AT&T, Clipper, & Saudi Arabia

[smb at research.att.com]

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	 Dear AT&T:

	 If you'll roll over for us on Clipper, we will suitably incentivize yo
	u.

	 /s/ The Clinton Administration

	 I suppose most of us would consider a $4B contract a "suitable
	 incentive." While there's probably no direct evidence of a quid pro
	 quo, it strikes me as a bit odd that the President is personally
	 intervening in a purely commercial deal.

	 OTOH this is the second time Clinton has intervened in a deal with the
	 Saudis. On the gripping hand, I don't recall anyone intervening to get
	 business for Boeing (Peace Shield, the Saudi C3I network), McDonnell
	 (F-15s), and so on.

Can we please confine paranoia to reasonable areas -- like AT&T's sales
of secure phones to the government?  The U.S. government has a very long
record of pushing American products against foreign competitors, such as
Boeing versus Airbus.

Of course, there is a quid pro quo here -- but it's Clinton reminding the
Saudis about Desert Storm.

		--Steve Bellovin

P.S.  It goes without saying that I'm speaking for myself, not AT&T.