frantz@netcom.com

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Zimmermann supports my contention, as I wrote in the post. NOTHING happened to him. it is conceivable this same result could have been arrived at (government drops investigation) if he never even hired a lawyer.

Zimmermann is a perfect example of what may be counterproductive hysteria on *our* side, toward advancing crypto. if Zimmermann cannot be prosecuted, and is not prosecuted, where are the ITAR "teeth"???

I am not a lawyer, but I suspect that the proscuters gave up because they could not build a trail of evidence between Zimmermann and the actual export. After all, Zimmermann only wrote PGP. He didn't post it on the net.

so what?!?!? what is your point?!?!?! I am well aware of the Zimmermann background!!! why do you think I used it as an example!! the "Feds" are AWARE that KELLY GOEN was the one who distributed it. did they prosecute him either? NO!!! did they have evidence that Goen was the one that knowingly "exported" the code? PROBABLY!!! WHAT DOES THIS TELL YOU?!?!?! my point is that, what is anyone's evidence that what happened to Zimmermann (i.e. NOTHING WHATSOEVER other than an investigation that ended with NOTHING) would not happen to whoever tried to "export" whatever algorithms they pleased??? if people are going to pretend that the ITAR crypto sections have TEETH, then please give a disclaimer that YOU HAVE NO EVIDENCE. I have no problem with people getting "paler shades of white" from all their imagined bogeymen. I do have a problem with them complaining, then, about a reality that came about from their own fears, i.e. was constructed BY THEM, not by their opposition (i.e. the NSA). Zimmermann SHOWS that any claim that the ITAR has "teeth" APPEARS TO BE GROUNDLESS. what happened to Zimmermann? NOTHING. I repeat: he could conceivably have NOT EVEN HIRED A LAWYER to achieve the current situation, which was that he was NOT EVEN PROSECUTED, let alone CONVICTED. you can argue all you want about HYPOTHETICAL situations, but the REALITY is that nobody has ever gotten any nastiness from any ITAR-crypto prosecution. why is this point so hard to grasp??? perhaps whoever points out various fears are groundless is barking up the wrong tree, if the fearer is not interested in alternative scenarios or incapable of conceiving of them. if cpunks want excuses to cower in terror of the ITAR (such as e.g. TCM seems to advocate), you will find endless justification from your rampant fantasies. in my view, as I wrote, however, they are about as substantial as fears of COOTIE or THE BOGEYMAN based on actual reality. P.S. it is well known that KELLY GOEN distributed the code-- you can even ask Sternlout. I am not revealing any secret there.