In German

Bundeswehr verbannt Microsoft-Programme

From Babelfish

After realizations of German security authorities the American espionage service NSA has encoded data all relevant source codes of the US firm and can read in such a way. In order to protect secrets, the Ministry of Defense sets Siemens and Telekom therefore on encoding techniques of the domestic companies.

The Foreign Office reset meanwhile its plan to introduce video conferences with its representations abroad. Undersecretary of state Gunter Pleuger experienced with a Telekom presentation in Berlin at the beginning of March that all satellite transmission ways for technical reasons run over the American city Denver in the Federal State Colorado.

Pleuger was too uncertain the detour via the USA. " then we can hold our conferences directly in Langley ", spoettelte a Pleuger coworker. In Langley (Virginia) the American secret service CIA resides.

Der Spiegel

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), March 18, 2001

Answers

I think what they're saying is that German intelligence is aware that Microsoft has an arrangement with the NSA that allows the NSA a back- door access to their data via this operating system. There was a related story about this arrangement, also involving IBM (who, according to the story, agreed per NSA instruction, to let Microsoft have the better operating system and thus took the back seat intentionally) about two years ago. Nobody seemed to notice (except me, of course).

I find the idea that Microsoft's world domination success is no accident intriguing, especially when you realize who we're dealing with here. Wake up electron-fried techies, you been totally had from the start.

Ken

-- Ken (n4wind@aol.com), March 18, 2001.