From: Jeff Weinstein <jsw@netscape.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 07:26:32 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: NSA says strong crypto to china??
Message-ID: <199601070941.BAA12858@ammodump.mcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



  This is a quote from an article by Paul Vallely in The Independent, London,
which can be found here:

http://nytsyn.com/live/News3/006_010696_101827_2723.html

> What one government regards as harmful material is an instrument of freedom
> and democracy to another.  Officials at the US National Security Agency have
> suggested that Internet encryption technology - a sophisticated method of
> encoding information - be deliberately exported to Chinese dissidents to
> help them in their fight against their government - even though its export
> is otherwise banned under US arms control regulations.

  Does anyone know of real documentation of this "suggestion" from the NSA?
It quite telling, though no surprise to any of us I'm sure, that they would
think that strong crypto should be a tool of freedom in china, but not in
this country.

  Maybe they should get Microsoft to insert subliminal directions for
downloading PGP into a future episode of "My Computer Family".  :-)

	--Jeff

Jeff Weinstein - Electronic Munitions Specialist
Netscape Communication Corporation
jsw@netscape.com - http://home.netscape.com/people/jsw/
Any opinions expressed above are mine.