Even Near Home, a New Front Is Opening in the Terror Battle

Website hosting companies in the US have become the unwitting carriers of terrorist information. Since web postings are hard to trace and can be removed at will, many terrorist groups now use the internet to disseminate information, including specific instructions for carrying out kidnappings and bombings. US prosecutors have begun a controversial campaign to track down - via hosting companies - and indict creators and administrators of such sites, on the grounds that they provide "material support" to terrorist groups. Due to difficulties establishing direct connections between radical online rhetoric and real-world violence, and because of the slippery issue of free speech, these efforts have failed in court. Thus, the debate continues: Should the US government act to preserve civil liberties, or should it continue to stalk the ever-elusive, ever-multiplying cyberspace offenders? - YaleGlobal