Re: Carnivore No More
--- 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
Schneier on Security: Microsoft RC4 Flaw
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/01/microsoft_rc4_f.html 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 mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation http://www.ibuc.com/ 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
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB110608639391629354,00.html 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 not
RE: [N-B] Microstate: A Mouse Roars
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 http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB110608639391629354,00.html 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
INVITATION TO REGISTER for Shipping China 2005, 3rd-4th March, SHANGHAI
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, Wrtsila, The OSM Group, Winmar, Knig & 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 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 Lloyds 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, Clarksons 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 ystein 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 Knig, Managing Partner, Knig & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG. Tom Kuhnle, Director Product/Analysis, International & Shipping Division, Nordea Bank Norge ASA Christoph Vitzthum, President, Wrtsil 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 Management AS
[IP] more on CA State bill could cripple P2P (fwd from dave@farber.net)
- Forwarded message from David Farber [EMAIL PROTECTED] - From: David Farber [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 14:02:11 -0500 To: Ip ip@v2.listbox.com 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 a href=http://leitl.org;leitl/a __ 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
[IP] CA State bill could cripple P2P (fwd from dave@farber.net)
- Forwarded message from David Farber [EMAIL PROTECTED] - From: David Farber [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 13:51:24 -0500 To: Ip ip@v2.listbox.com 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 http://news.com.com/State+bill+could+cripple+P2P/2100-1028_3 -5540937.html 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: http://Wireless.Com/Dewayne-Net Weblog at: http://weblog.warpspeed.com -- 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 a href=http://leitl.org;leitl/a __ 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
OpenVPN
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 a href=http://leitl.org;leitl/a __ 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
Re: OpenVPN
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=getsearch=0x44E6CBCD -- Knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance --that we can solve them Isaac Asimov
Two men plead guilty in online file-sharing case
http://www.wstm.com/global/story.asp?s=2831591ClientType=Printable Back Two men plead guilty in online file-sharing case LOS ANGELES A Johnson City man is one of two defendants to plead guilty in Los Angeles to federal charges over the online file-sharing of music, movies and software over peer-to-peer networks. The U-S Justice Department says William Trowbridge of Johnson City and Michael Chicoine of San Antonio each pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit felony copyright infringement. Officials say the two are the first people convicted for online file-sharing. The two men were targeted as part of an investigation which focused on online piracy over peer-to-peer, or P-2-P, networks. Such networks enable computer users to access files directly from the computers of other users on the network. The 50-year-old Trowbridge and 47-year-old Chicoine also pleaded guilty to acting for commercial advantage or private financial gain. Each faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a 250-thousand dollar fine. They could also be ordered to pay restitution to victims when they are sentenced in April. -- - R. A. Hettinga mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation http://www.ibuc.com/ 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'
PFSO / CSO / SSO Course 7-9 FEB 2005
Title: Untitled Port Facility Security Officer Certification Course February 7-9, 2005April 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 best industry practices from experienced instructors in government and the private sector. Where applicable, these programs meet or exceed the requirements set forth in the IMOs 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 Cruises, Renaissance Cruises, and other major cargo and container shipping companies and international seaports. COURSES OFFERED PFSO / CSO / SSO Certification Course Waterborne Security Operations Management Course Waterborne Security Operations Operators Course Maritime Physical Security Management Managing the Port Facility Guard Force C-TPAT/CSI/BASC Program Managers Course Maritime Threat & Intelligence Collection Maritime Threat & Intelligence Collection for Law Enforcement Personnel Legal Implications of the ISPS Code & MTSA Underwater Threat Mitigation Weapons of Mass Destruction Ports & Ships FUTURE COURSES Container Security: Protecting the Supply Chain Passenger Ferry Security Operations & Mgt Course Security Train-the-Trainer Certification Program Cruise Line Security Managers Course (3-day) Cruise Line Security Executive Course (1-day) Maritime Terrorism & Crime Port Employee MTSA Certification Program MODU Security Operations Course Information Security for Port & Ship Operators Security for HAZMAT & CDC Materials 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]=159109=RFUA69CT9JTBUWAYSYXH YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT US DIRECTLY AT: MARITIME GLOBAL NET PO BOX 207 BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND 02809
Microstate: A Mouse Roars
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB110608639391629354,00.html 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 not
Re: Carnivore No More
--- 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
RE: [N-B] Microstate: A Mouse Roars
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 http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB110608639391629354,00.html 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
