'Virtual university of terror' housed on Internet, group says

Senior federal cabinet ministers will be handed a "snapshot" today of how terrorists have dramatically increased their Internet presence during the past year to create a "virtual university of terrorism."

The more than 6,000 terror- and hate-related websites catalogued by the U.S.-based Simon Wiesenthal Center in its annual report represent a 20-per-cent increase over last year, Rabbi Abraham Cooper said.

"I think there's been a line crossed insofar as the Internet really emerging as a virtual university of terrorism," said Mr. Cooper, associate dean of the centre. "Giving the political leadership, a snapshot of what's going on will help to formulate some of the discussions and bring them up to speed."

Mr. Cooper plans to meet separately with Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, Justice Minister Vic Toews and Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day in Ottawa to press his case.

"The Internet today is probably the key component in the war against terrorism," Mr. Cooper said. "We've tried to put together a snapshot that I think will help [the ministers] . . . maybe make their interaction with [security] professionals in Ottawa, Washington, Paris and London better informed."

The report documents how terrorists are increasingly using the Internet not only to recruit and train people but also to glorify bombings, sniper attacks and killings.

Manuals on how to build a so-called dirty bomb, make poisons and use global positioning devices are commonplace on the Web, the report states. It also illustrates how terrorist groups use multiple download sites to avoid detection.

A real-time suicide bomber's drive to an Iraqi hotel, and the subsequent explosion, are among the many troubling videos and images that will be presented to the ministers.

The goal, given that it's virtually impossible to eliminate terrorist activity from the Internet, is to make "sure the right agencies and the right people understand where we're at right now, what's going on, and making sure they do the best job that they can," Mr. Cooper said.

"I imagine [the meeting with Mr. Day] will probably be the longest discussion," he said, suggesting many of the issues fall squarely within the public safety minister's portfolio.

While the ministers are likely familiar with some of the information in the report, Mr. Cooper said portions of the material were previously unknown to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

When it comes to keeping terror and hate related material off the Internet, Mr. Cooper said, Canada "can hold itself up as a role model" for the world.

Aversion in the United States to legislating limits on Internet content, and the European penchant for drafting lengthy laws on the matter, has put Canada in an enviable position.

"You see a kind of mixed approach of some legislation, very minimal, and voluntary proactive measures taken by the [Internet] community itself," said Mr. Cooper, who says this translates into quick removal of hate material from Canadian websites once it's identified.

"The Canadian on-line model, in terms of hate, is really the best model we can show to emulate."

This is what they learn how to do when we allow them to come and attend our colleges and universities. Let them all stay in their rat hole little sandbox countries. All western societies should :Cut them off , box them in and leave them in their countries of origin .

O save me! O Cananda!

Sounds like another attempt to control and tax the Internet.

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5 posted on 04/08/2006 6:12:25 AM PDT by Kewlhand`tek (Those that can't , Teach. Those that can't teach , Report)

Who is the arbiter of discerning what is hateful. At present, Canada is also known for outlawing Christian sermons within the pulpit which condemn homosexuality and sodomy as being 'hate speech'. If we were to follow Canada's model, any politically incorrect website discussion could be outlawed as 'hateful'.

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