Hackers attack Al-Watan's website

By Fatima Sidiya
Arab News
8 November 2009

JEDDAH: Al-Watan newspaper was hacked on Saturday by a group calling itself Moorish Team-Dz. The hackers said they supported Sheikh Saad bin Nasser Al-Shithri who was recently removed from his job following statements he made on Al-Majd TV channel against coeducation at King Abullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST).

Jamal Khashoggi, editor in chief of Al-Watan newspaper, had written in Al-Watan criticizing Al-Shithri's statements. He said, "This much ado about coeducation is in downright opposition to knowledge, scientific research and the information revolution which does not distinguish between female and male." Mohammad Al-Ghahtani the Head of the Technical Department at Al-Watan newspaper refused to call what happened "hacking."

He said it was the work of amateurs operating through servers located in Syria, Egypt and Algeria. When asked what the newspaper had done to protect its site, he said that when the hacking was discovered, the paper transferred to an alternate site. Due to the large number of hits the site receives every day, it had taken some time to rectify the situation.

However the website was up and running again by the evening. Asked if the incident would have any effect on the paper's editorial decisions, Al-Ghahtani said, "The policy of the newspaper is clear and this will not discourage the newspaper from expressing its views."