13 May 1999: Add response by Gant Redmon, PECSENC member

12 May 1999

An updated agenda for the May 14 meeting  in DC of the President's Export Council Subcommittee on Encryption (PECSENC) has been provided by Lisa Ann Carpenter, Committee Liaison Officer (202-482-2583):

Opening remarks by the new chairman, William Crowell (ex-Deputy DIRNSA)

Encryption initiatives of the Bureau of Export Administration, by William Reinsch

Overview of the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO) by Jeffrey Hunker, Director

1:30 Presentation by the office of Senator McCain on his crypto bill

2:00 Report on Congressional activities

2:30 Presentations on Bernstein by the two sides, Cindy Cohn and Department of Justice

3:00 Adjourn (cut back from 5:00 as the FR announced)

Also, a list of PECSENC members was promised but has not yet arrived. This information is hard to come by so it will be most welcomed. Minutes of past meetings and policy recommendations are elusive too. See the one public statement:

http://209.122.145.150/PresidentsExportCouncil/PECSENC/pecsenc1.htm

It's shameful and maybe illegal to hide PECSENC information. Recent scutbutt was that acting PECSENC chair Stewart Baker (ex-NSA) was going to help John Gilmore set up a public web site for PECSENC affairs. That accountability initiative appears to have died with Crowell's appointment, or to be fair, is more likely being studied to slow death to cozzen natsec grizzes -- which fits NSA's MO to SIDA misfit crypto naifs.

Thanks to RH and Gant Redmon.

May 12, 1999

Gant Redmon wrote:
> 
> Richard:
> 
> As a member of PECSENC, I'm responding to you but CC the list to get a
> little info out about PECSENC.  It isn't as clandestine a bunch as we are
> portrayed.  Actually, our closed door briefing on the latest national
> security threats have been rather mind numbing and devoid of substance.
> Instead, we gather to represent different interests and sit down and have a
> dialogue.  It's tough because no one camp controls.  We have industry
> representative like myself, law enforcement representative, usually a strong
> BXA and NSA contingent and a smattering of DOJ and Treasury folks that drift
> in and out.  The real fun starts when the general public takes the time to
> show up.  The venting going on in meeting in California was a blast.  I
> think our value add is the feedback we are able to give the folks that draft
> the laws that make our lives such a treat.  I'd say PECSENC played a role in
> the relaxation of controls last December and who knows what will be next.
> John Gilmore and I have spoken about what this is worth before.  It's true
> we aren't making any radical overnight changes occur, but we are trying to
> work towards some solutions (or maybe some realizations) that should result
> in encryption becoming more fundamental in everyone's lives.
> 
> As for notice, we meet the second Friday every other months.  Pretty simple
> formula.  So far, all meetings have been at BXA headquarters except for one
> in California.  Just park at the Ronald Reagan building to get off at Metro
> Center.  See you there.
> 
> Gant Redmon
> AXENT Technologies, Inc.
> 
> P.S. Richard: can you get this back to Cypherpunks for me?
> 

Also, in response to a private inquiry, Gant provided the following:

>Richard
>
> People shouldn't feel slighted.  Even WE don't have a final agenda yet.  A
> lot of times, we don't get it until the night before.  But it will be from
> 10:00 to 3:00 in room 4832 at DOC.  There always seems to be chairs
> available.  It's no rock concert. :)
> 
>Gant