Posted on 01/30/2008 1:22:31 PM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has approved the sale of advanced dual-use computers to Syria.
"It's a major piece of equipment and is being given to an ally that could use it for military purposes as well as share it with Iran," an official said.
The export, disclosed by the U.S. television network Fox, was approved despite U.S. sanctions on Damascus of military and advanced dual-use systems. Syria, deemed a terrorist sponsor, has been in the same category as Iran and North Korea.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldtribune.com ...
Ally? Syria?
WTF, over?
Of interest....
It's a major piece of equipment and is being given to an ally that could use it for military purposes as well as share it with Iran.On the other hand there's this in the same article...right after the above:
The export... was approved despite U.S. sanctions on Damascus of military and advanced dual-use systems. Syria, deemed a terrorist sponsor, has been in the same category as Iran and North Korea.If you substituted "China" and dated this ten years ago, you would be speaking of the Clintons. This is ludicrous.
It's a major piece of equipment and is being given to an ally that could use it for military purposes as well as share it with Iran.On the other hand there's this in the same article...right after the above:
The export... was approved despite U.S. sanctions on Damascus of military and advanced dual-use systems. Syria, deemed a terrorist sponsor, has been in the same category as Iran and North Korea.If you substituted "China" and dated this ten years ago, you would be speaking of the Clintons. This is ludicrous.
I bet we have imbeded stuff in the computers so as to track their every move and crash them whenever we want. You know how smart the CIA and State Dept. are. //s
Sheer genius.
It sounds like they granted a waiver for Syria to get computers and networking equipment for their customs systems.
Computing power advances very quickly, and the restrictions on computing systems change slowly. They may very well need a waiver to sell what might be considered common business networking equipment and a server capable of tracking customs information.
Our government's approach tends to be to keep the restrictions overly tight to maintain control, and then grant waivers where it makes sense. That's a wise approach, but it often leads to people getting worked up about things because they only have limited information about what is really going on.
Some payment for some super-secret service rendered...
What specific information do you have about this sale and the equipment involved?
I can’t wait to hear Bush speak of “punishing those who aid terrorists”.
His credibility is spent.
BTW: Where is Cheney in all this?
Selling out Israel, just like his daddy did.
What is amazing to me here is not the computers per se, and that is amazing enough, but what the hell are we doing conducting trade with a member of the Axis of Evil?
Trade has become god. All kneel in his presence.
Why not sell these computers to Iran or North Korea? After all they are the other two members of the Axis of Evil.
You really have to ask yourself, do I have the right game card here? All the players seem to be playing on the opposite team.
I cautioned that I wouldn't get too worked up about this unless someone presents details about the computing equipment and how it might be used.
Anything that can be used in a defense project can be considered dual use.
If those companies created software to do customs operations of modified existing systems to for our customs department, those materials become dual use even if they are still completely applicable for regular business use.
If the equipment they are selling Syria is meant to be compatible with our customs systems, it would pretty much have to require a waiver, even if the computing power and complexity of the system is insignificant.
If it's use as part of our defense systems, it becomes a defense article, and is subject to export controls.
It would be good to have another surge and then withdraw the troops through Syria, taking out staging and terrorist training facilities that do not exist there along the way.
“Then we’re stupid and we’ll die”
Syria is a member of the Axis of Evil. I wouldn’t sell it a TRS-80. I simply cannot fathom what logic was used to approve the sale of any computer system to Syria. This isn’t an ally of ours. It’s been a sworn enemy of the U.S. clear back into the 60s when our planes were hijacked and flow into Damascus. It has had it’s hand in Lebanon for what fifty years that I am aware of. And here we are acting as if trade with it is a no brainer. Well, it is. We shouldn’t be participating in it.
Once again I must also say that giving ANY technology to Syria is a mistake in my book. Trying to explain away the danger of a computer sale the them is pointless IMO.
I wouldn't give Syria anything. However, Syria's porous borders have been a serious problem for us in Iraq. I'm not sure that Syria is really interested in closing it's borders to insurgents and terrorists, but we might see some benefit to them improving their customs systems.
If there is no real harm in selling this equipment to Syria, and there is some, arguably remote possibility of seeing some benefit from selling them this equipment, I see no reason to forbid American companies from making money selling Syria this equipment.
If this equipment is something they could likely get from some other country, and there isn't much chance of selling it to them harming us, I don't see why our companies shouldn't earn the money from selling it.
However, such sales should be carefully monitored to make sure the companies are only selling what is permitted.
Security cannot be ignored because of economic desires. However, if there aren't real security issues, the US refusing to sell goods to Syria makes no more sense than Iran refusing to sell us oil.
Iran is happy to take our money and use it against us. Why shouldn't we be happy to take Syria's money?
I wouldn’t be doing business with Iran either. As for the review process, would that be the same review process that saw our missile and MIRV technology transfered to China?
I do not see any benefit whatsoever of trading with Syria. Syria is a major destabalizing force in the Middle East.
Their latest claim to fame was to have Israel take out a problematic site. I honestly don’t understand why you’re trying to carry water for this exchage with Syria.
I'm not aware of any export licenses being granted for those technologies, are you?
China has been successful in their espionage efforts, especially during the Clinton administration. However, it's not the same thing to have technology transferred illegally that wasn't approved as having technology transferred legally through getting a waiver.
There are risks to granting waivers when the same groups at the same companies deal with more sensitive material and technologies. Once you open the lines of communications between such groups and a foreign power there is a danger that people will inadvertently talk about more than they are supposed to, and also the risk that spies will use the conduit for legal transfers to pass along sensitive information.
I'm not trying to make light of the risks, nor suggesting that they should be ignored. I'm saying that those reviewing such requests for waivers should make cautious and informed decisions.
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