It's a Hoax: Anonymous Did Not Threaten Westboro Baptist Church

[Joanne98]

Source: PC World

Based on its recent successes taking on the considerable forces aligned against Wikileaks, and its ability to take down HBGary--an information security firm--in a matter of hours, you do not want to be on the radar of the hacking collective known as "Anonymous". Perhaps that is why an apparent ultimatum from Anonymous to the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is making headlines. Problem is--it's a hoax.

Let's rewind a bit. First, a little history on Westboro Baptist Church. WBC is run by one Fred Phelps and has made a name spewing vile, bigoted trash in the name of God. It owns the domain godhatesfags.com, and regularly organizes protests picketing the funerals of fallen soldiers as evidence that some higher power is taking revenge on our nation in response to rampant homosexuality. WBC also praised the Tucson shooter and planned to picket the funeral of 9-year old Christina Taylor Green, but Arizona passed a law blocking the protest.

On February 16, an open letter to WBC claiming to be from Anonymous declared that enough is enough. The letter states that--although Anonymous is a staunch defender of the freedom of speech--WBC has crossed the line too often, and gives the church an ultimatum to cease and desist its activities and take down its websites. It ends with an ominous warning, "Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda and detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover."

WBC accepted the challenge and told its faceless attackers to "bring it". On February 20, however, an open letter posted on AnonNews claimed the threat was not sent by Anonymous in the first place. It asserts that the threat is a hoax, and even goes so far as to suggest WBC is behind the hoax just to make headlines. If so, it worked.



Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/220218/its_a_hoax_anonymous_did_not_threaten_westboro_baptist_church.html

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The Phelps family attacks itself?

Where's the backwards B dude?

[xchrom]

1. the phony anonymous letter concocted by wbc may bight them

may bite them in their self righteous ass pretty good.

[Bryn]

3. If you read Fred Phelps' granddaughter, Megan's tweets

about this one you'd be amazed! She was bragging that they were "protected" by God, bullet-proofed by God, actually was very excited about Anonymous "threat", you could tell she's sick in the head!

[Stevenmarc]

6. GOD by Norton a Firewall of Biblical Proportions

[rbixby]

7. Funny how they think that

yet their website is still down. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of these anonymous people who jumped on the fake bandwagon are underage, and I don't know what the laws are, but I bet its difficult to sue minors.

[Bryn]

2. The Phelps Family was trying to lure Anonymous to attack them

for media attention and money, but Anonymous is smarter. They have better things to do and besides they support free speech even if Phelps is horrible.

Just to show how pathetic Phelps family is!

[Drale]

4. Well since everyone on the internet is Anonymous

I'm sure someone out their threatened them at some point, but these people will do anything to make headlines because they thrive on people paying attention to them. I'm sure when they where kids they were the ones standing the middle of the room screaming because people were not paying them any attention.

[damntexdem]

5. WBC also runs the website godhatesamerica.

[upi402]

8. It's time to limit churches' immunity from taxation etc.

Churches have turned into political organizations, RW agenda cells, and money-scamming instigators of hate. Enough already.

[xfundy]

9. Straight out of Karl Rove's playbook

It's rather easy to figure out. Trouble is, people with actual morals (damn libruls, freethinkers, and those who care about reality) don't try to cheat, knowing that the facts are compelling on their own.

[amyrose2712]

10. ...

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. So there's an official outlet for Anonymous?

It's not, after all, just whatever anyone on the internet wants to put out in the name of Anonymous?

Who is the 'real' Anonymous? How do the media, or we, know if something is official Anonymous, or fake Anonymous? Is there some secure voting method we can all join to be part of the decision on what Official Anonymous says?