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Wolfgang Kleinwächter wrote:
<blockquote
cite="midACADB74FBBEFD94795A03FDBBDE62D3735A7C1@server1.medienkomm.uni-halle.de"
type="cite">
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One reason, why the Secretary of State on behalf of the USG became active is certainly the strong statement by Senator Coleman with regard to the EU proposal. USG needs the approval by the US Congress when it wants to go ahead with ICANN, termination of the MoU etc. It must demonstrate Congress that they fight for US interests and do not plan "to give away" US property or interests. So the letter is also part of US domestic policy. BTW, Coleman announced that he will call for Senate hearings on the issue. This has disappeared again from his agenda after Tunis or will there be something soon?
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<br>
This is certainly possible, but I suspect that with Tunis being over<br>
and the heat increasing even more since Tunis in Washington around the
scandals <br>
that this will be delayed.<br>
<br>
<br>
WJM<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="midACADB74FBBEFD94795A03FDBBDE62D3735A7C1@server1.medienkomm.uni-halle.de"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">
wolfgang
-----Original Message-----
From: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org">plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org</a> on behalf of Milton Mueller
Sent: Wed 12/7/2005 4:28 PM
To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:plenary@wsis-cs.org">plenary@wsis-cs.org</a>
Subject: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Condi letter
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Adam:
Secretary of State Madeline Albright sent a famous cable to ITU in 1996 when ITU was attempting to privatize DNS and create its own version of ICANN at the expense of USG and VeriSign (then NSI).
The creation of ICANN in 1997-98 involved the highest levels of the USG - the process was run personally by White House advisor Ira Magaziner, as you know well.
Thus, I don't find it surprising or disproportionate at all for Condi to be sending a letter to the EU after the EU split with the US in WSIS. There was a great deal of concern among the relevant business and governmental interests.
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<pre wrap="">Adam Peake <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:ajp@glocom.ac.jp"><ajp@glocom.ac.jp></a> 12/7/2005 6:55 AM >>>
</pre>
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<pre wrap=""><!---->Why would the US Secretary of State write to the UK Foreign Minister
and President of EU about this, was there as any other WSIS issue
that caused the US to contact any other govt at this level? I
imagine Condi and Jack usually discuss stuff involving billions of
dollars, pain, suffering and combinations of same. ICANN just doesn't
seem up there as an issue for these two to worry about. So while I
like to think Milton's right, I also wonder if we might be missing
something.
Adam
At 2:04 PM -0500 12/6/05, Milton Mueller wrote:
</pre>
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I saw this. I think Kieren (the journalist) perhaps overstates the
case when he says this letter "won" the battle. Reading it, I fail
to see any argument that was not contained in the June 30 U.S.
"principles" or in oft-repeated arguments made in WGIG and WSIS.
It is also easy to answer these arguments, so perhaps as an
educational exercise I do the following.....this kind of translation
is something that funredes.org won't supply....
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">The Internet has become an essential infrastructure for global
communications, including for global trade and commerce, and
therefore we firmly believe that support for the present structures
for Internet governance is vital.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
A non sequitur. If it is a global infrastructure, why support the
present structures of unilateral control?
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">These structures have proven to be a reliable foundation for
the robust growth of the Internet we have seen over the
course of the last decade.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
Factually incorrect. ICANN and the associated apparatus of U.S.
Commerce Department oversight did not exist until beginning of 1999.
Internet grew fast before it, during it, and would continue to grow
without it. There is no demonstrable connection between these
structures of DNS regulation and the overall growth of the Internet,
which is driven by the incredible value and efficiency of
applications such as email, web-based content and services, etc.
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">The Internet will reach its full potential as a medium and
facilitator for global economic expansion and development in
an environment free from burdensome intergovernmental
oversight and control.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
True, burdensome oversight and control is to be avoided, but this is
true whether the control is intergovernmental, uni-governmental, or
the private restrictions of the sort imposed by ICANN.
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">The success of the Internet lies in its inherently
decentralized nature, with the most significant growth
taking place at the outer edges of the network
through innovative new applications and services.
Burdensome, bureaucratic oversight is out of place in an
Internet structure that has worked so well for many
around the globe.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
Great, so when do we get rid of the U.S. Commerce Dept?
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">We regret the recent positions on Internet governance(i.e.,
the "new cooperation model") offered by the European
Union, the Presidency of which is currently held by the United
Kingdom, seems to propose just that - a new structure of
intergovernmental control over the Internet.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
Translation: What, other governments besides us should be involved?
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">The four principles the United States issues on June 30, 2005,
reinforce the continuing U.S. commitment to the Internet's security
and stability,
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
...as long as we get to define "security and stability" unilaterally...
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">including through the historical U.S. role in authorizing changes or
modifications to the authoritative root zone file.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
A function which contributes absolutely nothing to the overall
stability of the Internet, and indeed seems to foment the creation
of alternative and potentially fragmentary arrangements...
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">At that time, we also expressed our support for ICANN as
the appropriate private sector technical coordinator of the
Internet's domain name and addressing system.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
...as long as "private sector" means a huge dose of the U.S.
Executive branch....
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">We believe that ICANN is dedicated to achieving broad
representation of global Internet communities and to developing policy
through consensus-based processes.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
Every once in a while, however, ICANN, VeriSign and the Commerce
Department have to go off and settle the real issues on our own.
After we do that, we'll come to you for "consultation."
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">We have also expressed our interest
in working with the international community to address legitimate public
policy and sovereignty concerns with respect to country code top-level
domains (ccTLD).
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
So we can thereby recreate on the global internet a set of national
monopolies comparable to the post, telegraph and telephone
monopolies that kept us all happy for 100 years.
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">We wish to underscore that, in our statement of June
30, we supported ongoing dialogue on issues related to Internet
governance across international forums.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">Translation: talk all you like, we ain't changing anything unless
you force us to....
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">The United States and the European Union have long worked
together toward the goal of global access to the Internet.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
Of course, we've quarrelled a bit along the way, with us insisting
that the access come through American ISPs and you insisting that we
slow everything down so you can catch up.
CONDI:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">The WSIS offers us the opportunity to reaffirm our partnership
to spread the benefits of the Internet globally. At the same time,
the security and stability of the Internet are essential to the
United States, the European Union, and to the world. We firmly
believe that the existing Internet system balances
the stability and security we need with the innovation and dynamism
that private sector leadership provides.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">MM:
Just in case you're brain dead, this means that we choose when and
how governments are involved, and when and how the private sector is
involved. OK?
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Bill McIver
e-Government / e-Citizen Group
National Research Council Canada Institute for Information Technology
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