason why people are getting the cookie in their computer is because of the flash video you have embedded in the following blog post:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/11/mobama-urges-congress-to-put-off-fort-hood-probe-warns-against-turning-tragedy-into-political-theate.html

You have taken this video from www.whitehouse.gov and embedded it in your blog post. Since it is a flash video, Macromedia Flash Player creates a cookie in a folder named after the website, in this case www.whitehouse.gov. This is totally harmless and I can assure you 100% that the White House is not doing any kind of spying on your readers. The cookie is created merely because you have embedded a video from their website.

Please update your blog post (following link) and inform your readers that this is a false concern and there is nothing to be worried about.
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/11/the-white-house-tracking-on-atlas-readers.html

If you still don't want whitehouse.gov cookies in your readers' computers, I would suggest you download that embedded video, and upload it into another website. Then replace the embedded video with the embed of the new uploaded video.

I have removed the White House video. Let me know if further cookies start bakiing. Chocolate chips or micro chips?

US relinquishes control of the internet

If not America, who? The US, beacon of life and liberty, and stalwart defender of individual rights, is giving up "ownership" of the internet. The new agreement gives other countries and the UN the ability to set internet use policies. This bodes most ill, dear friends ..... for those whose only shot of communication will be snuffed out.

It is amazing how much damage to our rights can be done in such a short period of time.

Watch for Sharia law to find its way into this.

China will say no to their dissidents.

Islam will say no and work block sites that attempt to reveal their bloody plans.

It was our extraordinary gift to the world ............... and like some depraved drunk we toss it away and relinquish control to the vultures and destroyers. We kept it free.

John Bolton said at his recent appearance at Duke University, "it's not American strength that's provocative, it's American weakness."

US relinquishes control of the internet Guardian

• • Icann ends agreement with the US government
• • Move will give other countries a prominent internet role

After complaints about American dominance of the internet and growing disquiet in some parts of the world, Washington has said it will relinquish some control over the way the network is run and allow foreign governments more of a say in the future of the system.

Icann – the official body that ultimately controls the development of the internet thanks to its oversight of web addresses such as .com, .net and .org – said today that it was ending its agreement with the US government.

The deal, part of a contract negotiated with the US department of commerce, effectively pushes California-based Icann towards a new status as an international body with greater representation from companies and governments around the globe.

Icann had previously been operating under the auspices of the American government, which had control of the net thanks to its initial role in developing the underlying technologies used for connecting computers together.

But the fresh focus will give other countries a more prominent role in determining what takes place online, and even the way in which it happens – opening the door for a virtual United Nations, where many officials gather to discuss potential changes to the internet.