U.S. congressman calls for YouTube to remove videos featuring militant

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- A New York congressman sent a letter to the chief executive of YouTube Sunday, asking that the company remove all videos featuring Anwar al-Awlaki -- a man the congressman called the "bin Laden of the internet."

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-New York, made the request one day after the online appearance of a new al-Awlaki video. The Yemeni-American cleric and militant has been linked to al Qaeda terrorists in Yemen, where he is believed to be in hiding.

Weiner said that hundreds of al-Awlaki videos are available on YouTube, with a combined total of more than 3.5 million views.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/24/youtube.al.awlaki/index.html

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I expected the author to be a Republican, since Republicans and conservatives are usually first to diss Islam. But it turned out to be a Democrat. Regardless: YouTube is a private company and has every right to regulate its content, and al-Awlaki's speech can't be protected by First Amendment if he's advocating terrorism.

"I understand that YouTube is a clearing house for ideas and that your company aims to not infringe on free speech, but al-Awlaki's message, promoted via YouTube, has caused violence and is a threat to American security," Weiner wrote. "I request that you remove this man and his hateful rhetoric from your website, as he poses a clear and present danger to American citizens."

it sounds pretty reasonable to me

it's not meant to silence political speech but criminal

I doubt anyone would want Youtube to host videos by any group or individuals calling for violence against blacks or gays for examples

Just as Islam does not equal terrorists, this terrorist does not equal Islam. Al-Awlaki is a real bad guy and I hope the CIA exterminates him soon.

I'd prefer a trial (it's the pacifist in me, sorry) but you are correct: dissing Awlaki is NOT dissing Islam because muslims are not terrorists.

BTW - Did you catch that, Juan Williams?

as long as he is advocating terrorism and violence

using violence in order to 'overthrow' the big spending democrats...

I'm not holding my breath...

This is the same person Obama has ordered to be killed.

In other words, he's convicted without a court and he's otherwise never going to have a day there to defend himself. If particular vids advocate violence, I believe it can be flagged, and Youtube, in my experience, seems to removed flagged vids first and asks questions later.

In other words, his vids that advocate or spread terrorism are already covered under Youtube's rules. For all else, I think he should get a say.

And Youtube should politely tell the honorable Congressmen to butt out, or get on there himself with an Arab translator and flag the offending videos.

BTW, if there's too many vids flagged, Youtube will pull his channel.

conflict there. AND two examples of privatization of gov't function in our rise to Technocray where vague shadowy industry groups have Constitutionaly guarenteed rights that surplant individual rights. The machine is free and the cogs aren't.

If that were true, then most speeches given by any US official would not be protected as well, since the US advocates a brand of terror all it's own.

I find it laughable whenever a US government official starts whining about "terrorists," given that the US is the largest sponsor of state sanctioned terror.

thanks for making the distinction more clear.

g specific acts of terror. Saying the US needs a revolution (it may or may not) is not signing armies and arming squads.

and, in fact, you attack the weaker group and defer to the more virulent and dangerous.

No, sir, I don't get it. Terror is terror and murder is murder, no matter who sanctioned the act.

tend to kill each other on and off anyway. "They enemy of my enemy is my freind." But were you inciting to terror or only making free speech? Was I speeking freely about it with you or was I entering into a conspiracy? It is free speech.

so I'm not sure if we're even disagreeing. :toast:

he managed to continue doing that.

It would be interesting to see the number of requests YouTube has honored from the Government for censorship that were never made public.

One Democratic Congressman get outed by YouTube calling for video removal, but how many Republican requests get honored with nary a word of disclosure?

that he was busted for lying down with the Great Satan `s whores in california.

best to expose these cock roaches to the light of day.