From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 04:08:35 +0800
To: Ryan Anderson <cypherpunks@algebra.com
Subject: Re: Printers are munitions?
In-Reply-To: <v03007800af9e675d4ff2@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <v03007803af9e8359e305@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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At 11:19 AM -0800 5/13/97, Ryan Anderson wrote:
>On Tue, 13 May 1997, Tim May wrote:
>
>> As for transmitters in printers, this sounds like a variant. Plus, I
>> wouldn't think there was enough time between the start of the buildup of
>> the U.S. response and the air attacks for the plan to be hatched, for the
>> Iraqis to place and receive orders, etc. And the chance of some random
>> printer ending up in an air defense station seems unlikely. And so on.
>
>Besides the fact that the US wasn't exporting anything to IRAQ at the
>time, along with most of the rest of the western world, where would they
>have bought printers from?

Well, of course the U.S. wasn't shipping to Iraq at this time. I didn't
even cite this as a reason because the embargo began in August of 1990.

The original Infoworld story cited Jordan (if I remember correctly) as the
place the printers had the viruses placed in them, to make the story sound
more plausible.

I do believe the U.S. has used information warfare methods, of course. Lots
of examples, including Inslaw and Systematics, etc.

--Tim May

There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."