From: "Peter Trei" <trei@process.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 00:21:18 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: US dissident in Sweden
Message-ID: <199709161557.IAA08349@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



> Date:          Mon, 15 Sep 1997 18:51:46 -0700
> To:            Asgaard <asgaard@cor.sos.sll.se>, cypherpunks@toad.com
> From:          Martin Minow <minow@apple.com>
> Subject:       Re: US dissident in Sweden
> Reply-to:      Martin Minow <minow@apple.com>

> At 2:06 AM +0200 9/16/97, Asgaard wrote:
> >The Dagens Nyheter reported yesterday that a US citizen,
> >Mr Ritt Goldstein, is in Sweden asking for political asylum.
> ...
> >The latest crypto policy news here says that Sweden will not
> >go along will mandatory GAK.  ...
> 
> I wouldn't count on Sweden as a haven for strong crypto or,
> in particular, untraceable anonymity. Also, the Swedish national
> police have quite a few skeletons in their closet with respect
> to personal integrity (look for references to IB, the
> "Information Bureau" or read the entire series of Sjovall/Wahloo
> "Martin Beck" novels.)
 
> Martin Minow
> minow@apple.com

It's hard to call; the Swedes do have an independent streak, at least 
at the national level. They're not in NATO, and have an independent 
defence, like Switzerland. They maintained (with mixed success) 
neutrality during WW2.

When I lived there (65-68', I was a kid), there was a strong and
popular anti-American sentiment, mostly based in opposition to
the Vietnam war. US deserters were given asylum, and I was taught to
identify myself as Canadian if the situation seemed appropriate (the
US embassy was bombed during my stay - made a mess of the front
hallway).

Peter Trei
trei@process.com

Peter Trei
Senior Software Engineer
Purveyor Development Team                                
Process Software Corporation
http://www.process.com
trei@process.com