Domain name provider cuts WikiLeaks ties

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A U.S. Internet domain name provider disconnected the WikiLeaks.org Web address, saying constant hacking of the site hampered other customers.

But by mid-morning Friday in Europe, the controversial, whistle-blowing Web site appeared to be functioning again, The Wall Street Journal reported.

In a statement on its Web site, EveryDNS.net said it terminated the free service it had provided to WikiLeaks.org Thursday because WikiLeaks became the target of "multiple denial of service attacks" that "threaten the stability of the EveryDNS.net infrastructure" that serves 500,000 Web sites. The action by EveryDNS.net meant Internet users couldn't access the site by typing "WikiLeaks.org" in the address field of their browser or look for the site on a search engine.

WikiLeaks recently released more than 250,000 U.S. State Department cables. Previously released material concerned the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

EveryDNS.net said it sent WikiLeaks a warning notice 24 hours in advance of its action, the Journal said.

"Any downtime of the wikileaks.org website has resulted from its failure to use another hosted DNS service provider," EveryDNS.net said in its statement.

Earlier this week, Amazon stopped hosting WikiLeaks on its servers, saying the site violated its terms of service. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Ind-Conn., had pressured Amazon to stop providing service to WikiLeaks.

On its Twitter page Friday, WikiLeaks posted: "WikiLeaks.org domain killed by US everydns.net after claimed mass attacks. KEEP US STRONG" and included a link to a donation site.

WikiLeaks later messaged, on Twitter, "Free speech has a number" and included its IP address, then announced: "WikiLeaks moves to Switzerland http://wikileaks.ch"

A Germany-based WikiLeaks domain also surfaced Friday, The Guardian in London reported.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told The Guardian the temporary blockage was an example of the "privatization of state censorship" in the United States, calling the situation a "serious problem."

"These attacks will not stop our mission, but should be setting off alarm bells about the rule of law in the United States," he said.