US 'terminates' Iranian website

[cal04]

Iran has accused the US government of ordering an American internet service provider to stop hosting the website of an official Iranian news agency. The Iranian Student News Agency said no explanation had been given by the server, called The Planet, for its abrupt move to terminate the contract.

Isna, which is widely read in Iran, says it has moved to another server, which it did not name. The Planet was unable to comment immediately on the allegations. The row has led to calls for Iran to develop its own satellite technology. Isna said it had received an e-mail from The Planet warning that the website would be terminated within 48 hours and that the decision was final and non-negotiable.

'Breakdown of trust'

The agency said it had sent repeated e-mails to the server, and then telephoned, but no satisfactory reason was given for the breach of contract. A senior official in the Iranian ministry of Islamic guidance, which handles the media, accused the US government of breaching human rights by allegedly ordering the move.

He said it was a sign that Iran could not trust the US or Europe.
The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says the incident has prompted renewed pressure on Iran and other Islamic nations to build up their own satellite communications technology.This means they would no longer be dependent on the US or European countries. Other official Iranian websites which also use American servers are braced for similar action against them, our correspondent adds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4202617.stm

[Bragi]

1. Hmmm

It's hard for me to imagine why any foreign country, or progressive organization, would put its news service on a U.S-based server.

Free speech rights in the U.S are now circumscribed by the Patriot Act, particularly for foreigners, and the American law enforcement gestapo is now pretty well unfettered.

This being the case, why anyone other than right wingers would choose a U.S-based server for a news service is a mystery, given that there is a world of safer choices for web hosting.

- B

[MidwestTransplant]

2. Where is DU hosted? Anybody know?

[Stella_Artois]

3. Somewhere in Langley

n/t

[signmike]

14. Hahahahahaha

:D

[salvorhardin]

4. DU's IP address is in a netblock owned

by Consult Dynamics Inc. (dcanet.net).

[BikeWriter]

6. I was thinking the same thing...

:(

[Bragi]

15. Yikes. Good point

I wasn't thinking of DU when I wrote my initial comment, but one does have to wonder about whether it is good idea to have DU on a US-based server.

I'm no expert on the Patriot Act, but wouldn't this Act allow the neocon gestapo to seize all the personal information held by whoever *owns* DU?

Is it also not the case under the Act that the owners of the site would then be prohibited by law from even informing DU members that their personal information, anonymous IDs, etc. have been seized by the government?

For all we would know, this could have already happened.

Anyway, seems to me that the DU owners should maybe be thinking about moving to an off-shore server.

- B

[renegade000]

5. so about that freedom and liberty...

eom

[BikeWriter]

7. ...except if you're not a neocon...

:(

[uppityperson]

8. hmmm, does this mean less news in and out of Iran?

Not that I'd assume it had anything to do with the Rumors of War.

[napi21]

9. If they find a different host, isn't it still available on the net?

I'm OK but surely not internet superstar. Isn't their site still available as long as they have a host? I think it's very wrong that the US is sqelching their current one, but can't they just find a different host and tell the US to.....croak!

[salvorhardin]

10. Yes

Assuming they have all the data from their site they can very easily move to another host (presumably outside the US or its' reach). Repoint the domain to the new host and a few hours later they're back in business.

A host is nothing more than a person or company with a computer (or a 100 dozen computers) and a fat pipe to the internet. That's overly simplistic, but also underscores how the internet can be very hard to disrupt. For instance, Demonoid.com, a site that listed (illegal) bit torrent files for download was taken down in a large bust a few weeks ago. They're back up now.

For that matter, you as an individual can host your own webpages (or files or internet radio station or irc server or whatever) on your home computer (assuming you have an always-on connection such as a cable broadband or DSL).

[w4rma]

11. The Repug leadership sends *more* American buisness overseas. (nt)

[salvorhardin]

12. Very funny

That's a nice way to spin it. :-)

[mulethree]

13. You're forcing us to develop ICBMs - er satellite launch capabilities n/t