If they indeed are behind this, then kudos are in order for the Brits!

Over the past fortnight Israeli intelligence agents have noticed something distinctly odd happening on the internet. One by one, Al-Qaeda’s affiliated websites have vanished until only a handful remain, write Uzi Mahnaimi and Alex Pell.

Someone has cut the line of communication between the spiritual leaders of international terrorism and their supporters. Since 9/11 the websites have been the main links to disseminate propaganda and information.

The Israelis detect the hand of British intelligence, determined to torpedo the websites after the London attacks of July 7.

The web has become the new battleground of terrorism, permitting a freedom of communication denied to such organisations as the IRA a couple of decades ago.

One global jihad site terminated recently was an inflammatory Pakistani site, www.mojihedun.com, in which a section entitled How to Strike a European City gave full technical instructions. Tens of similar sites, some offering detailed information on how to build and use biological weapons, have also been shut down. However, Islamic sites believed to be “moderate”, remain.

One belongs to the London-based Syrian cleric Abu Basir al-Tartusi, whose www.abubaseer.bizland.com remained operative after he condemned the London bombings.

The war against extremist Islamic terrorists must be fought on every possible front. The Brits - if they are indeed behind the shutdown of the sites - are putting Al Qaeda and other jihadist terrorists on notice that their online methods of planning and coordinating their activities, as well as exchanging information with each other about how to cause death and destruction, will not be immune from attack. U.S. intelligence agencies, if they are not already doing so, should follow this example and begin engaging in knocking offline those jihadist sites that are dispersing information that is clearly intended to do us harm.

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Also, seven more were arrested yesterday.