[IWAR] CRYPTO Congress to POTUS

From: 7Pillars Partners (partnersat_private)
Date: Mon Apr 06 1998 - 11:04:04 PDT

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    Date: Mon, 06 Apr 98 09:10:46 PDT
    From: "Willis H. Ware" <willisat_private>
    Subject: MCs to the PRES
    
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    To: ADDISON.FISCHERat_private (Addison Fischer), joe_leoat_private,
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        gspixat_private (George Spix), rickat_private (Rick Weingarten),
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    Cc: elaine.fryeat_private (Elaine Frye), edward.robackat_private,
        stuart.katzkeat_private, "Dennis D. Steinauer" <ddsat_private>,
        Willis_Ware <willisat_private>
    Subject: MCs to the PRES
    Reply-To: willisat_private
    Date: Mon, 06 Apr 98 09:10:46 PDT
    From: "Willis H. Ware" <willisat_private>
    
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    From: "(--Todd Lappin-->)" <telstarat_private>
    Subject: Congressional letter to Clinton re crypto...
    
    Received today from a highly trusted source... authenticity has been
    confirmed by a Congressional contact on Capitol Hill.
    
    - - --Todd Lappin-->
    Associate Editor
    WIRED Magazine
    
                          [Congressional Letterhead]
    
                                   April 2, 1998
    
    The President
    The White House
    Washington, D.C. 20500
    
    Dear Mr. President:
    
         We strongly support legislation that would substantially
    reform the Administration's export restrictions on American-made
    encryption products.
    
         We understand from Vice President Gore's recent letter to
    Senator Daschle, however, that the Administration prefers to make
    progress on the difficult issues raised by encryption through an
    intensive dialogue with industry rather than through legislation.
    We further understand that industry members have met with
    Administration staff on a preliminary basis to explore the
    framework for such Administration/industry discussions.
    
         We hope such an approach will succeed, but we are convinced
    that it will succeed only if all of the Administration agencies
    involved in those discussions -- when considering the effect of
    the increasingly widespread use of encryption products on
    legitimate law enforcement and national security interests -- are
    realistic about global and technical realities.
    
         Two developments in only the last two weeks illustrate the
    futility in banning encryption's export or use.  Network
    Associates, the nation's largest independent maker of computer
    security software, has announced that its Dutch subsidiary will
    sell an international version of its strongest encryption
    program.  In addition, an MIT scientist, Ronald Rivest, has just
    proposed a new technique for securing computer files and
    communications, called "chaffing and winnowing," which doesn't
    involve encryption at all.
    
         The point is that the Administration can hardly control the
    proliferation or direction of technology in the digital age.
    Consequently, the discussions with industry will succeed only if
    the Administration commits itself in these discussions to a major
    overhaul of its current export policies and to policies that do
    not mandate or compel domestic controls on encryption.   Rather,
    government should recognize that in the coming decades the
    protection of our nation's critical infrastructure and national
    security interests demand foremost that American industry retain
    its global leadership in the digital arena.  A strong domestic
    high-tech industry -- in cooperation with national security
    agencies and law enforcement officials which have been granted
    sufficient resources by our government for meeting the challenges
    of the digital age -- is the foremost priority for ensuring
    American security and global leadership in the Information Age.
    
         We sincerely hope that progress can be made during the next
    several weeks.  If not, we will continue to believe that the
    legislative process can best develop the reforms needed in this
    
    area.
    
    Sincerely,
    
    
    [Signed]
    
    Richard A. Gephardt, M.C.
    Zoe Lofgren, M.C.
    Vic Fazio, M.C.
    Martin Frost, M.C.
    Sam Gejdenson, M.C.
    John Conyers, Jr., M.C.
    Edward J. Markey, M.C.
    Anna G. Eshoo, M.C.
    Rick Boucher, M.C.
    Calvin M. Dooley, M.C.
    James P. Moran, M.C.
    Adam Smith, M.C.
    
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