Fwd: Secrecy foe scrubs data on Interne

From: Chen Yixiong, Eric (cyixiong@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Oct 11 2001 - 18:06:05 MDT


This illustrates one of the main problems with a society deploying open information systems - Their enemies may use such information
against themselves.

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Secrecy foe scrubs data on Internet
http://www.msnbc.com/news/641578.asp
Federation of American Scientists yanks 200 Web pages

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 — Qualms about publishing data that could be used to plot terror attacks have prompted a leading
official-secrecy foe to scrub its Web site — joining a trend well under way among U.S. government agencies.

THE FEDERATION OF American Scientists, a staunch advocate of government openness, said Thursday it had yanked about 200 of its
estimated half-million Web pages since Sept. 11 terror attacks killed some 5,500 people in the United States.

       The federation’s site, www.fas.org, contains one of the Web’s biggest archives of national security-related material,
including detailed rundowns on U.S. weapons systems, spy satellites and nuclear plants.

       “It’s a peculiar situation,” said Steven Aftergood, director of the group’s Project on Government Secrecy. “We’re not in the
business of concealing government information. We’re in the business of publishing government information.”

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