From: smb@research.att.com
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 93 08:45:21 PDT
To: Eric Hughes <hughes@soda.berkeley.edu>
Subject: Re: a great revelation from the bowels of NSA
Message-ID: <9306081545.AA18250@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


	 >>"We tried to come up with a technique that would not require
	 >>legislation," said Clint Brooks, advisor to the director of the
	 >>National Security Agency, 

	 >Another ominous, foreboding quote.

	 I think this neither ominous nor foreboding.  This statement was
	 apparent within a week or so of the original announcement.  The only
	 thing new about it is that it confirms what I've thought for over a
	 month: that the executive branch is trying to do an end run around the
	 legislature.

Well, it could be innocent; it just takes longer to get legislation
passed.  Yeah, that's it...

Of course, NSA does have another option -- they can disclose how
cheaply they can crack DES.  (That they can crack it I don't doubt; my
only question is what it costs them per solution, including
amortization of capital costs.)