<p>"Some members of Congress are urging the popular website Twitter to stop hosting pro-Taliban tweets that celebrate attacks against American and allied forces in Afghanistan," the Los Angeles Times reported.<br /><br />Twitter feeds, apparently from the Taliban, first appeared last year in Arabic and Pashto. An English-language feed started in April. Many of the posts refer to US troops in inflammatory terms.<br /><br />"Mujahideen fighter kill 4 American cowards, hurts several more in encounter: GHAZNI," read one. "US terrorists martyr 12-year-old boy, detains many others: PAKTIKA," read another.<br /><br />Twitter officials did not respond to requests for comment, the report said. But Twitter executives have told lawmakers that the micro-posts do not violate the website's terms of service because the Taliban is not listed by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO).</p>.<p>The move against the pro-Taliban Twitter feeds is part of a larger effort by Senator Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate homeland security committee, to persuade Internet companies to remove offensive videos and blog posts that promote terrorism.<br /><br />Pressure also is coming from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Kabul. This year, the ISAF began battling the pro-Taliban messages with tweets that countered insurgent claims. As a result, the two sides sometimes exchange a dozen tweets a day, the report said.</p>.<p>Lieberman has pressured other US websites to keep out content that he says could inspire terrorist acts. In a letter to Google Chief Executive Larry Page, he has complained that the company is failing to keep extremist videos and blogs off its servers.<br /><br />Google has restrictions on posting pro-militant videos on its YouTube site, but Lieberman said those restrictions do not apply to its Blogger blogging site.</p>.<p>Lieberman pointed out that Jose Pimentel, who was arrested in New York on Saturday for allegedly planning terror attacks, published a website with links to bomb-making instructions and "hate-filled writings" using Blogger.<br /><br />"Google's inconsistent standards are adversely affecting our ability to counter violent Islamist extremism online," Lieberman wrote.<br /><br />A Google representative said the company does not allow content on Blogger that encourages other people to take violent action. Pimentel's Blogger website was disabled after his arrest.<br /></p>
<p>"Some members of Congress are urging the popular website Twitter to stop hosting pro-Taliban tweets that celebrate attacks against American and allied forces in Afghanistan," the Los Angeles Times reported.<br /><br />Twitter feeds, apparently from the Taliban, first appeared last year in Arabic and Pashto. An English-language feed started in April. Many of the posts refer to US troops in inflammatory terms.<br /><br />"Mujahideen fighter kill 4 American cowards, hurts several more in encounter: GHAZNI," read one. "US terrorists martyr 12-year-old boy, detains many others: PAKTIKA," read another.<br /><br />Twitter officials did not respond to requests for comment, the report said. But Twitter executives have told lawmakers that the micro-posts do not violate the website's terms of service because the Taliban is not listed by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO).</p>.<p>The move against the pro-Taliban Twitter feeds is part of a larger effort by Senator Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate homeland security committee, to persuade Internet companies to remove offensive videos and blog posts that promote terrorism.<br /><br />Pressure also is coming from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Kabul. This year, the ISAF began battling the pro-Taliban messages with tweets that countered insurgent claims. As a result, the two sides sometimes exchange a dozen tweets a day, the report said.</p>.<p>Lieberman has pressured other US websites to keep out content that he says could inspire terrorist acts. In a letter to Google Chief Executive Larry Page, he has complained that the company is failing to keep extremist videos and blogs off its servers.<br /><br />Google has restrictions on posting pro-militant videos on its YouTube site, but Lieberman said those restrictions do not apply to its Blogger blogging site.</p>.<p>Lieberman pointed out that Jose Pimentel, who was arrested in New York on Saturday for allegedly planning terror attacks, published a website with links to bomb-making instructions and "hate-filled writings" using Blogger.<br /><br />"Google's inconsistent standards are adversely affecting our ability to counter violent Islamist extremism online," Lieberman wrote.<br /><br />A Google representative said the company does not allow content on Blogger that encourages other people to take violent action. Pimentel's Blogger website was disabled after his arrest.<br /></p>