Re: LACC: Re: Australia now has information police

[Julian Assange <proff@suburbia.net>]

> 
> 
> Hello:
> 
> I have one short, short question regarding this item. I really
> hope that you know the anwswer and have the time to answer it.
> 
> 1- International document: any idea who else had signed it?

[re COCOM trade agreements]

All COCOM countries most likely. That said Australia does not seem to be
actively enforcing this relic of the cold war. However around 8 years
ago, I recall that the NSA found out about a telephone encrypting device
developed here in Australia, and preassured the Australian government to
forbid export of the device, under COCOM provisions until it was
weakened. At the moment it is politically untenable to enforce COCOM
export provisions over cryptographic software in this country. The COCOM
treaty is seen, quite rightly, as a U.S barrow which COCOM countries had
to sign in order to avoid U.S trade sanctions and tarrifs, but not
something that needs to be enforced for smaller concerns (arms shipments
are bigger concerns).

COCOM is being replaced with new controls, according to the PARI DAILY.
(anyone have better details?)

   PARI DAILY

   FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1996

BULGARIA IGNORED AT POST-COCOM TALKS


            Bulgaria did not take part in the first plenary session of
            the member-countries of the Wassenaar Arrangement, also
            known as the New Forum, Foreign Ministry spokesman
            Mr.Pantelei Karasimeonov told a briefing yesterday. Of all
            the 28 participants in the session, it was only USA that
            opposed Bulgaria's participation in the arrangement, a
            control regime which is to succeed the Cold War's COCOM
            export controls of technology and equipment usable for
            military purposes, too, it was revealed at the briefing.

            Bulgaria has stated many times, and at different levels, its
            willingness to join the new control regime, the Foreign
            Ministry spokesman emphasised. In a statement, disseminated
            by BTA, Bulgarian News Agency, Foreign Ministry pointed out
            that obviously some of the participants in the Wassenaar
            Arrangement talks are still under the rather depressing
            impressions of the suitable conditions created in the
            country for wide-ranging scot-free ruin and lack of
            ownership, which apply also to the military-industrial
            complex and foreign trade in spesial-purpose production. Mr.
            Karasimeonov said that these impressions have sprung from
            the period of radical economic and political reforms in the
            country; he voiced his hopes that the founder-states of the
            Wassenaar Arrangement would soon change these views of
            theirs and would put their trust in Bulgaria's export
            control abilities.

            Trade Ministry officials said that bilateral talks are due
            to be held between Bulgaria and each of the New Forum
            member-countries, which are expected to result in Bulgaria's
            joining the arrangement. An expert group is to visit USA
            from April 29 till May 3 aiming to acquaint American high
            officials with the measures Bulgaria has taken to control
            trade in spesial-purpose production, Mr.Vladimir Velichkov,
            head of Internationally Controlled Trade Department at Trade
            Ministry, said in a recent interview for the PARI Daily. By
            June an expert group of the Wassenaar Arrangement is due to
            visit Bulgaria to lead discussions about our participation
            in the New Forum.

-- 
"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely  exercised for the good of its victims  
 may be the most  oppressive.  It may be better to live under  robber barons  
 than  under  omnipotent  moral busybodies,  The robber baron's  cruelty may  
 sometimes sleep,  his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who  
 torment us for own good  will torment us  without end,  for they do so with 
 the approval of their own conscience."    -   C.S. Lewis, _God in the Dock_ 
+---------------------+--------------------+----------------------------------+
|Julian Assange RSO   | PO Box 2031 BARKER | Secret Analytic Guy Union        |
|proff@suburbia.net   | VIC 3122 AUSTRALIA | finger for PGP key hash ID =     |
|proff@gnu.ai.mit.edu | FAX +61-3-98199066 | 0619737CCC143F6DEA73E27378933690 |
+---------------------+--------------------+----------------------------------+