FC: Web hosting company pulls plug on pro-IRA radio station

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Tue Oct 02 2001 - 09:29:07 PDT

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    [This seems like an overreaction. Apparently a web hosting company was 
    afraid that providing web space to an pro-IRA online radio station might 
    get said company in trouble. So it pulled the plug. In any case, it does 
    not appear that they were threatened by -- or even contacted by -- the 
    Feds. --DBM]
    
    *******
    
    Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2001 22:23:38 -0400 (EDT)
    From: Guilherme C Roschke <groschkeat_private>
    To: declanat_private
    Subject: Fwd: Bush cracks down on antiwar movement (fwd)
    
    FYI and for politech...
    
    grat_private
    http://www.luminousvoid.net
    
    *******
    
    http://slash.autonomedia.org/article.pl?sid=01/09/30/1859212
    
        Three Political Websites Downed After Government "Homeland Security"
        Threat
    
        posted by Autonomedia on Sunday September 30, @01:52PM
        from the is-this-the-last-message-we-will-be-posting-you? dept.
    
          raradio.com, the web site which archives all Radio
        Free Eireann broadcasts, has been taken down because the web service
        provider was threatened with seizure of their assets if they continued
        to host "terrorist" radio programs. Travis E. Towle, the Founder and
        CEO of Cosmic Entertainment Company, which put up IRARADIO.COM, was
        told by their internet service provider, Hypervine, that they had been
        "strongly advised" to take the web site down.
    
        A Hypervine representative read Mr. Towle a statement that, under an
        Executive Order recently signed by President Bush, the newly created
        Office of Homeland Security can seize all assets "without any notice
        and/or any real un-reasonable evidence of any company or person that
        helps, supports, or does anything that can be called or labeled
        terrorism or is found to be connected to terrorism in any way or means
        possible." Hypervine is a subsidiary of the New York based Skynet.
        These threats have also caused Cosmic Entertainment to close the web
        sites archiving two other WBAI radio programs, "Our Americas" and
        "Grandpa Al Lewis Live." "Our Americas," hosted by Mario Murillo, is
        an acclaimed news magazine covering Latin America. "Grandpa Al Lewis
        Live" features commentary by the actor and political activist who
        starred in "The Munsters" and "Car 54 Where Are You."
        Radio Free Eireann, which broadcasts Saturday afternoons at 1:30 p.m.
        on WBAI 99.5 FM has covered the conflict in Northern Ireland for over
        twenty years. Guests have included Bernadette Sands, the sister of IRA
        hunger striker Bobby Sands; Rauri O'Bradaigh, the President of
        Republican Sinn Fein; Sinn Fein chief negotiator Martin McGuinness and
        Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.
    
        update: it seems that this (mostly) is not a hoax. www.iraradio.org
        and www.allewislive.com have been taken down, although
        www.ouramericas.org is still running with no notice of this event.
    
    *******
    
    http://www.iraradio.com/
    
    Attention IRAradio Listeners:
    President Bush recently signed a new law that lets the FBI, CIA & OHS seize 
    assets "without any notice and/or any real un-reasonable evidence of ANY 
    company or person that helps, supports, or does anything that can be called 
    or labeled terrorism or is found to be connected to terrorism in any way or 
    means possible".  Word has spread about several Internet companies that 
    have had their assets seized using this new law.
    In light of the foregoing and the recent tragic events in the United 
    States, the Cosmic Entertainment Company board of advisors has deemed it 
    advisable and in the best interests of the Company to temporarily shut down 
    the IRAradio.com web site until the turbulence and uncertainty facing our 
    nation has decreased.  THE COSMIC ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY DOES NOT AND WILL 
    NOT SUPPORT TERRORISM OF ANY KIND!
    Questions regarding this web site should be directed to:
    Travis E. Towle
    Founder & CEO
    The Cosmic Entertainment Company
    Phone:  785.554.8238  E-Mail:  travis.towleat_private
    
    *******
    
    
    
    
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