From: Andrew Loewenstern <andrew@cubetech.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Dec 93 15:29:31 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Escobar and Cellular Ph0n3z
Message-ID: <9312042327.AA21189@valinor.cubetech.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


lex@mindvox.phantom.com (Lex Luthor) writes:
> This is sophisticated, no question about it. I imagine the
> equipment/circuits are available to do all this to the general
> U.S. public, but still, I think the NSA probably provided the
> equipment as it was probably all integrated together and fairly
> idiot-proof to use. Maybe one big box, with a few of these big
> boxes being dispersed about the country-side.

The FBI used the same stuff a couple of years back to catch the people who  
kidnapped that Exxon executive.  Considering how easy it is to pick up cellular  
transmissions and the way it works (cells with limited range), I believe it is  
something well within the resources of the FBI to develop.

I really don't think the NSA has much of a hand in any of the things we hear  
about, unless it has something directly to do with crypto (which this does not,  
except, as Lex pointed out, that escobar probably should have been using strong  
crypto...).


andrew