[jwpjr]

I have to wonder if maybe Nick tought he could endear himself to the enemy by offering the use of his cell phone knowledge to help them overcome the risk associated with using those phones. It's been a real problem for them that any use of such phones is quickly intercepted and the info used to get a fix on their location. Nick might (and this is PURE speculation!) have felt he could worm his way into their inner circle and then use that to turn them in and collect the reward. Of course he could also have been Pollyanna-ish enough to be willing to do it for the cause you say he supported. I suspect these guys are ALWAYS looking for ways to hone their communication skills. Our ability to eaves drop on these animals by way of their cell phone/satcom traffic has got to be one of the untold victories in this war. I don't think we will fully appreciate the accomplishment until several years has passed and disclosing our ability won't endanger ongoing attempts to listen in on their conversations.

[An American In Dairyland]

>> I suspect these guys are ALWAYS looking for ways to hone their communication skills. Our ability to eaves drop on these animals by way of their cell phone/satcom traffic has got to be one of the untold victories in this war.<<

This dovetails with what I posted a few days ago as to why terrorists possibly had Berg's computer Login ID and password. I'll repeat it here even though it was suggested I was merely fueling the conspiracy theorists.

[begin quote]

Here's what I think may have happened with the email account. Let's say I and 3 other Freepers want to secretly communicate by email and we don't want it easily traced or time stamped. So I take out an account -- let's say a free one from my university or maybe a throwaway like Hotmail.

I sign up via my computer and stupidly use data identifying myself. Then I give the logon info and password to the other 3 Freepers. We all agree to write Drafts and save them to the Draft file but *never* to send them.

Each of the Freepers can use the same logon and password and read the Draft and respond (again strictly using the Draft file). Let's say we agree to each check the account once per day and after 5 days every draft will be deleted without ever being sent.

When the FBI got Moussaoui's (sp?) computer and analyzed it they were able to read the info stored on it's hard drive. Then they would (and probably did in Berg's case) go to MSN (Hotmail) or the university's IT dept. and ask them to trace the account activity. That would lead back to whoever took out the account and password in the first place. Nick Berg in this case.