The New War

[John Young <jya@pipeline.com>]

"The New War" is Senator John Kerry's (Dem, MA)
new book which examines global enemies of law 
and order. He cites the use of high-tech weapons,
off-shore banks, and the Internet, featuring encryption, 
by rogue nations and organized criminals who are 
hiring the best and brightest lawyers, programmers,
cryptographers and ex-spooks who once looked to
the USG for secure careers, and who also pay top dollar
for premium products and skills once affordable only 
by the military.

He wonders how governments can compete with these
new cash-flush criminals. The answer: new laws and
new global arrangements.

His view on global crypto is almost identical to that of
Senator Kerrey (Dem, KA), Professor Denning and others 
who appear to be working in concert with the administration
to advance global GAK, while admitting that some harm
to privacy may be necessary. All nations must act in
concert, Kerry says, to prevent the spread of dangerous
technology.

For a similar view, see Denning's synopsis of a paper on 
criminal use of encryption and developing technology to be 
published shortly:

   http://guru.cosc.georgetown.edu/~denning/crypto/oc-abs.html

We've also heard from BXA that new regulations for the
Commerce Control List and EAR to bring them into accord
with the Wassenaar Arrangement will be out in "a month or
two." This will probably be coordinated with the issuance of
similar regulations by the 33 signators of the regime.

It might portend the imposition of a global GAK regime that 
Kerry, et al, suggest is a primary weapon in The New War.