Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Hosting Provider Shut Down By FBI

Posted by timothy on from the lesson-for-the-pr-department dept.

An Anonymous Reader writes: "An 80-strong U.S. FBI agents raided the Texas-based host of Arabic Web sites, including that of the Arab world's leading independent news channel, prompting charges on Thursday of an 'anti-Muslim witchhunt.'" The Reuters story is at Yahoo! as well. Did you know there was a North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, or that it would be shutting down ISPs?

5 of 398 comments (clear)

  1. CNN probably has stuff too by trance9 · · Score: 4, Interesting


    Imagine if an FBI raid on CNN resulting in the broadcaster going off the air for a few hours, or the website being shut down.

    I think there's some bias here.

    Sure, they probably have a search warrant. Sure, it's probably warranted. But this wouldn't be the first news organization had some information the police wanted or needed, and didn't hand it over. Journalists have these crazy ideas about protecting their sources, and don't always willingly give the police what they want.

    But still, if it were a western mainstream media organization the police would be careful not to disrupt operations.

    I think there must be some bias here.

  2. Can you say 'Freedom of Press'? by Bonker · · Score: 4, Interesting

    While the fourth amendment may not have been violated due to the fact that there was a valid search warrant, this kind of tactic sounds like classic 'silencing' to me. The warrant was sealed, right? Why were the offices raided? The quote in the reuters story from the owner indicated that he seemed to think that his news outlets were being targeted for being related to terrorist groups. There was *no* firm reason for the raid given.

    Sounds very totalitarian, doesn't it?

    As a Texan, I'm rather upset that we have a 'anti-terrorism force' at all! Hevean help me if I started to express anti-American views on my website!

    --
    The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
  3. What's good for the goose is good for the gander by TWR · · Score: 2, Interesting
    A radical Hindu web site had its access taken away for good due to complaints by Muslim groups, and nary a Slashdot story on it, or any gnashing of teeth by those defenders of free speech at iViews.


    I guess it's OK for Muslim complaints to take out a Hindu web site, but it's not OK for federal investigation to shut down some Muslim web sites for a few hours.


    BTW, the Hindu web site found hosting again on a server run by a militant Jewish group. The New York Times ran a story on it a few months ago; it's funny what strange bedfellows these sorts of things can make.


    I expect this will be modded down to about -200 in a few minutes...interesting how the truth can do that.


    -jon

    --

    Remember Amalek.

  4. Deja Vu All Over Again by 1alpha7 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This reminds me so much of the Steve Jackson Games raid of a decade ago. Yes, the warrant was valid. And sealed. The effect was to nearly silence a voice the SS didn't like.

    1Alpha7

    --
    Live to be Moderated
  5. The sites are back up. by Apuleius · · Score: 3, Interesting

    And the search was probably justified. Muslim
    terrorist groups use fronts disguised as charities
    to move money around, and the Holy Land Foundation
    has long been suspected of being a financial front
    for Hamas. Since HLF uses the Web to collect
    donations by way of credit cards, a search of the
    Web hosting company is legit.