(S) GOS USING "AL-HESBAH WEB FORUM" TO GATHER

S E C R E T SINGAPORE 000768 NOFORN DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS AND INR ROBERT EIKEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2028 TAGS: PTER PINR PGOV SN SUBJECT: (S) GOS USING "AL-HESBAH WEB FORUM" TO GATHER INFORMATION REF: A) STATE 65814 B) SINGAPORE 721 Classified By: Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold for Reason 1.4 (e) ¶1. (S/NF) Singapore Internal Security Department (ISD) Deputy Director for Counterterrorism Matters Finian Markose Silva told LEGAT July 3 (information reported to FBIHQ separately through LEGAT channels) that ISD does not currently plan to take down the al-Hesbah Web Forum website because ISD intends to exploit this "unique opportunity" to monitor and record all of the activity on the site. ¶2. (S/NF) Ref A instructed Post to raise with the GOS USG concerns that the Singapore-based company New Media Express has provided Internet hosting to the al-Hesbah website, which support al-Qaida. Ref B reported that the Ambassador raised the issue with MFA PermSec Peter Ho, who responded that Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority would look into the matter. ¶3. (S/NF) ISD provided LEGAT a written request for information on a U.S. individual whom ISD said had paid New Media to host the site. (NOTE: The request for information was forwarded to FBIHQ on July 3. End Note.) ¶4. (S/NF) Silva requested that the USG convey future requests relating to terrorist-linked websites to ISD, which he said is facing pressure for GOS higher-ups and "civilians" to shut down the al-Hesbah site, which ISD prefers to continue to monitor. Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm HERBOLD