French President Sarkozy proposes to jail frequent visitors to terror websites

In an over-reaction to the horrific killings by a French terrorist who had trained in an Al Qaida camp French president Sarkozy has proposed jailing frequent visitors to jihadist websites.

Of course Sarkozy would have to exempt all the many CIA, British, French, and numerous other intelligence agents who are regular visitors. This in itself might be a formidable task to filter them out. The fact that these lurkers were not jailed would also alert the terrorists as to who were likely agents!

At a political rally Sarkozy said:“Anyone who regularly consults Internet sites which promote terror or hatred or violence will be sentenced to prison,” “What is possible for pedophiles should be possible for trainee terrorists and their supporters, too.”

Of course many reporters and researchers log on to these jihadist websites. The public would be cut off from any accounts of what is happening on these websites by reporters or research by academics.

While there is nothing quite like this being proposed in the U.S. the author notes that the U.S. is now proposing to keep information on your browsing etc. for up to five years. So if you did look at these sites and fall under suspicion of being a terrorist the information could be used by investigators. For more see this article. From the polls it looks as if Sarkozy will not remain president of France much longer so French lurkers on jihadist sites need not worry.