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From: renner@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: U.S. exports torture tools
Message-ID: <29200164@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 11-Nov-84 16:52:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.29200164
Posted: Sun Nov 11 16:52:00 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Nov-84 03:31:50 EST
References: <3081@mit-eddi.UUCP>
Lines: 22
Nf-ID: #R:mit-eddi:-308100:uiucdcs:29200164:000:1111
Nf-From: uiucdcs!renner    Nov 11 15:52:00 1984

>    NEW YORK (Reuter) -- The Commerce Department has authorized the
>  export of what it calls ``specially designed implements of torture''
>  to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and members of the North Atlantic
>  Treaty Organization, Newsweek Magazine said yesterday.
>    The magazine said that when a Commerce Department spokesman was
>  asked about the ``torture'' instruments, he said they included
>  ``thumbscrews and cattle prods -- just routine items for the police.''
>  			larry kolodney (lkk@mit-eddie)

This article raises all sorts of interesting questions, none of which
have any plausible answers.  There's no special technology involved
here -- I could probably assemble a working set of thumbscrews with a
10-minute trip to the hardware store.  So, assuming that these
countries want to use thumbscrews, why get them from the US?  That
(apparently) requires an export permit, and results in embarrassing Reuters
news articles.  Why not just have Sgt. Krank build a set in the basement?

Sorry, but the whole thing sounds like disinformation to me.

Scott Renner
{pur-ee,ihnp4}!uiucdcs!renner