Googling for Terrorists

Ynet news via Green Little Footballs:

Google advertises Hamas

    

Terror organization uses search engine to promote website of its military wing Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades  
By Roee Nahmias and Gal Mor

Terror organizations are advancing their recruitment and public relations methods: Internet surfers who enter the word “Hamas” in Arabic in the Google search engine, will view, in addition to the search results, an AdWord message that links directly to the website of the organization’s military faction Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

The link also appears in a search of several other words, such as the “Gaza,” “Palestine,” “Jihad.” This indicates that a Hamas source has paid Google, the most popular search engine on the web, for the advertisement.

The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades website holds updated and diverse information: Along with news updates stories from the news agencies, the site also publishes interviews with the organization’s leaders. In one such interview, Hamas member Said Badarna, who is imprisoned in Israel, says, “abductions are the only way to release prisoners being held in Israel.”
Google’s AdWord service offer registered surfers the opportunity to purchase search words and post text messages that are linked to certain websites. The AdWords also appear in G-mail, Google’s email service, and on other websites on Google’s advertising network Adsense.

Moved operations to Eastern Europe

Google has automatic filters that prohibit the posting of links to “problematic” websites, such as gambling and sex websites, but as of now they can only identify English words.

Company Spokeswoman Debbie Frost said “we took care of the matter as soon as Ynet turned to us,” but Ynet has learned the advertisements have not been removed as of yet. Reuven Erlich of The Information Center for Intelligence and Terror says Hamas is the Palestinian terror organization with the most advanced Internet services.

“So, a trend was created whereby Hamas’ Internet quality infrastructure moved to Eastern European countries.”

“In the past, when services provided by American companies to terror organizations were exposed, those companies quickly halted that support,” he says.[link]

posted by: jrtelegraph