Internet Terrorists Sentenced in the UK

In the first known successful prosecution for murder incited over the Internet, three men in Britain have been sentenced to a total of 24 years in prison. The three accused admitted using the Internet to encourage acts of terror and changed their original not guilty pleas to guilty two months into their trial. They pleaded guilty to inciting acts of terrorism "wholly or partly" outside Britain via web sites which advocated killing non-Muslims. London police said the men had set up web sites, using stolen credit cards and identities, to promote al-Qaida propaganda, including the beheading of hostages. Police found CDs containing instructions for making explosives and poisons. In addition, they found other documents giving advice on how to use a rocket-propelled grenade and how to make booby traps and a suicide vest. In what counter-terrorism detectives described as another unique aspect of the case, two of the three accused had never met in person and had only communicated online. For news reports, visit: http://tinyurl.com/ywupke and: http://tinyurl.com/2zpkwp Summary by: Oren Weichenberg