Internet: Censorship, Restrictions in Middle East and North Africa

["Irfan Khan" <KhanIA@super.net.pk>]

Bear with me for yet another non-South Asian item.  

In a recently published report the Human Rights Watch [http://www.hrw.org] 
has noted that "censorship, restrictions on access, and high prices are 
stunting Internet growth in the Middle East and North Africa". The report, 
which provides an overview of connectivity and access in the region,  
points out that Iraq and Libya are not connected, and "Syria is the only 
country in the region that has a link but has refused thus far to make 
local access available to its citizens."   

A very interesting pciture emerges from the report which says that while 
Egypt and Jordan do not censor, the access cost is too high to have a wider 
impact of free expression.

Note that sentences in quotes are from a HRW press release. The report, 
launched on 8 July 1999, is available on 
http://www.hrw.org/advocacy/internet/mena/index.htm  

Irfan