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| h/t Theo |
Read related » WikiLeaks Ready to Release Giant 'Insurance' File if Shut DownJulian may be "a smart guy", but is he smarter than a 5th grader? How smart is it to take on the United States, even with "tens of thousands of supporters, from America to Australia"? And even if "powerful military computers would be unable to crack the encryption", is there any doubt that Julian's skull and the skulls of his accomplices can be cracked, with or without an encryption key?
[This related article is recommended in its entirety.]
“Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, has circulated across the internet an encrypted “poison pill” cache of uncensored documents suspected to include files on BP and Guantanamo Bay. One of the files identified this weekend by The Sunday Times — called the “insurance” file — has been downloaded from the WikiLeaks website by tens of thousands of supporters, from America to Australia. Assange warns that any government that tries to curtail his activities risks triggering a new deluge of state and commercial secrets. […] Ben Laurie, a London-based computer security expert who has advised WikiLeaks, said: “Julian’s a smart guy and this is an interesting tactic. He will hope it deters anyone from acting against him.” Nigel Smart, professor of cryptology at the U.K.'s Bristol University, said even powerful military computers would be unable to crack the encryption.” [emphasis added]
— Published December 05, 2010 | Sunday Times (foxnews.com)
Assange is playing a game of chicken that had been solved for all doomsday scenarios. The solution is called "mutual assured destruction" [MAD]. If the United States government was to decide that Assange's threat is sufficiently damaging to American interests, it can issue a threat of its own akin to "a redaction that he can't refuse". And that same "offer" can be extended to his posse, be they in America or Australia or even in some hole in Waziristan.
That may not deter Assange and his posse, of course, if they don't value their lives much, or if they have some special deal going on with Osama bin Laden and his fellow cave dwellers. But then I would ask again, "Is he smarter than a 5th grader?"
Post 1,501 Redaction with Extreme Prejudice
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