Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uunet!mcsun!ukc!uos-ee!ee.surrey.ac.uk!A.Etemadi
From: A.Etemadi@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Ata Etemadi)
Newsgroups: comp.theory
Subject: Re: RUSSIAN SCIENCE: PLEASE HELP !!!
Message-ID: <1991May2.020034.1377@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK>
Date: 2 May 91 02:00:34 GMT
References: <1991Apr21.234214.28955@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK> <80607@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Sender: news@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK (Usenet News Service)
Reply-To: A.Etemadi@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Ata Etemadi)
Organization: University of Surrey, Guildford, England GU2 5XH.
Lines: 38

In article <80607@bu.edu.bu.edu> of 1 May 91 14:06:48 GMT Gene Itkis writes:

>I would like to add a word of caution. It may be possible that your equipment
>will never get to be used in the ways in which you intended it when donating.
>Space research is closely tied with the military and that may be who you'll end
>up supplying. Also you should take into account the corraption and possibities
>of redirecting goods to black market (remember that Moscow black markets were
>full of Red Cross buckets and blankets after Armenia's earthquake).

Dear Gene

I know the poeple personally, and they are not associated with the 
military. At any rate I think the Russian military have better computers
than the second-hand ones we're asking for. This is pretty certain since
there is no export problems. Also other colleagues visit the institutes
often and for months at a time so there will be little chance of these
items ending up on the black market. I did consider this possibility as 
a worst-case  scenario, but its I think better to allow people buying on 
the black market a chance to use computers than to just junk them.

We have arranged for the use of the Russian data (which is worth far far
more than a bunch of second-hand computers). The problem is they need
computers to calibrate and prepare the data for distribution. Thanks for
your concern.

	regards
		Dr A. Etemadi

-- 
===============================================================================
Dr. A. Etemadi,                           | Phone: (0483) 571-281 Ext. 2311
V.S.S.P. Group,                           | Fax  : (0483) 300-803	
Dept. of Electronic and Electrical Eng.,  | Email:
University of Surrey,                     |   Janet: a.etemadi@ee.surrey.ac.uk 
Guildford,                                |          ata@c.mssl.ucl.ac.uk
Surrey GU2 5XH                            |   SPAN : ata@mssl  
United Kingdom                            |          ata@msslc
===============================================================================