Subject: Re: Why is a US defense contractor hosting a known terrorist website?

Dear Host master,

This is to clarify our position in regards to the posting on your website
 http://bordom.net/view/9979/lp__hezbollah_website_...
and thereby to neutralize any plausible implications that may be construed thereof.

At the outset, it will be logical to start with the relationship between the three companies mentioned in your post, Al Hejailan Projects Engineering, Horizon Communication Services and Horizon Satellite Services.

Al Hejailan Projects Engineering Co. is a reputed company established in Saudi Arabia way back in the 80s and as a holding company, it offers a diverse range of services and products through many of its subsidiaries. The activities of these subsidiary companies range from construction, telecoms, manufacturing and other services. Al Hejailan Projects Engineering Co. supports its subsidiaries with Management and Financial Support services.

Both, Horizon Communication Services, registered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Horizon Satellite Services, registered in Dubai, UAE are fully owned subsidiaries of Al Hejailan Projects Engineering Co.

Horizon Communication Services (HCS) provides IT infrastructure implementation and maintenance support to Al Hejailan Projects Engineering Co. Whereas Horizon Satellite Services (HSS) provides internet-via-satellite connectivity solutions for the Middle East region.

As an Internet Service Provider, HSS is a member of RIPE  http://www.ripe.net ) and conducts business in strict adherence to regulations stipulated by RIPE including those related to issuing of IP addresses to clients. Accordingly, we are required to specify the usage and update the RIPE database to reflect our customers details as and when new IP addresses are issued.

IP address 82.205.138.35 was assigned to Horizon Communication Services (HCS) in May-06. In due course, when HCS requested more IP addresses, we (HSS) assigned them with a new set of IP addresses and gave their old IP address 82.205.138.35 to one of our customers in Lebanon. However, we did not update this information on the RIPE database to reflect the new change, since it is a standard practice to do this periodically and not as soon as an IP address is changed. This explains why the search to www.nazrolla.org led to the fact that it was hosted on 82.205.138.35 and why the RIPE database was still showing Horizon Communication Services name.

Further, Al Hejailans name was not registered to that IP address but the address of one of the persons registered in the RIPE database, Karthikeyan K which mentioned Al Hejailan Projects Engineerings name.

As an Internet Service Provider, these kinds of issues are common and whenever HSS receives inquiries related to usage of its services, in the larger interest of all concerned and that of the society we live in and contribute to, it is our policy to disclose all necessary information, within our means and knowledge, on the person or company using our Internet services, including IP addresses that have been issued by us. However, when it comes to content, understandably, we do not have control over the content hosted by customers using our services.

I hope this explains the situation and trust you will be kind enough to use this clarification to clear up this issue with the owner of the blog. Also, kindly remove this posting from your website.

Please feel free to revert back to us in case you need any more details or clarifications.

Thank you & kind regards,
Horizon Technical Team
Horizon Satellite Services
Email:technical@horizon-satellite.com
Contact no: +971-4-391-5122

Blah blah blah.

1and1 screws Yet Another Customer