Support Our Work Mailing list About / Contact
  • Home /
  • News /
  • 2008 /
  • November /
  • EU: "Check the Web" project seeks out terrorist websited with the object of closing them down - From "terrorism" to "Islamist propaganda from moderate Islamist websites"

EU: "Check the Web" project seeks out terrorist websited with the object of closing them down - From "terrorism" to "Islamist propaganda from moderate Islamist websites"

01 November 2008

Support our work: become a Friend of Statewatch from as little as £1/€1 per month.

Draft Council conclusions on the continuation of work on combating terrorism (EU doc no: 15684/08, dated 14 November 2008, pdf)

Draft conclusions say there is a need:
"to combat the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, and in particular to participate in the European "Check the Web" project, inter alia on subjects such as "Islamist propaganda from moderate Islamist websites"" (emphasis added)

See: EU: Revised EU Strategy for Combating Radicalisation and Recruitment to Terrorism (EU doc no: 15175/08, dated 14 November 2008, pdf), which says that factors leading to "radicalisation" include: "unresolved international and domestic strife" (as before there is no mention of Palestine, Iraq or Afghanistan). The Strategy report goes on to say that:

"We need to empower mainstream voices by stepping up the dialogue with political, religious and separatist groups which favour moderation and exclude recourse to violence."

Presumably "mainstream voices" that "favour moderation" include "moderate Islamist websites"? Or does "moderate" only extend to websites categorised by EU police and internal security agencies as not carrying "Islamist propaganda"?

Background: Most documents on the EU's "Check the Web" project are pretty bland or censored, see: Conclusions of the Kick-off conference "Check the Web" - Berlin, 26-27 September 2006 (EU doc: 13930/08, dated 10 November 2008, pdf)

Our work is only possible with your support.
Become a Friend of Statewatch from as little as £1/€1 per month.

 Previous article

EU; USA: Inquirer article concerning data and information sharing - Data chief attacks transatlantic police plan (Inquirer, link)

Next article 

UK; Austria; EU: Article from the Autumn 2008 issue of the IRR's European Race Bulletin - "Grinding down the human rights defenders". Also contains an article on the the Austrian general election and the death of Jörg Haider.

 

Spotted an error? If you've spotted a problem with this page, just click once to let us know.

Report error

Statewatch does not have a corporate view, nor does it seek to create one, the views expressed are those of the author. Statewatch is not responsible for the content of external websites and inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement. Registered UK charity number: 1154784. Registered UK company number: 08480724. Registered company name: The Libertarian Research & Education Trust. Registered office: MayDay Rooms, 88 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DH. © Statewatch ISSN 1756-851X. Personal usage as private individuals "fair dealing" is allowed. We also welcome links to material on our site. Usage by those working for organisations is allowed only if the organisation holds an appropriate licence from the relevant reprographic rights organisation (eg: Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK) with such usage being subject to the terms and conditions of that licence and to local copyright law.

About | Contact | Privacy Policy