Lefty says:

...

the DES algorithm it approved for commercial usage is breakable by the NSA

Is this a fact or a supposition?

Its a fact that it can currently break DES, yes. I'll admit that I have no direct proof, but I would imagine that since DES crackers can be built for only $1mil or so, they almost certainly have them or things even more sophisticated. After all, DES is widely used, and their job is to break encrypted traffic. I would not agree that there is a "back door" in DES, however. None is needed anyway. Perry