Syria has extended its iron rule over the Internet by ordering Internet cafe users to reveal their identity before going online.

Cafes have to take down the names and identification cards of their clients, as well as the times they come and leave. Records from each Internet session have to be shown to the coppers.

No harm in that if they are not doing anything illegal, but the problems is that Syrian authorities have been clamping down on bloggers and Internet writers. The idea is to scare the pants off Internet users so that they do not dare say anything.

The government says it is all part of its defense against sectarian divisions and "penetration by Israel."