From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@piermont.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 03:53:15 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: the VTW---FBI Connection
In-Reply-To: <199607220251.UAA02057@zifi.genetics.utah.edu>
Message-ID: <199607221607.MAA12381@jekyll.piermont.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Anonymous writes:
> We have received information that VTW is run and supported by the FBI,
> which we have suspected for reasons listed here.

You are out of your mind.

> I) They appear to have no financial support or funding source. They
> do not accept donations. They have no corporate funds. And yet they
> appear to be a thriving business.

They aren't a "thriving business". "They" are Shabbir and some
volunteers. No one works on it full time. "They" don't need any
money. Alexis Rosen at Panix donates their web space.

> II) They are secretive about their location, and do not seem to have
> a headquarters. The address listed in the NIC is a vacant lot in of
> all places Brooklyn, NY.

Vacant my ass. It should take you one guess to figure out what the
address actually is.

> III) On a tip from a "friend" we learned that the power leader behind VTW
> is a cleancut man with the unusual name "Shabbir M. Safdar." Not exactly
> a common name. Several people say they've met him. Our "friend" says
> that Mr. Safdar is in reality an agent of the FBI.

Mr. Safdar is a computer programmer in New York.

> IIII) We didn't believe this without external verification. So we called
> the Brooklyn office of the FBI and asked for Agent Safdar. No such person.
> I called the Washington office. No such person. Checked if there is
> any agent named Safdar. They don't give out this info.

> No driver's license in NY, DC, NJ, etc.

Shabbir doesn't drive. Most people who live in New York City don't.

I've known of him for years before he did VTW. You're on drugs.

Perry