August 2002 - cypherpunks-legacy

Raise the Fist.Its anarchy I tell you.
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

editors(a)raisethefist.com Special thanx to http://hypodermic.net for donating server space to Raisethefist.com. And Kiko for helping us to obtain our remotely backed up files! It's been over a month since Raisethefist.com was shut down by the U.S Government. Despite the major loss of data, and all of our computer equipment, we're proud to anounce that Raisethefist is back up online, on a remote server. Luckly, after being denied access to our backed up files, we've finally been able to obtain them thanx to persistant letter writing and donations. Our backups were a few months old, so sadly, some articles are still lost, however the majority of the site's content, and code is intact. Site includes self publishing,links,anarcho-radio and more.Real anarchists! http://www.raisethefist.com/news.cgi?artical=wire/93883t4a.article

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Bipartisan on China.
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

China may buy into ASIS web of secrets By Craig Skehan, Foreign Affairs Correspondent June 8 2002 A Chinese company with close links to the Peoples' Liberation Army could end up with the contract for the communications network used by Australian diplomats and the Australian Security Intelligence Service. This includes encrypted messages with the highest security classifications - "Ultra" and "Oyster". The prospect of a Chinese company owning or part-owning the communications lines for Australia's secrets and information provided by allied intelligence agencies such as the CIA is not without irony. In 1995 the Herald revealed that Australian intelligence operatives - in a joint operation with the US - had installed fibre-optic bugging devices during construction of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. A Foreign Affairs Department spokeswoman yesterday acknowledged that China Netcom was one of several companies interested in buying into Asia Global Crossing, which has already been contracted to provide the Australian communications system. AGC is 58 per cent owned by its United States-based parent, Global Crossing, which faces restructuring because it is over $12 billion in debt. Communications industry trade publications have reported that China Netcom is planning to take over AGC. The Foreign Affairs Department said last night it would not "lose control" of its telecommunications network through changes in ownership. As well as encryption, the Department had "contingency plans to maintain our network coverage in the unlikely event of any links being disrupted by an AGC restructure". A departmental spokeswoman maintained that potential investors would have no interest in undermining any investment in AGC by "compromising the integrity of the network". "We were aware of the financial situation of both AGC and its parent, Global Crossing," she said. "We looked very closely at the implications of this and structured a contract with AGC which protects us from the consequences of a change in its ownership." This is a reference to what the department claims are escape clauses in the current confidential contract. However, the Federal Opposition's foreign affairs spokesman, Kevin Rudd, himself a former Australian diplomat who served in China, said last night that the Government needed to explain exactly what checks it had made before signing the contract with AGC last month. He noted that the contract had been entered into despite the debt problems and planned restructure of the parent company. "They did not appear to be aware of the possible sale of AGC until it was revealed in the media," Mr Rudd said. In August 1999, China Netcom was founded by entities affiliated with the Chinese Government. They included the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which is very closed linked with the general armaments division of the People's Liberation Army. China Telecom already has some commercial relationship with AGC, including its recent acquisition of communications links between Hong Kong and Los Angeles. END http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/06/08/1022982773279.html The PM was today congratulating Labor for being first in to China,(pre Nixon)

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surveillance agencies in au
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

Mental health bodies may soon be added,real soon. agencies This page will shortly provide a map of the plethora of surveillance agencies in Australia and New Zealand, covering bodies such as ASIO, ASIS, DSD, GCSB, NCA, NZIS and ACS. http://www.caslon.com.au/surveillanceprofile8.htm What relevance to Americans? The Defence Signals Directorate (DSD), the local equivalent of the US NSA, is Australia's major player in the global intelligence community, reflecting a history of cooperation with overseas signals intelligence bodies (notably those in the US, Canada and UK) and advantageous geography for handling radio and satellite traffic. It is a participant in the Echelon network, The aussies,canucks and limey's spy on you while your nsa spies on us.Round Robin,Reg Req.Ronnie Reagan. nwad ta kcatta 11 tpes.

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Good survey article on crypto hardware
by pgut001＠cs.auckland.ac.nz 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

There's a good article on software and hardware for reconfigurable computer systems (e.g. FPGA's) in the June 2002 ACM Computing Surveys for people who are interested in that sort of thing. This is the sort of hardware which is often used for crypto when a full ASIC isn't economically viable (one of those combined PPC+FPGA cores would be quite interesting for crypto use). Peter.

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INSET NAZIS
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=02/08/18/1162449 "On Tuesday July 30, 9 members of the RCMP, Canada's national police agency, led by Cpl. Derrick Ross of the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (see sidebar article, "Insidious INSET" below), executed a Search Warrant and raided my home and office in Courtenay, British Columbia. The search and seizure was carried out on behalf of law enforcement from two counties in the State of Maine, under the auspices of the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Treaty." MORE ON http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=02/08/18/1162449

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On S11 lawsuits,saberRATtling.
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

US lawsuit worthless and ineffective RIYADH/JEDDAH, 19 August Saudi lawyers have described the lawsuit filed by relatives of people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks in the US as "worthless and ineffective under US law.""They can only demand compensation after the parties involved are convicted," the lawyers said referring to the lawsuit seeking trillions... (full story). Saudi banks, more charities deny terrorism charge RIYADH, 19 August More Islamic charities and Saudi banks named in a lawsuit by families of Sept. 11 victims denied yesterday any role in funding terrorism and blasted the case as an attempt to extort Saudi wealth abroad.In a civil suit filed in a Washington court on Thursday, relatives... (full story). http://www.arabnews.com/ Boycott calls gathering momentum in Kingdom JEDDAH, 19 August Calls for boycotting US products in the Kingdom and elsewhere in the Middle East are growing as many Muslims believe that it is an effective weapon to change Americas pro-Israeli policies."We should not ignore the calls for boycott of US products. It has proved effective," Ihsan... (full story). A boycott on oil sales might help. Challenging ignorance on Islam: A ten-point primer for Americans "We should invade [Muslim] countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." Columnist Ann Coulter, National Review Online, Sept. 13, 2001 "Just turn [the sheriff] loose and have him arrest every Muslim that crosses the state line." Rep. C. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism... (full story). Making enemies of ones friends LONDON, 19 August Europeans are beginning to experience the same sensations of impotence that Muslims long have. Whatever they think or say, it is tossed in the wastepaper basket by their American friends.In the last week or so it has become evident that the Bush administration is hell bent... (full story).

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District Judge Timothy Connell Judge molests children,old ladies,men.
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

Minnesota law allows people to bad-mouth a person, and even deliberately lie, to a state regulatory board without fear of legal reprisal, a judge has ruled. The protection is part of a state law covering "quasi-judicial" agencies, District Judge Timothy Connell decided in overturning a jury verdict recently. "Without this privilege, there would be a chilling effect upon people coming forth with allegations that should be investigated by boards such as these," the judge said. The ruling may have ended a case in Worthington that involved questionable allegations against a dentist and a criminal-defamation law apparently dormant for 67 years. The complicated case began in September 1998, when a caller told the state Board of Dentistry that Dr. Bruce Larson of Worthington had "messed up" his root canal and was practicing while drunk. But investigators for the board and the attorney general's office discovered that the caller had used a false name and, despite two other anonymous calls, they did not find evidence to support any disciplinary action against the dentist. The case was closed. Then Worthington police traced phone calls to the home of Jerry Obermoller, Larson's next-door neighbor on Lake Okabena. Ken Kohler, then the Nobles County attorney, charged Obermoller with criminal defamation, which generally makes it a crime to expose a person or group to "hatred, contempt, ridicule, degradation or disgrace in society or injury to business or occupation." The offense, a gross misdemeanor, is rarely prosecuted anywhere in the United States. The last case notation found in Minnesota law books was in 1935, and legal experts said the statute could be an unconstitutional infringement on free speech and could stifle complaints to state licensing boards. A Nobles County jury convicted Obermoller in March 2001 after a three-day trial. He was sentenced to probation and fined $1,530. Then Obermoller changed attorneys, hiring Ron Meshbesher of Minneapolis, and asked the judge to throw out the conviction. Meshbesher cited case law that a defamatory statement is "absolutely privileged" exempt from civil or criminal defamation under statute "if published in the course of a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding and is relevant to the proceedings ... even when made maliciously and with knowledge of falsehood." Courts have accepted that argument for state agencies, such as the Board of Pardons and the Commerce Department, that have quasi-judicial disciplinary powers, Meshbesher argued. Despite objections from the prosecutor, the judge agreed and, in an order signed July 30, vacated the conviction. "Essentially, people must feel free to communicate openly with quasi-judicial entities such as the State Board of Dentistry," he wrote. Joe Friedberg, a Minneapolis attorney who represented Larson in a defamation lawsuit against Obermoller, criticized the decision. He said he would have argued to the judge that, under the decision: "Your Honor, I can report you to the Board of Judicial Standards, say you molest children or little old ladies or little old men, and know it's false, and you can't do anything about it." Larson said he won an out-of-court settlement in a separate civil lawsuit, in which Obermoller did not admit culpability. The amount is confidential, but "it was nice," he said.

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Blueprints of Nimrods WRA4 nosecone now available on Bnet.
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

Soon...real soon. THE pride of Britain, and Cheshire, has rolled out into the sunshine for its big debut. The new generation Nimrod spy and attack plane was unveiled at Woodford, where 18 are being built for the Royal Air Force. BAE Systems in Woodford is manufacturing the new Nimrods for the RAF as part of a contract worth £2.2 billion, awarded back in 1996. The move has helped safeguard hundreds of jobs at the BAE sites at Woodford and at Chadderton, in Oldham. The first of three test aircraft, which form part of the 18 Maritime Reconnaissance Attack (MRA)4 planes, was moved from a hangar for the first time. Its first flight is due to take place before the end of the year and the MRA4s will be delivered to the RAF between 2004 and 2007. The aircraft is best known for its search and rescue missions and has helped save entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson on several occasions. It will also be used in anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface unit warfare as well as intelligence gathering. The Nimrod MRA4 will have a completely new undercarriage to allow for the increase in maximum take-off weight, BMW/Rolls Royce BR-710 engines, as well as leading edge computers and weapon systems. A spokesman for BAE Systems said: "The MRA4 aircraft is of national and international significance, and will fulfil the UK's maritime patrol, reconnaissance, intelligence and strike requirements well into the 21st century. "It is a very complex project and it's a tribute to the workforce that it is being built here." http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/stories/Detail_LinkStory=17066.html

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Putin accused of northwoodsing 1st Chechen war.
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

"So here it turns out that before the first Russian-Chechen war had started, Russian secret services blew up a railroad and buses, and before the second war they blew up apartment buildings in Moscow and Volgodonsk. The bandits in Russian Army uniforms in Northern Caucasus are «backed up» and «covered» by nobody else but the President of the country - the KGB man ?1..." http://www.kavkaz.org/eng/article.php?id=1110 Mafia and CIA collusion? That's crazy,right? lay off the vodka Boris.

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See no evil.
by Matthew X 19 Aug '02

19 Aug '02

Counterintelligence Book Review.(Counter intelligence could be the opeRATive words here,pr) By CI Centre Professor Hayden B. Peake A Street-Mans Story See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism By Robert BAER (New York: Crown, 2002), 284 pp., glossary, photos, index. $25.95 Edward SHIRLEYs acidic Know Thine Enemy is a recent contribution to the intelligence literature of discontent. At first glance Robert BAERs book might appear to fall in the same category, but that judgment would be wrong. See No Evil is better characterized as a memoir of disillusionment written in a positive style, not the bitter tone of those who wrote because they could not cope with the demands of the clandestine life. While at times critical, BAER clearly is proud of the CIA and his service during his twenty-four year career. The book tells of his unusual upbringing and his recruitment by the Agency that saw in him the makings of a promising case officer. With restrained modesty, BAER provides a first hand view of a successful case officer in the field as an operational street man. A central theme of the book is the over-reliance on technical collection at the expense of human intelligence. Fluent in Arabic, BAER served in the Middle East and at times worked against those directly involved with terrorism. He argues that finding and listening to people who know what is going on, despite their often less than savory pedigrees, should be routine not the exception. His examples supporting this truth include comments on Osama bin LADENs operations, his experiences in the Biqa Valley, the governments failure to support a military coup designed to overthrow Saddam HUSSEIN, and the neglect of fundamentalist activities in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia in the 1990s. He also stresses the problem of language skills that has long plagued the Agency. It was his command of Arabic that allowed him to learn of the intent to kidnap Americans in Lebanon, though his out-of-channel warnings did not prevent them. In the mid 1980s, while assigned to CIA Headquarters, BAER observed the initial activities of the newly formed National Counterintelligence Center led by the FBI. This little known tale of an attempt to solve an operational problem with an organizational fix is disturbing at best. Back at Headquarters in the 1990s, after an assignment in post Gulf-war Iraq, he got involved with CLINTON White House politics; a bizarre story that does not reflect well on National Security Council political stars and their sycophantic subordinates. On the CIA side, he tells of the environment of political correctness that prevailed during the CLINTON administration and the long term consequences that this could have on the Agency if it is allowed to continue. This is a timely book, documented with intriguing, often awesome, stories written with a sense of humor. BAERs comments on the tradecraft of espionage as practiced on the groundthe successes and the failureswill enlighten historians and layman interested in the profession. See No Evil should be mandatory reading for all candidates for the clandestine service and the analystsgeographic, functional and technicalwho benefit from the collectors hard work. This is a fine memoir, one of the very best ever written. END http://www.cicentre.com/BK/BOOKS_Peake_Baer.html

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