Gore, Others on Crypto Policy

There's a transcript of today's White House press conference on
the new US encryption policy at:

   http://jya.com/vp091698.htm

VP Gore, Justice, FBI, DoD, NSA, CIA, BXA and cooperating
industry were there explaining the way it's supposed to satisfy
all interests of the agencies and a few good businesses if not 
the citizenry. 

Domestic crypto restrictions? Well, take a look at how that was 
punted. And what the FBI is setting up to see that law enforcement 
needs are met, and what DoD is planning for surveilling the globe, 
strong crypto or not.

Not a word about backdoors, TA, DIRT, keyboard snooping, covert 
chip features, compromising emanations, national technical means,
just assurances that the plan satisfies the interests of the protectors.

> Not a word about backdoors, TA, DIRT, keyboard snooping, covert
> chip features, compromising emanations, national technical means,
> just assurances that the plan satisfies the interests of the protectors.
>
They sound too satisfied; as if they don't really need domestic controls
anymore. I see the references to Cisco and the promotion of GAK. I
choose "d) All of the above." Have they been hanging around Intel, Sun
and Microsoft lately?

I expect also that some key congresspeople have signed up. The recent
embassy events may have eased their minds about the Constitution. Isn't
this technique referred to as the "We'd have to kill you if we told you
but if only you knew what we know..." routine? We can expect some sort
of suspension-of-the-Bill-of-Rights-if-crypto-is-involved laws to begin
their journey next year. You're free to use any crypto you want to but
if we say 'give us the key' you'll be in jail until you do, 1st, 4th and
5th be damned. Isn't that more or less the case with controlled
substances?

Need a clean machine and an on-line machine now. Copper room. Sneakernet
between the two. 
What is 'TA'?
What is 'National Technical Means'?

Mike