Senate Intel Committee on Crypto

[John Young <jya@pipeline.com>]

>From Senate Intelligence Committee Report 105-185, on intelligence 
funding for FY1999, May 7, 1998:

Encryption

    The Committee remains concerned about efforts to 
inappropriately ease or remove export restrictions on hardware 
and software encryption products. Export controls on encryption 
and other products serve a clearly defined purpose--to protect 
our nation's security. Therefore, the Committee believes that 
the effects on U.S. national security must be the paramount 
concern when considering any proposed change to encryption 
export policy, and will seek referral of any legislation 
regarding encryption export policy under its jurisdiction 
established under Senate Resolution 400.

    Export restrictions on encryption products assist the 
Intelligence Community in its signals intelligence mission. By 
collecting and analyzing signals intelligence, U.S. 
intelligence agencies seek to understand the policies, 
intentions, and plans of foreign state and nonstate actors. 
Signals intelligence plays an important role in the formation 
of American foreign and defense policy. It is also a 
significant factor in U.S. efforts to protect its citizens and 
soldiers against terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of 
mass destruction, narcotics trafficking, international crime 
and other threats to our nation's security.

    While the Committee recognizes the commercial interest in 
easing or removing export restrictions, it believes the safety 
of our citizens and soldiers should be the predominant concern 
when considering U.S. policy towards the export of any product. 
The Committee supports the continued control of encryption 
products, and believes that a comprehensive strategy on 
encryption export policy can and must be developed that 
addresses national security concerns as well as the promotion 
of American commercial interests abroad. The Committee looks 
forward to working with senior Administration officials in 
developing such a strategy.

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Full report: 

   http://jya.com/sr105-185.txt  (94K)