From: Steve Schear <azur@netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 09:28:23 -0800 (PST)
To: dthorn@gte.net
Subject: Re: Fighting the cybercensor
Message-ID: <199701301728.JAA09025@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>Sean Roach wrote:
>> At 08:15 PM 1/28/97 -0800, Steve Schear wrote:
>> >I think a hole in your thinking is to assume that the assasins have no
>> >motive other than financial gain.  I would submit that there are those that
>> >have the skills, training and a political agenda coherent with the
>> >wagerers, lacking only the financial incentive to make the risks
>> >acceptable.  These wetworkers won't consider accepting the bribe of the
>> >rich/powerful
>
>> This may be true, but the example was to show how easy a defensive line
>> could be thrown up around the powerful.  For example, conventional body
>> guards could be included, ones with no real pay but with the fore knowledge
>> that they will be buried with the tyrant.  These body guards could be ten
>> children out of each local village.  Merely a human shield.
>
>[snippo]
>
>In Prizzi's Honor, Nicholson sez "If you try to hide in a submarine on
>the bottom of the ocean, we will find you".  But it's not even that
>difficult.  Lob a missile into the place and blow it up.  Earth
>penetrators are getting better too, for the Sadaam types.  And
>there's a zillion more.  Does this "rich person" really want to
>spend his/her life living in a sealed tomb?

Yep. Chemical Biological Weapons (CBW), the choice of many future
terrorists and assassins, can now be produced by anyone with a solid
background in organic chemistry or microbiology and a relatively modest
amount of funding (< USD 10,000).

Delivery can be by any number of means, including: static (e.g., planted at
a location in wait for the target and remotely triggered, for example by a
pager. Cost less than USD 500) or dynamic (e.g., a small remotely piloted
or autonomous aircraft, for example, a modified giant-scale RC plane.  Cost
less than USD 3000 if remotely controlled, USD 5000-10,000 if autonomous
using DGPS guidance).  EE experience is assumed.

If the assassin is unconcerned with collateral damage his success depends
only on knowing where his target will be and when.  Since CBW agents can
have a considerable kill zone there is no need for 'crosshair' accuracy.

--Steve