The Sunday Times on 19th February 2006 ‘named and shamed’ the US citizen, living in Florida, who runs the Bite Back animal extremism website in Malaysia

As the article said, this is an extreme site that glorifies extremism, or terrorism as they call it in the US:

“Last week the site circulated a list of 40 named academics and their home addresses, saying that they were “legitimate targets”.Describing some as “scum”, it told animal rights activists they had “everything to gain by hitting these targets hard”. Atwood’s website is used as the main forum for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). It lists and glorifies successful attacks including arson, burglary and criminal damage on the workplaces and homes of scientists and associated workers. Atwood, a management postgraduate with a criminal record for animal rights activity, has been behind the Bite Back group and allied website for at least three years. British police say they are powerless to act because he is an American citizen living in the US and his website is administered in Malaysia.”

The irony (I am being polite) came home to me because I run an animal welfare charity here in the UK. A US Donor was having real problems making a contribution to us last week. The US Patriot Act has introduced stringent checks for US donations to foreign charities.

Being now less than polite; This Sunday Times story shows it is time the US authorities got their own house in order as well. Free speech and Terrorism both know no borders.