ADL Urges Treasury Department to Take Action Against U.S. Hosts of Hezbollah Web Site

HostReview.com
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; 03:29 AM

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has called on the U.S. Treasury Department to take action against any U.S. companies that provide Internet hosting to Al-Manar TV, the Lebanon-based satellite television station operated by the terrorist group Hezbollah.

"As the world watches Hezbollah's terror offensive and sees the critical role its media arm, Al-Manar, plays in its terror campaign, it is imperative that the U.S. act swiftly to disrupt any support they may be getting from U.S. companies," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "It is outrageous that the official megaphone of a terrorist organization is available not only to viewers in the Arab world, but to millions of Internet users on the World Wide Web, possibly through direct business links with hosting companies in the United States."

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, ADL noted that Almanartv.com has recently operated on several U.S. based servers, in apparent violation of Executive Order 13224, which bans business transactions with Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entities. Al-Manar has been designated a Global Terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. The Treasury Department in the past has acted strongly against Hezbollah activities in the U.S.

According to ADL, the company eNom Inc. of Bellevue, Washington, provides domain name registration for http://www.manartv.com, and the site has recently been hosted on servers based in New Jersey and New York.

"Decisive action on this matter will send another strong signal of America's ongoing commitment to disrupt the political, communications, and social service networks groups like Hezbollah use to fundraise, recruit and incite terrorism," Foxman said.

Additional background on Hezbollah and Al-Manar is available on the League's Web site at http://www.adl.org/terrorism.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

Myrna Shinbaum, 212-885-7747, Todd Gutnick, 212-885-7755 or adlmedia@adl.org, both of the Anti-Defamation League