[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 224 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 224

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that corporate 
owners of websites that share user-posted videos should take action to 
                       remove jihadi propaganda.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2007

 Mr. Shuster submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that corporate 
owners of websites that share user-posted videos should take action to 
                       remove jihadi propaganda.

Whereas since the World Wide Web's public release in 1991, the Internet has 
        evolved into a revolutionary tool to facilitate the free access and 
        distribution of information instantaneously and electronically to 
        peoples all over the world;
Whereas the Internet has created a global community that has become the 
        cornerstone of commerce, speech, and culture for the Twenty-first 
        Century;
Whereas jihadi terrorist organizations throughout the world have taken advantage 
        of the Internet's anonymity, low cost, and lack of regulation to raise 
        funds as well as radicalize, recruit, and train potential members to 
        join their organizations and participate in violent jihad against the 
        West;
Whereas terrorist organizations including Al-Qaeda have organized media 
        operations such as as-Sahab, Sawt al-Khilafa (Voice of the Caliphate), 
        and the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) to create and distribute 
        jihadi propaganda and training materials on the Internet;
Whereas jihadi terrorist media operations continue to utilize video and media 
        sharing websites such as YouTube, Liveleak, Google Video, and others to 
        spread their message of hate, propagandize their insurgent operations, 
        and facilitate the training of prospective terrorists;
Whereas the use of the Internet by jihadi organizations who seek the destruction 
        of America has been identified by the United States Central Command 
        (CENTCOM); as well as private organizations including the SITE Institute 
        (Search for International Terrorist Entities), the Society for Internet 
        Research, and the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) as a 
        major threat to American troops, homeland security and our success in 
        the Global War on Terror;
Whereas social networking video distribution websites generally reserve the 
        right to remove objectionable material; and
Whereas many websites have recognized the threat these videos pose and have 
        taken steps to remove them from circulation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) terrorists view the Internet as a key tool in their 
        ongoing jihad to recruit members, spread information, and 
        distribute propaganda for their cause, and, in doing so, they 
        have turned the World Wide Web into a new battleground in the 
        War on Terror;
            (2) in a time of war, terrorist videos amount to enemy 
        communications;
            (3) while Congress should not regulate the Internet, the 
        owners of websites that share user-posted videos should 
        exercise proper corporate governance and take steps to remove 
        enemy propaganda from their sites;
            (4) if the owners of these website suspect that a user on 
        their site is a member of or affiliated with a known terrorist 
        organization, they should cooperate with law enforcement and 
        the intelligence community to report questionable postings; and
            (5) Congress recognizes and applauds the work of the SITE 
        Institute, the Society for Internet Research, the Middle East 
        Media Research Institute and others for their work in combating 
        online jihad and creating a resource for public education of 
        the terrorist's use of the Internet in the War on Terror.
                                 <all>