DESERT FOX ATTACKS TIGER SONG The Pentagon - U.S. war-planners are not all that happy with operation DESERT FOX. The strike was telegraphed to Iraq far in advance and most of the Iraqi mobile Surface to Air missile (SAM) units escaped damage. The prime target for U.S. strikes, the Iraqi Integrated Air Defense network (NATO code-name "Tiger Song"), suffered no major damage and appears to have lost no missile units. The only real "hard target" kills that can be claimed are a few attack helicopters destroyed at a northern Iraqi air-base. Ironically, the Iraqi "Tiger Song" system was built using American and French parts exported to China. Iraq purchased the encrypted - secure - fiber optic system from the Chinese Army in 1996. The Clinton administration authorized the exports of a secure, fiber optic, communication systems to China in 1994. According to the GAO, Clinton also authorized the export of an encrypted - secure - air control system directly to the Chinese Air Force using a Presidential waiver. A TRIBUTE TO NAZI HERO The Pentagon - DOD says that "DESERT FOX" was not named in tribute to German World War II General Erwin Rommel. Rommel was knick-named "The Desert Fox" by Hitler for his exploits against allied forces in North Africa. In 1944, Rommel was implicated in a plot to assassinate Hitler. Rommel was given a choice of being publicly executed or privately taking poison. Rommel took the poison. WATCHING THE WATCHERS The Pentagon - The Defense Department quietly announced the formation of a new internal unit to watch for illegal exports of advanced U.S. technology. The new DoD unit's prime task is to keep a close eye on the U.S. Commerce Department! The unit formation follows on the heels of a scathing DoD report that states the Commerce Department "Commerce did not consult with DoD on whether the documents contained information that should not be released to the Chinese launch service provider or on any other aspect of the launch failure investigation conducted by Hughes with the Chinese." According to the Defense Department,"As a result, DoD did not review or monitor the technical exchanges between Hughes and the Chinese. After Commerce revealed the existence of these reports and other documents during interagency preparations for June 1998 Congressional hearings on satellite exports for launch in China, DoD asked Commerce to provide the subject documents for DoD's review. " You can see a full copy of the report at - http://www.aviationweek.com/aviation/avi_new3.htm ================================================================ 1 if by land, 2 if by sea. Paul Revere - encryption 1775 Charles R. Smith SOFTWAR http://www.softwar.net [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pcyphered SIGNATURE: 34A8ED27DDBC05D627671822167087FD82B258CD00FD682C0162D44C723D5BAB D651203896CC8DEDBD5B4E595B892643474F79C61595B510CB0D09D42A8A5015 049FF3E62D87E50D ================================================================ SOFTWAR EMAIL NEWSLETTER 12/20/1998 *** to unsubscribe reply with "unsubscribe" as subject *** ================================================================
