Ways sought to combat militants on Web

By Mark Trevelyan, Security Correspondent

LONDON (Reuters) - The government wants the Internet industry to help combat militant Islamism on the Web in the same way it cooperates in fighting sex crime against children, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on Thursday.

In her first major speech on countering Islamist radicalisation, Smith drew an analogy between the militant recruitment of impressionable youngsters on the Internet and the online stalking of children by paedophiles.

"Let me be clear. The Internet is not a no-go area for government," she told a security conference.

"If we are ready and willing to take action to stop the grooming of the vulnerable young on social networking sites, then I believe we should also take action against those who groom vulnerable people for the purposes of violent extremism."

Smith said she planned to consult with the Internet industry in the coming weeks. "Where there is illegal material on the Net, I want it removed," she said.

She later told reporters it should be possible to develop filters to remove militant material from the Web like those commonly used to stop children accessing adult content.

"The fact that something is difficult doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do it," she said.

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