Posted on 02/25/2003 9:20:33 PM PST by kattracks
A former New Jersey congressman is raising concerns that a Beijing-based buyout of bankrupt telecommunications giant Global Crossing could give Chinese military intelligence access to top secret FBI and CIA communications.
In a joint takeover bid that could thoroughly compromise U.S. national security, China's Hutchison Whampoa Company and Singapore Telemedia Technologies (STT) have offered $250 million for a 61.5 percent stake in Global Crossing, the South China Morning Post reported Wednesday.
Noting that the telecommunications company carries all the confidential data of the Justice Department, the FBI and the CIA, IDT Corp. chief executive and former GOP congressman Jim Courter complained, "Now we find there are sincere and very strong national security concerns about this international network being potentially controlled by a communist country."
Courter's IDT colleague, company chairman Howard Jonas, added, "We think it is against the national interests of the United States to sell this company to a foreign entity, particularly a hostile foreign entity like the communist Chinese and anyone who would be their partners, like the Singaporeans."
IDT Corp said it would top the Hutchison Whampoa-STT bid by $5 million.
In light of the new U.S. national security concerns, Hutchison and STT may need to submit a revised proposal for the Global Crossing buyout; one which includes "an assurance that they would not compromise U.S. national security," the Post said.
"We'll cooperate with the relevant regulator to gain approval," STT spokesman Melinda Tan told the Post.
Four years ago, Congressional Republicans and former U.S. defense officials blasted Hutchison Whampoa when it gained control of ports at both ends of the Panama Canal, complaining that the move gave China effective control over one of the globe's most strategically valuable waterways.
At the time, President Clinton said he felt comfortable with the Hutchison deal, the Post noted.
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
As you proceed to make abundantly clear.
but in the event of a Chinese invasion on America, why do they bother to decode the encrypted communications.
A Chinese invasion of the US is about as likely as space aliens invading.
They always have the simpler option to just unplug the entire system and render America's military, civil and commercial communication crippled.
The beauty of the Internet is that you can't "unplug" it.
in the event of a Chinese invasion on America A what? What are you smoking, bro? What are they going to do, march across the ocean? Send 500,000 guys over here on airplanes, 300 at a pop? They don't have even 100 such airplanes. Let's worry about things that can really happen. Chinese invasions are not one of them. |
On the afternoon of the 2000 Presidential election the DNC, through the Martin Agency contracted a telemarketing firm called Telequest in Wichita Falls, TX . (Reference New York Times 11-11-200 David Firestone-Party mobilized )
The DNC wanted to plant the story in the minds of Palm Beach County voters that the butterfly ballot confused them and they used Telequest to carry this out.
These were not machine calls, they were personal interviews (Reference New York Times-5,000 calls made with 2400 people telling callers they may have made a mistake).
The most significant individuals confused were the DNC operatives tampering with the punch card ballots which resulted in over 13,000 punch card ballots with a Buchanan hole punched (3400 votes plus 10,000 overvotes).
The operatives were confused because in every other Florida county with punch card ballots, Gore was the #2 hole. The machine used for tampering was preset to punch the #2 hole.
Only in Palm Beach, Buchanan was #2, thus the slip up.The mistake was discovered in the afternoon on election day, after tampering had already occurred. To cover the tracks on this slip up, Telequest was used.
Three days after the election, out of the blue, an Indian multinational named Essar Group made their first ever aquistion in the U.S.. The Essar Group bought a tiny telemarketing firm in Wichita Falls called Telequest.
Essar is closely connected to Huthison Whampoa, in fact, Hutchison-Essar Telecom is one of the major Telecom corporations in the Pacific region.
After the aquistion of Telequest, press reports about the unbelievable activities that occurred in the offices at Telequest election night ceased. Later, Telequest was liquidated. Essar changed their mind about entering the U.S. telemarketing market.
To make a long story short, had it not been for the butterfly ballot spoiling the ballot tampering operation, Al Gore would be President today.
Thank God for the butterfly.
Then you must be angry all of the time. I have to admit it gets to me sometimes.
You can win arguments without the sarcasm. I see that some have missed the sarcasm and misunderstood your posts.
Anyone who defends the Communist Chinese aquisition of a telecommunications company that carries all the confidential data of the Justice Department, the FBI and the CIA is an enemy of the United States.
2. the telecommunications company carries all the confidential data of the Justice Department, the FBI and the CIA.
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I am not sure I understand your point. Are you disputing the two main points of the article listed above because it was reported on Newsmax?
OK, then maybe you're out of your depth here.
Are you disputing the two main points of the articlelisted above because it was reported on Newsmax?
No, I am disputing the headline:
Deal Gives China Access to Top Secret CIA, FBI Communications
Having ownership of, or even access to, the network does not bypass the cryptopgraphic systems that the FBI and the CIA use for communications involving classified information.
If you are arguing to the contrary, then you've just argued that the US government needs to cease and desist from communicating classified information via radio.
Understand. My basic question is do you believe the Communist Chinese company Hutchison Wampoa should be permitted to acquire Global Crossing?
Still dodging the issue I raised...
Do you really think that classified information should never, under any circumstances, be transmitted by intangible media? Yes or no, please...
Regarding Hutchison Whampoa Global Crossing: they lost money despite having what amounted to a license to print it. If they can't make a profit, I would prefer the ChiComs be stuck with the red ink (hey, it's their color) than Americans.
I think the Communist Chinese company Hutchison Whampoa should not be allowed to acquire Global Crossing. DOD, the CIA, and the FBI should take all necessary measures to insure communications security. That includes not permitting Communist China access to the design and hardware that makes up their communications network. This is not rocket science, just common sense.
Were you born in the United States? Are you a U.S. citizen?
Why, specifically? They will lose their federal contracts under the "Buy American" laws. Oops, you mean you didn't know that? NewsMax didn't mention that detail?
DOD, the CIA, and the FBI should take all necessary measures to insure communications security. That includes not permitting Communist China access to the design and hardware that makes up their communications network. This is not rocket science, just common sense.
Small problem: the use of COTS products means that it's rather easy to figure out the design and hardware of DOD, CIA, and FBI networks--all you have to do is read their annual budget documents.
Like I said, Global Crossing lost money--huge amounts of it. If the ChiComs want to piss away more money on GC instead of actually building their military, that is a good thing.
Are you? Or are you a transplanted East German? You sure as hell don't like the idea that people will take their businesses elsewhere when subjected to asinine tax and regulatory policies.
America is hell-bent on punishing its successful citizens. That choice has certain consequences.
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