From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Sep 1997 08:03:33 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: BXA Testimony at SAFE Hearing
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19970906234350.00705f64@pop.pipeline.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



See William Reinsch's testimony on the administration's 
encryption policy at the September 4 SAFE hearing:

   http://jya.com/bxa090497.htm

Perhaps dissimulating, or not then clued to the draft GAK bill,
Reinsch states:

1. Foreign crypto products are not as widely available as export
control critics claim, and thus do not threaten US products.

2. The administration is against mandatory key escrow.

3. Finds the SAFE bill unhelpful but likes its crypto-criminalization
provision and favors McCain-Kerrey's Secure Public Network 
Act bill or other legislation that will:

  Expressly confirm the freedom of domestic users to choose 
  any type or strength of encryption.

  Explicitly state that participation in a key management 
  infrastructure is voluntary .

  Set forth legal conditions for the release of recovery 
  information to law enforcement officials pursuant to lawful 
  authority and provide liability protection for key recovery 
  agents who have properly released such information.

  Criminalize the misuse of keys and the use of encryption to 
  further a crime. 	  

  Offer, on a voluntary basis, firms that are in the business of 
  providing public cryptography keys the opportunity to obtain 
  government recognition, allowing them to market the 
  trustworthiness implied by government approval.

----------

Leads to the testimony of NSA's Cowell and Justice's Litt would
be appreciated.

Representative Weldon remarked at length about encryption and
defense matters on September 4, supporting the administration's
policy:

   http://jya.com/weldon.txt  (46K)