From: Alex de Joode <usura@replay.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 95 03:52:49 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Netherlands crypto ban?
Message-ID: <199501211152.AA05246@xs1.xs4all.nl>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


In article <gate.HRP0yc1w165w@dxm.ernet.in> you stated:

: What's the update on the move to ban private crypto in Holland? 
: Last I remember there were trial balloons, but nothing happened.

The proposed ban came from the former fundamentalist christian led
department of justice. Since the elections the political landscape
has been changed, the christian democratic party has been removed,
we now have Liberals (something like Republicans in the US :) ),
Socialists and Social Democrats in power. 

Law Enforcement has come under public scrutiny, since special police
teams used unlawful tactics to get criminal organizations out of 
their business. They broke into Warehouses to see if narcotics were
depostid there (without a warrant), they made up reports and lied in
court. 

The new head of the justice department, already has dropped some 
policies that were in place, and she just announced that due to the
rise in competence of the LEA the rights a suspect has also have to be
raised in order to compensate it. She swiftly killed of any opposition
the LEA had against that proposal. 

In my opinion, The Netherlands will not adopt a crypto policy on their
own, the'll do it if the EC proposes such a "thing". 

--
Alex de Joode					    
usura@replay.com	                               Hate mail appreciated,
http://www.xs4all.nl/~usura             weekly contest for best death threat.