Jim Choate wrote:
Now consider, if you will, the requirements if we assume that we are under a concerted Pearl-Harbor attack from a rival 1st World power. How would that effect the issues discussed above?
For answer to this consider: There a number of countries who believe they are under just that kind of Pearl harbor attack from the US through high-tech information warfare, electronic surveillance and related crypto control demands, especially the requirement for GAK in US and foreign-made products. US leaders insistence that the US be 1st before all others in information technology, rightfully scares the shit out of our allies who are distrusting the US more and more, perhaps even giving them ideas about getting together with US enemies to beat back the Microsoft of nations. A counter-strike Pearl Harbor may be in the offing because of US belligerence and threat of Pearl Harboring others. (Recall the frequent invocation of this term by US reps, perhaps a clue to pre-emptive aggression in the works.) The harping of US leaders on unidentified threats is making non-US folks rather nervous, not being sure that the US may not turn on its allies for the slightest of missteps or demurs, and cut off the bountiful flow of global intel -- as the TLAs are now threatening Congressional committees. Crypto Czar Arons world consultations were apparently thinly veiled threats to compel GAK compliance. For an example, see a recent exchange on theukcrypto mail list between Ross Anderson and two DTI reps about the impact of US GAK policy: http://jya.com/dti-words.htm