PFSO / CSO / SSO Course 7-9 FEB 2005

2005-01-19 Thread seasecure
Title: Untitled





	
		

		Port Facility Security Officer Certification Course
			

			
			

			February 7-9, 2005ÂApril 
  11-13, 2005 
			

			Fort 
  Lauderdale, Florida
			 USA

			MTSA 
  / ISPS CODE COMPLIANT TRAINING FOR
			 
			

			PFSO / CSO / SSO & PORT FACILITY / VESSEL 
  MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL  
		 

			
			

			
			

			U.S.
			AND INTERNATIONAL LAW REQUIRES TRAINING 
  
			FOR ALL MARITIME PERSONNEL WITH SECURITY 
		DUTIES
		
	



	
		
  
			WHO 
			WE ARE
  
			The Maritime Security Institute 
  (MSI), a not-for-profit educational institution, is the leading maritime 
  security training center in the United States. Our programs are unique in 
  both the unmatched expertise and experience of our instructors, and the 
  hands-on opportunities to put new security skills to work. Students at MSI 
  come from dozens of countries and represent governments, ports, and 
  shipping companies. We train law enforcement, government officials, 
  military, ship and port operations personnel, RSOs, Designated 
  Authorities, and maritime security executives.
			
			

			OUR 
			PROGRAMS
			

			
			

			MSI security programs combine 
  âbest industry practicesâ from experienced instructors in government and 
  the private sector. Where applicable, these programs meet or exceed the 
  requirements set forth in the IMOâs model Training Programs for compliance 
  with the International Ship & Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code or 
  the US Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA).
			 See our 
		website listed below for more information.


			 

			
			
			

			
			

			OUR 
			INSTRUCTORS
			

			
			

			MSI instructors have a rich and 
  diverse background, with tenure in such organizations as the US Coast 
  Guard, CIA, Justice Department, State Department Office of 
  Counterterrorism, FBI, Navy SEALs, and Army Special Forces. Their private 
  sector experience includes tenure with leading organizations such as 
  SeaLand, CSX, Princess and P&O Cruises, Renaissance Cruises, and other 
  major cargo and container shipping companies and international 
  seaports.
			
			
		
		
		
		

			COURSES 
			OFFERED
			

			
			

	Â

			  
		PFSO / CSO / SSO Certification Course
			

	Â

			  
			Waterborne Security Operations 
			Management Course
			
			

	Â

			  
			Waterborne Security Operations 
			Operatorâs Course
			
			

	Â

			  
			Maritime Physical Security 
			Management
			
			

	Â

			  
			Managing the Port Facility Guard 
			Force
			
			

	Â

			  
		C-TPAT/CSI/BASC â Program Managerâs 
			Course
			

	Â

			  
			Maritime Threat & 
			Intelligence Collection
			
			

	Â

			  
			Maritime Threat & Intelligence Collection 
  for
			Law Enforcement Personnel
			
			

	Â

			  
			Legal Implications of the ISPS 
			Code & MTSA
			
			

	Â

			  
			Underwater Threat 
			Mitigation
			
			

	Â

			  
	Weapons of Mass 
		Destruction â Ports & Ships


			 

			
			

			
			

			FUTURE 
			COURSES
			
			

			
			


			
			Â 
  Container Security: Protecting 
			the Supply Chain
			
			


			Â
			Passenger Ferry Security 
			Operations & Mgt Course
			
			


			Â
			Security Train-the-Trainer 
			Certification Program
			
			

	Â

			  
			Cruise Line Security â Managerâs 
			Course (3-day)
			
			

	Â

			  
		Cruise Line Security â Executive Course (1-day)
			

	Â

			  
			Maritime Terrorism & Crime
			
			

	Â

			  
			Port Employee MTSA Certification 
			Program
			
			

	Â

			  
			MODU Security Operations Course
			
			

	Â

			  
			Information Security for Port 
			& Ship Operators
			
			

	Â

			  
			Security for HAZMAT & CDC 
			Materials
			
			

	Â

			  
	   Florida Port Security Operations:Complying with 

 State Law 311.12  
  

			 

			
			

			
			

			COURSE 
			LOCATIONS
			

			
			
			The Maritime Security Institute offers all of its 
  training courses in southern Florida, or by arrangement, worldwide. These classes can be customized to 
			your particular training requirements or you can let our experts analyze 
			your operations and recommend the most cost effective way to meet the 
			specifications of the International Ship & Port Security (ISPS) Code 
			and the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) of 
			2002.
		
	


	
		

		FOR MORE 
			INFORMATION
			

			BG 
			Kenneth P. Bergquist, Academic Dean
			
			

	http://www.maritimesecurityinstitute.org

			

	 +1-954-343-8995  
			

	[EMAIL PROTECTED]

			
			
		
	





 






 

+++
TO BE REMOVED FROM OUR MGN EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST, VISIT:
HTTP://WWW.MGN.COM/[EMAIL PROTECTED]&blastid=159109&code=RFUA69CT9JTBUWAYSYXH 
YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT US DIRECTLY AT:
MARITIME G

Two men plead guilty in online file-sharing case

2005-01-19 Thread R.A. Hettinga


<
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation 
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'



Re: OpenVPN

2005-01-19 Thread Alexandre Dulaunoy
On Wed, 19 Jan 2005, Eugen Leitl wrote:

> 
> If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. Really easy to set up (two 
> Windows
> XP machines through a NAT on DSL, ping ~50 ms, preshared key, single port 
> open; right now). 
> Looking forward to see how C3-accelerated AES (OpenSSL next stable will 
> support 
> it out of the box) will do, across multiple platforms.
> 
> Le IPsec c'est mort, vive le OpenVPN.

On peut le dire ;-)

The author of  OpenVPN is very open to discussion  for fixing bugs and
adding new  functionalities. OpenVPN is  also working quite  well over
satellite and high-latency links... 

-- 
--   Alexandre Dulaunoy (adulau) -- http://www.foo.be/
-- http://pgp.ael.be:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x44E6CBCD
-- "Knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance
--that we can solve them" Isaac Asimov



OpenVPN

2005-01-19 Thread Eugen Leitl

If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. Really easy to set up (two 
Windows
XP machines through a NAT on DSL, ping ~50 ms, preshared key, single port open; 
right now). 
Looking forward to see how C3-accelerated AES (OpenSSL next stable will support 
it out of the box) will do, across multiple platforms.

Le IPsec c'est mort, vive le OpenVPN.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl http://leitl.org";>leitl
__
ICBM: 48.07078, 11.61144http://www.leitl.org
8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A  7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE
http://moleculardevices.org http://nanomachines.net


pgpZRfP9D9jAS.pgp
Description: PGP signature


[IP] CA State bill could cripple P2P (fwd from dave@farber.net)

2005-01-19 Thread Eugen Leitl
- Forwarded message from David Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -

From: David Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 13:51:24 -0500
To: Ip 
Subject: [IP] CA State bill could cripple P2P
User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/11.1.0.040913
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]


-- Forwarded Message
From: Dewayne Hendricks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 01:38:48 -0800
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] CA State bill could cripple P2P

  State bill could cripple P2P
  By John Borland


  Story last modified Tue Jan 18 17:55:00 PST 2005

A bill introduced in California's Legislature last week has raised the
possibility of jail time for developers of file-swapping software who
don't stop trades of copyrighted movies and songs online.

The proposal, introduced by Los Angeles Sen. Kevin Murray, takes direct
aim at companies that distribute software such as Kazaa, eDonkey or
Morpheus. If passed and signed into law, it could expose file-swapping
software developers to fines of up to $2,500 per charge, or a year in
jail, if they don't take "reasonable care" in preventing the use of
their software to swap copyrighted music or movies--or child
pornography.

  Peer-to-peer software companies and their allies immediately
criticized the bill as a danger to technological innovation, and as
potentially unconstitutional.

  "State Sen. Murray did not choose to seek out the facts before
introducing misguided legislation that effectively would make criminals
out of many companies that bring jobs and economic growth to
California," Mike Weiss, CEO of Morpheus parent StreamCast Networks,
said in a statement. "This bill is an attack on innovation itself and
tax-paying California-based businesses like StreamCast depend on that
freedom to innovate."

  The bill comes as much of the technology world is waiting for the
Supreme Court to rule on the legal status of file-swapping technology.

  Federal courts have twice ruled that peer-to-peer software companies
are not legally responsible for the illegal actions of people using
their products. Hollywood studios and record companies appealed those
decisions to the nation's top court, which is expected to rule on the
issue this summer.

  In the meantime, entertainment companies' push for federal legislation
on file-swapping issue has been put temporarily on the back burner. A
controversial bill that would have put more legal responsibility on the
peer-to-peer developers failed to pass at the end of last year's
congressional session.

  California has taken a lead among states in putting pressure on the
file-swapping world. Attorney General Bill Lockyer was a key figure
last year in pushing for more state-level legal scrutiny of the
companies' actions, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has sought to ban
illegal downloading on any state computers, including those owned by
the state university systems.

[snip]


Archives at: 
Weblog at: 


-- End of Forwarded Message


-
You are subscribed as [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To manage your subscription, go to
  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/

- End forwarded message -
-- 
Eugen* Leitl http://leitl.org";>leitl
__
ICBM: 48.07078, 11.61144http://www.leitl.org
8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A  7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE
http://moleculardevices.org http://nanomachines.net


pgpmnrAIhsZ0K.pgp
Description: PGP signature


[IP] more on CA State bill could cripple P2P (fwd from dave@farber.net)

2005-01-19 Thread Eugen Leitl
- Forwarded message from David Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -

From: David Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 14:02:11 -0500
To: Ip 
Subject: [IP] more on   CA State bill could cripple P2P
User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/11.1.0.040913
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]


-- Forwarded Message
From: Mike O'Dell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 13:58:18 -0500
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [IP] CA State bill could cripple P2P


actually, taken at face value, this outlaws all
network protocol stacks I know about, even terminal
emulators with things like x-modem and even file redirection.

it's patently bogus, but it could do an immense amount of mischief
done before it gets undone (assuming it ever gets done).

What i'd like to see is a bill punishing legislators for
introducing unconstitutional bills.  if a bill is declared
unconstitutional, the sponsors of the bill would do prison
time for an assault on the public freedom.

 -mo

-- End of Forwarded Message


-
You are subscribed as [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To manage your subscription, go to
  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/

- End forwarded message -
-- 
Eugen* Leitl http://leitl.org";>leitl
__
ICBM: 48.07078, 11.61144http://www.leitl.org
8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A  7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE
http://moleculardevices.org http://nanomachines.net


pgpudifHS8FLG.pgp
Description: PGP signature


INVITATION TO REGISTER for Shipping China 2005, 3rd-4th March, SHANGHAI

2005-01-19 Thread shippingchina2005



	
  




Dear Colleague, 
You are cordially invited to register for the Shipping China 2005 conference 
which will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai, 3rd-4th March 2005, 
and jointly organised by TradeWinds and Mare Forum. 
Shipping China 2005   is kindly sponsored by: DNV, V.Ships, Lloyd's Register, 
International Registries, Fortis Bank, Germanischer Lloyd, WÃrtsila, The OSM 
Group, Winmar, KÃnig & Cie, Bureau Veritas, Wikborg Rein, RINA, Braemar 
Seascope Group and SoftMAR, and supported by the Hong Kong Shipowners 
Association, Shanghai Shipping Exchange, Shanghai International Port Group and 
Intertanko. 
Be warned.  This is no ordinary conference.  Based on the proven 
and successful debating style formula, Shipping China 2005 will leave you 
educated, entertained and exhilarated.  In two days, you will learn about 
the issues effecting shipping in China through a series of experience sharing 
presentations and frank and open debates among participants. 
Basil Papachristidis, Chairman, Hellespont Group 
commented, "China is a new major force in international shipping and I 
welcome the opportunity which this well-organised forum provides to 
strengthen links between East and West.  

 " 
Shipping China 2005 will focus on:

   What can shipping expect from the Chinese 
  Government going forward? 
   China's short and long term energy requirements 
  and what that means for shipping. 
   Expert forecasts and predictions for the box 
  ship, dry bulk, tanker and LNG markets. 
   Co-operation and alliances with Chinese companies 
  - first hand experiences. 
   Financing Chinese shipping- what's next? 
   "Made in China" A discussion around Chinese 
  built, equipped and crewed ships. 
The full programme is available and can be viewed by clicking on: 
http://www.mareforum.com/china_shipping_programme_2005.htm 

To download the conference brochure: http://www.mareforum.com/China_Shipping_2005_Conference_Brochure.pdf 

For the conference registration and hotel booking forms, please visit: 
http://www.mareforum.com/china_shipping_register_2005.htm 

Speakers and panellists confirmed:
 Frederik Tsao, Chairman, IMC Pan Asia Alliance Ltd 
& Chairman INTERCARGO  Gao Yanming, President of 
Hebei Ocean Shipping Co, Ltd China (HOSCO)  Wang 
Chunlin, Vice-President, SINOTRANS  Tan Zuojun, 
Vice-President, China State Shipbuilding Corp.(CSSC) 
 Lu Haihu, President, Shanghai International Port 
(Group) Co. Ltd  Junshan Zou, General Manager 
Operations, P&O Nedlloyd (China) Ltd  Guo Jian 
Feng, Managing Director Oldendorff China  Brian 
Martis, Crew Director, V.Ships  Stephen van Dyck, 
Chairman of INTERTANKO & Chairman, Maritrans Inc. USA 
 Mohammad Souri, Chairman National Iranian Tanker 
Co. NITC, Iran  Yan Heming, Chairman, China National 
Shipscrapping Association  Jian Xu, Marketing 
Manager, Barber CS Marine  Henry Chiang, Area 
Manager Lloydâs Register  Chris Williams, Director 
Graig Shipping  Graham Porter, Managing Director, 
Seaspan Container Lines  Lars Nilssen, General 
Manager, Barber CS Marine  Rajaish Bajpaee, 
President of the International Ship Managers' Association and Eurasia 
 Arthur Bowring, Managing Director, Honk Kong 
Shipowners Association  Gary Smith, Director, LNG 
Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited 
 Peter Swift, Managing Director, Intertanko 
 Martin Stopford, Managing Director, Clarksonâs 
Research  Arthur Kroeber, Managing Editor, The China 
Economic Quarterly, China  Nick Hubbard, Howe 
Robinson Shipbrokers London  Nicolai Hansteen, Chief 
Economist, Lorentzen & Stemoco  Denis 
Petropoulos, Tanker Director, Braemar Seascope  John 
Guy, Partner, Merlin Corporate Communications  Terry 
Macalister, Columnist Tradewinds  Jacques Michaux, 
Deputy Director, Maritime Transport, European Commission 
 Igor Ponomarev, Permanent Representative of the 
Russian Federation to the IMO  Bruce Carlton, 
Associate Administrator for Policy and International Trade MARAD, USA 
 Ãystein Meland, Partner, Wikborg Rein & Co 
 Gust Biesbroeck, Deputy Director, Global Shipping 
Fortis Bank  Dagfinn Lunde, Member of the Board of 
DVB Bank and CEO of the Shipping Division  Tobias 
KÃnig, Managing Partner, KÃnig & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG. 
 Tom Kuhnle, Director Product/Analysis, 
International & Shipping Division, Nordea Bank Norge ASA 
 Christoph Vitzthum, President, WÃrtsilà Propulsion 
Group  Ugo Salerno, CEO, RINA 
 William Gallagher, President International 
Registries  Even Winje, Managing Director WINMAR 
 Bernard Anne, Chairman IACS & Managing Director 
Bureau Veritas  Representative, Hellespont Steamship 
Corp., Greece  Hans Payer, External Affairs Advisor, 
Germanischer Lloyd, Germany  Representative, Jebsen 
Mana

RE: [N-B] "Microstate": A Mouse Roars

2005-01-19 Thread Ian W. Sawyer
Whilst I'd agree with most of this article, what it doesn't mention and
which is something that does give rise to a bit of concern is the way that
the Montenegrin government issued a number banking licences a couple of
years ago, took all their fees but not many months later suddenly changed
the law and withdrew the licences, effectively making those banks illegal. 

If a government can do this, without recourse to any effective appeal, in
one area, it has the potential to do so in others.

 Ian.

http://iansawyer.com
http://iansawyer.ath.cx

The state has grown used to treating its taxpayers as a farmer treats his
cows, keeping them in a field to be milked. Soon however, in cyberspace, the
cows will have wings.. -- "The Sovereign Individual"





> -Original Message-
> From: R.A. Hettinga [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> Sent: 19 January 2005 15:33
> To: osint@yahoogroups.com; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [N-B] "Microstate": A Mouse Roars
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Wall Street Journal
> 
>   January 19, 2005
> 
>  COMMENTARY
> 
> 
> A Mouse Roars
> 
> By VLADIMIR KAVARIC
> January 19, 2005
> 
> 
> PODGORICA, Serbia and Montenegro -- Since the publication in 
> 1776 of "An
> Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of the 
> Nations" by Adam
> Smith, the impact of free-market activity and international trade on
> economic development is well-known. The experience of recent 
> decades shows
> that the most successful countries with the highest growth 
> rates are those
> that have implemented pro-market policies and allow freedom 
> in economic
> affairs. That's why a transition economy like Montenegro sees its best
> chance in openness, private initiative, international competition, and
> economic freedom.
> 
> Montenegro, the smallest state of the former Yugoslavia with 
> little more
> than 600,000 inhabitants, presents its economic development 
> concept with
> the slogan "Montenegro -- Microstate." Microstate in this 
> case has nothing
> to do with the size of the population or the country. Rather, the
> Montenegrin Microstate concept, developed by Professor 
> Veselin Vukotic,
> assumes a minimal role for the state in the economy, low taxes, simple
> business regulations, a stable institutional framework, and 
> the protection
> of property rights.
> 
> The first steps on this road have already been taken. 
> Montenegro adopted
> the euro as the country's legal tender and thereby minimized 
> the inflation
> taxation of its citizens. Without that step, the central bank in
> Montenegro, a transitional economy with weak institutions, 
> would have been
> under constant pressure to print money.
> 
> The adoption of the new tax law will introduce one of the 
> lowest corporate
> tax rates in Europe: a mere 9%. Capital-exchange restrictions 
> have been
> eliminated and the repatriation of profits made by foreign 
> investors in
> Montenegro is free. Interest rates are market determined and 
> more than 99%
> of the prices are freely set. Treating foreign investors just 
> like domestic
> ones, enjoying the same rights and legal protections, is intrinsic to
> Montenegro's privatization, investment and business 
> regulations. In order
> to encourage new business development, the required starting 
> capital for a
> limited liability company has been reduced to ¤1. The 
> aluminum industry,
> which accounts for 60% of total exports, is in the process of being
> privatized. The tender for Telekom Crna Gore, the national fixed-line
> operator, is also already underway. Tourism is another area where
> Montenegro has enormous potential to expand. A majority of 
> hotels are still
> state-owned but those are now all up for sale while the 
> country is open for
> new investments. According to the World Tourism Organization, 
> Montenegro's
> tourism industry will be one of the fastest growing in the world.
> 
> The biggest obstacles to economic freedom at the moment are 
> high government
> expenditures and the large number of administrative barriers. 
> A reform of
> the judicial system would also significantly improve the 
> business ambience.
> These barriers are, for the most part, part of the old 
> socialist legacy.
> 
> As anywhere else in the world, the most vigorous objections to the
> implementation of economic freedom in Montenegro come from 
> rent-seeking
> groups, monopolists, and people that benefit from state 
> redistribution.
> 
> But Montenegro also has to overcome a barrier that is peculiar to its
> political situation. As one of the basic preconditions for signing the
> Association and Stabilization Agreement with the EU, Brussels 
> insisted on
> the "harmonization" of economic systems between Serbia and Montenegro.
> Given the fact that Montenegro wants to develop an open and
> service-oriented economy while Serbia wants to protect its 
> agriculture and

Schneier on Security: Microsoft RC4 Flaw

2005-01-19 Thread R.A. Hettinga


 

Bruce Schneier
  

Schneier on Security

A weblog covering security and security technology.


January 18, 2005

Microsoft RC4 Flaw

One of the most important rules of stream ciphers is to never use the same
keystream to encrypt two different documents. If someone does, you can
break the encryption by XORing the two ciphertext streams together. The
keystream drops out, and you end up with plaintext XORed with plaintext --
and you can easily recover the two plaintexts using letter frequency
analysis and other basic techniques.

It's an amateur crypto mistake. The easy way to prevent this attack is to
use a unique initialization vector (IV) in addition to the key whenever you
encrypt a document.

Microsoft uses the RC4 stream cipher in both Word and Excel. And they make
this mistake. Hongjun Wu has details (link is a PDF).
In this report, we point out a serious security flaw in Microsoft Word and
Excel. The stream cipher RC4 [9] with key length up to 128 bits is used in
Microsoft Word and Excel to protect the documents. But when an encrypted
document gets modified and saved, the initialization vector remains the
same and thus the same keystream generated from RC4 is applied to encrypt
the different versions of that document. The consequence is disastrous
since a lot of information of the document could be recovered easily.

This isn't new. Microsoft made the same mistake in 1999 with RC4 in WinNT
Syskey. Five years later, Microsoft has the same flaw in other products.

Posted on January 18, 2005 at 09:00 AM


-- 
-
R. A. Hettinga 
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation 
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'



"Microstate": A Mouse Roars

2005-01-19 Thread R.A. Hettinga


The Wall Street Journal

  January 19, 2005

 COMMENTARY


A Mouse Roars

By VLADIMIR KAVARIC
January 19, 2005


PODGORICA, Serbia and Montenegro -- Since the publication in 1776 of "An
Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of the Nations" by Adam
Smith, the impact of free-market activity and international trade on
economic development is well-known. The experience of recent decades shows
that the most successful countries with the highest growth rates are those
that have implemented pro-market policies and allow freedom in economic
affairs. That's why a transition economy like Montenegro sees its best
chance in openness, private initiative, international competition, and
economic freedom.

Montenegro, the smallest state of the former Yugoslavia with little more
than 600,000 inhabitants, presents its economic development concept with
the slogan "Montenegro -- Microstate." Microstate in this case has nothing
to do with the size of the population or the country. Rather, the
Montenegrin Microstate concept, developed by Professor Veselin Vukotic,
assumes a minimal role for the state in the economy, low taxes, simple
business regulations, a stable institutional framework, and the protection
of property rights.

The first steps on this road have already been taken. Montenegro adopted
the euro as the country's legal tender and thereby minimized the inflation
taxation of its citizens. Without that step, the central bank in
Montenegro, a transitional economy with weak institutions, would have been
under constant pressure to print money.

The adoption of the new tax law will introduce one of the lowest corporate
tax rates in Europe: a mere 9%. Capital-exchange restrictions have been
eliminated and the repatriation of profits made by foreign investors in
Montenegro is free. Interest rates are market determined and more than 99%
of the prices are freely set. Treating foreign investors just like domestic
ones, enjoying the same rights and legal protections, is intrinsic to
Montenegro's privatization, investment and business regulations. In order
to encourage new business development, the required starting capital for a
limited liability company has been reduced to ¤1. The aluminum industry,
which accounts for 60% of total exports, is in the process of being
privatized. The tender for Telekom Crna Gore, the national fixed-line
operator, is also already underway. Tourism is another area where
Montenegro has enormous potential to expand. A majority of hotels are still
state-owned but those are now all up for sale while the country is open for
new investments. According to the World Tourism Organization, Montenegro's
tourism industry will be one of the fastest growing in the world.

The biggest obstacles to economic freedom at the moment are high government
expenditures and the large number of administrative barriers. A reform of
the judicial system would also significantly improve the business ambience.
These barriers are, for the most part, part of the old socialist legacy.

As anywhere else in the world, the most vigorous objections to the
implementation of economic freedom in Montenegro come from rent-seeking
groups, monopolists, and people that benefit from state redistribution.

But Montenegro also has to overcome a barrier that is peculiar to its
political situation. As one of the basic preconditions for signing the
Association and Stabilization Agreement with the EU, Brussels insisted on
the "harmonization" of economic systems between Serbia and Montenegro.
Given the fact that Montenegro wants to develop an open and
service-oriented economy while Serbia wants to protect its agriculture and
inherited heavy industries, the harmonization of these systems is more than
just problematic. The most illustrative example is the harmonization of
custom rates. Through this process, Montenegro was forced to increase its
custom rates from an average 2.8% to 6%. Montenegro even had to increase
custom rates for those products that it doesn't produce itself, such as
sugar and textiles.

There are, however, new encouraging developments in this area. At a recent
conference in Maastricht, the EU proposed a more flexible approach to the
accession process of Serbia and Montenegro, the so-called "dual track"
path. This dual track process demonstrates that the EU recognizes that the
economic realities of Serbia and Montenegro are quite different and that
they need to be taken into account.

Accepting and acknowledging the economic realities of Serbia and Montenegro
would present a new era in interstate relationships in the Balkans.
Montenegro would be given the opportunity to take full responsibility for
its economic policy. At the same time, the international community would
gain stable relations in the region based on respecting mutual interests.
An open economy in Montenegro would add to the competitive landscape of the
region. More competition (and n

Re: Carnivore No More

2005-01-19 Thread Steve Thompson
 --- "R.A. Hettinga" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: 
> At 12:31 AM +0100 1/16/05, Eugen Leitl wrote:
> >it is believed that unspecified
> >   commercial surveillance tools are employed now.
> 
> It was always AGGroup's Skyline package to begin with.
> 
> The FBI is like NASA. They never build anything, and take all the
> credit.

At least we now know that the capabilities of the FBI in this 
regard are at least equivalent to that which a good Linux admin
can deploy when he has control of your upstream link.  The FBI 
cannot argue in court that their network eavesdropping capabilities
require secrecy and non-disclosure.  Sure they can pretend that
the userland tools are super high-tech, but the analysis and 
inteception of arbitrary network traffic is not rocket science.


Regards,

Steve


__ 
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca