From: Brandon Crosby <bcrosby@mncs.k12.mn.us>
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 22:29:45 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Iraq and computers
Message-ID: <199711251420.IAA22997@ted.mncs.k12.mn.us>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



> Monkey Catskin wrote:
> > Michael Wilson wrote that Reuters wrote:
> > >Quoting U.S. officials and U.N. diplomats, the newspaper said that
> > >Iraqi scientists and defense officials are using Western-made
> > >computers to transfer data from bulky papers to small disks that can
> > >be easily dispersed, making the information difficult for inspectors
> > >to track.
> > This is an interesting development because it also makes it hard for
> > the Iraqi government to track what is going on, too.  The government
> > of Iraq has been aware of the dangers of computers for many years.  At
> > one time they were tightly controlled.  Even typewriters were
> > controlled.  The government had writing samples of each one.
> > Now, apparently, this policy is loosening.  This suggests that U.S.
> > policy of the last 8 years has managed to achieve what Saddam Hussein
> > could not - it has made the Hussein regime a genuinely popular
> > government.
I wonder... does Iraq have a web site?

While third world contries seldom have computer specialists, it seemed
pretty easy for Iraq to get biological weapon specialists working for
them. [Other more sensible arguments exist...]

Iraq has more money than they can reasonably spend, but management
troubles. Solution: IntraIraq, the network with Sadam ads. While burning
papers has some flare to it, it's pretty likely that most of the
classified data not in Sadam's head must be in some computer system[s],
easily housed by the UN no-no sites for inspectors.

Also, can Iraq's people create [and display] web pages?

-Brandon Crosby