 Confronting the Global Jihad Online: |
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| The Service Providers of Palestinian Islamic Jihad | ||
| 1. Intercosmos Media Group, Inc. New Orleans, LA USA |
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URL: http://www.intercosmos.com/ Address: Intercosmos Media Group, Inc. 650 Poydras Street, Suite 1150 New Orleans, LA 70130 Contacts: Have a support question? |
Terrorist Customer:Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 A self-described "family-oriented community of Web users and developers", Intercosmos Media Group, Inc., operating under the name directnic.com, is the registrar of four out of the five official websites of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad currently active: sarayaalquds.org qudsnews.net rabdullah.net shikaki.net Intercosmos Media Group, Inc. is responsible for maintaining the domain name record for these sites. Without that service the domain would disappear from the internet and at a bare minimum the PIJ would have to registered new names and re-establish their terrorist 'brand-name', regardless of whether or not the PIJ can find a datacenter and webhosting company willing to do business with them. Providing this service involves collecting a fee from the PIJ or a representative of the PIJ. The next payment will be made by the PIJ on or before 30 September 2006. |
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| 2. SAVVIS Communications Corp. Town & Country, MO USA |
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URL: http://www.savvis.net/corp Address: SAVVIS Communications Corp. 1 SAVVIS Parkway Town & Country, MO 63017 Contacts: 314-628-7000 |
Terrorist Customer:Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 "SAVVIS, Inc. (NASDAQ: SVVS) is a global IT utility services provider that leads the industry in delivering secure, reliable, and scalable hosting, network, and application services." They provide an IP address and access to the internet for the following official PIJ site: qudsnews.net Without this service provided by SAVVIS, Inc., the PIJ's qudsnews.net site would disappear from the internet, regardless of whether or not the PIJ could find a registrar and webhosting company willing to provide services for it. The IP address in question is 216.177.89.7, and is assigned by Savvis to a customer of their's (discountasp.net), operating a server at Savvis' Irvine, California datacenter. Note that Savvis is not accepting money directly from the PIJ or its representatives. |
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| 3. DiscountASP.NET Los Angeles, CA USA |
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URL: http://discountasp.net/index.aspx Address: DiscountASP.NET 8023 Beverly Blvd. #5-262 Los Angeles, CA 90048 Voice/Fax: (360) 935-6222* Contacts: info@discountasp.net marketing@discountasp.net abuse@discountasp.net feedback@discountasp.net |
Terrorist Customer:Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 "DiscountASP.NET is an innovative, recognized leader in advanced shared Microsoft Windows webhosting services. Our mission is to deliver the best value in Classic ASP.NET Hosting, ASP Hosting, and SQL Hosting." As noted above, discountasp.net hosts the PIJ site qudsnews.net at Savvis Communication's Irvine, California datacenter. Websites need a webhosting company, or the terrorist organization must host their own sites (e.g. Hamas). Without the service provided to the PIJ by discountasp.net, the PIJ's qudsnews.net site would cease to operate, regardless of the willingness of a registrar or datacenter to provide services to this designated Terrorist organization. It is likely that discountasp.net is engaging in a direct financial relationship with the PIJ or the PIJ's representatives in order to provide this service. |
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| 4. Network Solutions, LLC Herndon, VA USA |
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URL: http://www.networksolutions.com/ Address: Network Solutions, LLC 13200 Woodland Park Drive Herndon, Va 20171 Contacts: Feedback form |
Terrorist Customer:Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 "Network Solutions is the original domain name registrar and the leading provider of Internet services including: Web hosting, Web site design, online marketing, e-mail and more." Network Solutions, LLC is both the registrar and also the DNS service provider for qudsway.net which is the primary site of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, if only because the site is hosted in Iran, and so is immune from being shut down - the Islamic Republic of Iran being the main source of support for the PIJ. However, it doesn't matter how much support Iran provides to the PIJ, if Network Solutions didn't both maintain the qudsway.net domain name record, and point web browsers to the site's server in Tehran, qudsway.net would, for all intents and purposes, cease to exist. |
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| 5. Datacommunications Company of Iran Tehran, IR |
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URL: http://www.dci.co.ir/index.aspx Address: Datacommunications Company of Iran dba National Integrated Services Network P.O.Box 16315-737 Tehran, Iran Contacts: phone: +98 21 23932210 |
Terrorist Customer:Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 "National Integrated Services Network is a service based data center that provides large scale messaging, hosting and content management services for government, ISPs, organizations and citizens." DCI/NISN-IR provides the PIJ with an IP address (217.218.0.123) and internet access for the purpose of operating the PIJs qudsway.net domain. Of the organizations discussed on this page, it is only this Iranian outfit that has a plausible excuse: if they were to stop providing services to the PIJ the individuals responsible for that decision would likely be dragged out of their offices and shot by the Revolutionary Guards. Since the PIJ manages their own DNS via the services of Network Solutions in the USA, it is possible that the PIJ is serving as their own webhost in regards to qudsway.net. |
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| 6. BYO Hosting |
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URL: http://www.byohosting.com/contact.php Address: S.C. BYORO S.R.L. Str. Neagoe Voda, Nr. 3 Bacãu Bacãu Romania 600210 Contacts: MAIN Phone #: +4 0744 330 277 |
Terrorist Customer:Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 "About Us: Did you know that we are one of the fastest growing web site and dedicated server hosting companies? We provide all the usual web site hosting products: High-Traffic & Large-Storage web hosting, ASP.Net web hosting, ColdFusion web hosting, Ecommerce web hosting, virtual private servers. But did you know we sell secure certificates, domain names, email only packages, ecommerce shopping carts, and more! Visit our main site to learn more about our fantastic web hosting deals!" Palestinian Islamic Jihad is led by Ramadan Abdullah Shallah. His website is rabdullah.net and it is hosted by BYO Hosting, along with sarayaalquds.org, the official site of the PIJ's operational unit, the Saraya al-Quds Brigade. |
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| 7. Everyone's Internet |
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URL: http://www.ev1servers.net/ Address: Houston, Texas USA Contacts: For questions, comments, or problems with the EV1Servers AUP, you can e-mail us at the following address: |
Terrorist Customer:Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 As one of the country's largest providers of dedicated servers, Everyone's Internet, dba ev1servers.net, has the 'pleasure' of providing network access to terrorist websites hosted by their customers, or their customers' customers, or their customers' customers' customers... In this case ev1servers.net is providing network access to the site of PIJ leader Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, rabdullah.net and to sarayaalquds.org, the official site of the PIJ's operational unit, the Saraya al-Quds Brigade. |
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| 8. Yahoo! |
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URL: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/ Address: Yahoo! Inc. 701 First Avenue Sunnyvale, California 94089 Phone (408) 349-3300 Fax (408) 349-3301 Contacts: Investor Relations |
Terrorist Customer:Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 Yahoo! incorporated is providing both network access and hosting servcies to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad for the purpose of operating their shikaki.net site, dedicated to the memory of PIJ founder Fathi Shikaki. |
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Consequences?
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Fact Sheet
Office of Counterterrorism US Department of State Washington, DC October 11, 2005 Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) are foreign organizations that are designated by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended. FTO designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business. Identification The Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism in the State Department (S/CT) continually monitors the activities of terrorist groups active around the world to identify potential targets for designation. When reviewing potential targets, S/CT looks not only at the actual terrorist attacks that a group has carried out, but also at whether the group has engaged in planning and preparations for possible future acts of terrorism or retains the capability and intent to carry out such acts. Designation Once a target is identified, S/CT prepares a detailed "administrative record," which is a compilation of information, typically including both classified and open sources information, demonstrating that the statutory criteria for designation have been satisfied. If the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, decides to make the designation, Congress is notified of the Secretary's intent to designate the organization and given seven days to review the designation, as the INA requires. Upon the expiration of the seven-day waiting period and in the absence of Congressional action to block the designation, notice of the designation is published in the Federal Register, at which point the designation takes effect. By law an organization designated as an FTO may seek judicial review of the designation in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit not later than 30 days after the designation is published in the Federal Register. Until recently the INA provided that FTOs must be redesignated every two years or the designation would lapse. Under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), however, the redesignation requirement was replaced by certain review and revocation procedures. IRTPA provides thatan FTO may file a petition for revocation 2 years after its designation date (or in the case of redesignated FTOs, its most recent redesignation date) or 2 years after the determination date on its most recent petition for revocation. In order to provide a basis for revocation, the petitioning FTO must provide evidence that the circumstances forming the basis for the designation are sufficiently different as to warrant revocation.If no such review has been conducted during a five year period with respect to a designation, then the Secretary of State is required to review the designation to determine whether revocation would be appropriate. In addition, the Secretary of State may at any time revoke a designation upon a finding that the circumstances forming the basis for the designation have changed in such a manner as to warrant revocation, or that the national security of the United States warrants a revocation. The same procedural requirements apply to revocations made by the Secretary of State as apply to designations. A designation may be revoked by an Act of Congress, or set aside by a Court order. Legal Criteria for Designation under Section 219 of the INA as amended
Legal Ramifications of Designation
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- Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
- Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLF)
- PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC)
- al-Qa'ida
- Real IRA
- Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
- Revolutionary Nuclei (formerly ELA)
- Revolutionary Organization 17 November
- Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)
- Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC)
- Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso, SL)
- Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (QJBR) (al-Qaida in Iraq) (formerly Jama'at al-Tawhid wa'al-Jihad, JTJ, al-Zarqawi Network)
- United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)
* Section 212(a)(3)(B) of the INA defines "terrorist activity" to mean: "any activity which is unlawful under the laws of the place where it is committed (or which, if committed in the United States, would be unlawful under the laws of the United States or any State) and which involves any of the following:
(I) The highjacking or sabotage of any conveyance (including an aircraft, vessel, or vehicle).
(II) The seizing or detaining, and threatening to kill, injure, or continue to detain, another individual in order to compel a third person (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the individual seized or detained.
(III) A violent attack upon an internationally protected person (as defined in section 1116(b)(4) of title 18, United States Code) or upon the liberty of such a person.
(IV) An assassination.
(V) The use of any--
(a) biological agent, chemical agent, or nuclear weapon or device, or
(b) explosive, firearm, or other weapon or dangerous device (other than for mere personal monetary gain), with intent to endanger, directly or indirectly, the safety of one or more individuals or to cause substantial damage to property.
(VI) A threat, attempt, or conspiracy to do any of the foregoing."
Other pertinent portions of section 212(a)(3)(B) are set forth below:
(iv) Engage in Terrorist Activity Defined
As used in this chapter [chapter 8 of the INA], the term 'engage in terrorist activity' means in an individual capacity or as a member of an organization-
- to commit or to incite to commit, under circumstances indicating an intention to cause death or serious bodily injury, a terrorist activity;
- to prepare or plan a terrorist activity;
- to gather information on potential targets for terrorist activity;
- to solicit funds or other things of value for-
- to solicit any individual-
(aa) to engage in conduce otherwise described in this clause;
(bb) for membership in terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(I) or
(vi)(II); or
(cc) for membership in a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(III), unless the solicitor can demonstrate that he did not know, and should not reasonably have known, that the solicitation would further the organization's terrorist activity; or
- to commit an act that the actor knows, or reasonably should know, affords material support, including a safe house, transportation, communications, funds, transfer of funds or other material financial benefit, false documentation or identification, weapons (including chemical, biological, or radiological weapons), explosives, or training-
(aa) a terrorist activity;
(bb) a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(I) or (vi)(II); or
(cc) a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(III), unless the solicitor can demonstrate that he did not know, and should not reasonably have known, that the solicitation would further the organization's terrorist activity;
(aa) for the commission of a terrorist activity;
(bb) to any individual who the actor knows, or reasonably should know, has committed or plans to commit a terrorist activity;
(cc) to a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(I) or (vi)(II); or
(dd) to a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(III), unless the actor can demonstrate that he did not know, and should not reasonably have known, that the act would further the organization's terrorist activity.
This clause shall not apply to any material support the alien afforded to an organization or individual that has committed terrorist activity, if the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Attorney General, or the Attorney General, after consultation with the Secretary of State, concludes in his sole unreviewable discretion, that that this clause should not apply."
"(v) Representative Defined
As used in this paragraph, the term 'representative' includes an officer, official, or spokesman of an organization, and any person who directs, counsels, commands, or induces an organization or its members to engage in terrorist activity.
- Terrorist Organization Defined
As used in clause (i)(VI) and clause (iv), the term 'terrorist organization' means an organization--
- designated under section 219 [8 U.S.C. ¤ 1189];
- otherwise designated, upon publication in the Federal Register, by the Secretary of State in consultation with or upon the request of the Attorney General, as a terrorist organization, after finding that the organization engages in the activities described in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of clause (iv), or that the organization provides material support to further terrorist activity; or
- that is a group of two or more individuals, whether organized or not, which engages in the activities described in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of clause (iv).
** Section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 defines "terrorism" as "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents."
