Gathering Storm

15 www.digitaldaya.com The Role of the U.S. In Creating Open Web Access It is clearly in the best interests ofWestern dem- ocratic states to encourage uncensored, unfet- tered access to the world wide web among Mus- lim nations.And indeed,America recognizes that it is in their country’s best interests to encourage and facilitate uncensored access to the web as a tool of engagement – a means of reaching out to Muslims in a non-military fashion for the benefit of all parties and equally for Muslim citizenry to engage their own governments. The Western world must provide assistance in spreading web use as a tool to support political leaders and political advocacy groups exercising open engagement. Often these groups put forth moderate platforms.They are supported by the moderate middle class within Muslim countries – the very people theWest must engage. However, the U.S. and Western nations have only recently recognized the value of providing the technology – blogging software,forum software,email clients, VoIP services and other means of social interac- tion to build support for moderate Muslim opin- ion and, more importantly, engagement. The West would be well advised to take a closer look at the so-called “radical” agendas put forth by some Muslim groups.The leaders of the West will quickly discover that, by lifting the sanctions on the export of web technology, these Western states help themselves by aiding in the creation of a moderate Islamic community opposed to the radicalism of religious and quasi-military groups that also populate the web with their anti-West- ern sentiment. To this end,the U.S.Department of theTreasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the OFAC, amended licenses to facilitate web access in countries deemed as hostile states to America. The document addresses the Iranian Transaction Regulations, the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations and the long-established Cuban Assets Control Regulations to strengthen access to web-based assets within these countries, and to encourage freedom of speech and dissemination of informa- tion to the widest audience world wide. A spokesperson for the Treasury Department, Deputy Secretary Neal Wolin, on the easing of licensing restrictions in these three countries stated: “Consistent with the Administration’s deep com- mitment to the universal rights of all the world’s citizens,the issuance of these general licenses will make it easier for individuals in Iran, Sudan and Cuba to use the Internet to communicate with each other and with the outside world. Today’s actions will enable Iranian, Sudanese and Cuban citizens to exercise their most basic rights.” The essence of this easing of restrictions is in- tended to authorize U.S. companies to export to Iran, the Sudan and Cuba both services and software to encourage the growth of personal TheWestern world must provide assistance in spreading web use as a tool to support political leaders and political advocacy groups exercising open engagement.