G-5 ANTI-TERROR INTERNET TEAM LAUDED BY THE WIESENTHAL CENTER

The Wiesenthal Center applauded governments of five key European countries for establishing a "team to monitor how terrorists use the Internet and to recommend shutting down websites that break anti-terrorist laws." The BBC reported that the decision was reached at a meeting in Granada involving the Ministers of Interior of Spain, Britain, France, Germany and Italy.

"This is an important decision that will have a positive impact in the war against international terrorism," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights NGO that monitors the online activities of terrorist and hate groups. "For too long these groups and their support networks have used every technological and marketing aspect of the Internet to pursue their dangerous agendas. This includes command and control of operatives, recruitment videos and fundraising. We are currently listing some 5,000 problematic websites that promote, aid and abet terrorists and other extremist organizations. This represents a 25% increase over last year. The G-5 decision can only serve to better monitor and combat this disturbing trend," Rabbi Cooper added.

The Wiesenthal Center has been briefing European officials on this issue, most recently at the Club De Madrid anti-terrorism conference in Madrid earlier this month. It will present its DIGITAL TERRORISM AND HATE 2005 report to Homeland Security and other members of US law enforcement at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 23, 2005.  "Law enforcement and Media can arrange to obtain a copy of the CD-Rom report at www.wiesenthal.com.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with a membership of over 400,000 families in the United States. The Center is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, and the OSCE.

For more information, contact the Wiesenthal Center's Public Relations department, 310-553-9036.