[ossig] DARPA cuts funding for OpenBSD project due to anti-war statement

["Charles F. Moreira" <cfm@pc.jaring.my>]

Well folks,

The US-imperialist military has cut funding for the OpenBSD, open source
software project because of anti-war statements made by its lead developer,
Theo d Raadt.

Indeed yes, this shows a growing fascism in general and a growing
intolerance of opposing views in particular  in the United States but one
has to wonder why Raadt and his co-developers accepted funding from a US
military agency -- the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) -- in the first place.

Raadt rationalises his group's acceptance of the funding by arguing that the
funds to the OpenBSD project means a token sum less for cruise missiles but
the work his group is doing to enhance computer security for the Pentagon is
providing far more for the US-imperialist military machine than half a
cruise missile.

Anyway, probably it's a blessing in disguise that the military funding was
cut and these guys will be resilient enough to overcome this financial
setback.

Meanwhile, they've been reports of rock musicians having to keep their
anti-war sentiments to themselves or list losing contracts, air-time, etc
and vocal anti-war Hollywood actors are also being dropped from engagements
and ostracised.

Well, I've often felt that the 11th day of September, 2001 marked a sea
change in the direction of the world and popular culture from the peace and
love days of the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement.and
the hippies and it certainly doesn not look like the much prophesised Age of
Aquarius with its sympathy. love and understanding are upon us now.

The OpenBSD.org website at www.openbsd.org has tons of links to stories on
this matter by other publications

Read on

Regards

Charles
=======================================================
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the May 1, 2003
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------

PENTAGON PUNISHES SOFTWARE DEVELOPER FOR ANTI-WAR COMMENTS

By Gary Wilson

The Pentagon has cancelled funding for a software project because the
lead developer said he was sickened by the war in Iraq.

On April 6, the Toronto Globe and Mail published an interview with Theo
de Raadt of the OpenBSD project (openbsd.org), based in Calgary, Canada.
The article focused on a controversy that was developing over the
funding OpenBSD received from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA).

DARPA is the Pentagon agency that funded the development of the system
that eventually evolved into the Internet.

OpenBSD is a computer operating system that is widely used on computer
systems requiring strong security. Users range from universities to
Fortune 500 companies like Adobe to many governments as well as non-
governmental agencies like Amnesty International--all worried about
security.

OpenBSD has been developed almost entirely by volunteers over its seven
years of existence. The primary focus of the developers has been
security.

During its first seven years, OpenBSD reported only one security hole.
Microsoft, on the other hand, reported 68 security holes in its products
over the last year, or more than one a week.

The Pentagon believes OpenBSD "may be its best bet to protect its
computer networks from so-called cyber-terrorist attacks," reported the
Globe and Mail.

A controversy developed because many questioned OpenBSD's acceptance of
funds from the Pentagon. Not many outside the United States are ready to
trust the Pentagon and its motives. It is already widely believed that
the Pentagon has a secret deal with Microsoft that gives it a back door
into Windows servers--the powerful computers that run networks,
databases and internet shopping services--that can be used to gain
access to data without anyone else knowing. For that reason many
governments have banned Microsoft products from their most sensitive
systems.

OpenBSD has emerged as a favorite for many looking for an alternative
system. But then came the revelation that the Pentagon had been funding
the project since the year 2000.

The developers of OpenBSD at first welcomed the funding. DARPA's funds
meant that after years of people working on a volunteer basis, a full-
time staff could be hired. Five developers, including de Raadt, were
given full-time jobs on OpenBSD.

But then the questions started coming. De Raadt told the Globe and Mail
that they had accepted Pentagon funding only on the condition that
absolutely no strings would be attached.

The war on Iraq was making it more difficult to justify acceptance of
Pentagon funds. The war, de Raadt noted, is about oil, not human rights.
"It just sickens me," he said. As for the Pentagon's funding, he said,
"I'm actually fairly uncomfortable about it."

He then added, "I try to convince myself that our grant means a half of
a cruise missile doesn't get built."

Soon after that interview, de Raadt was called by Jonathan Smith, the
computer science professor in charge of the DARPA project funding
OpenBSD at the University of Pennsylvania, who said that people at the
university and DARPA were uncomfortable with his anti-war comments. Two
days after the phone call he was told officially that all funds were
terminated. This fits a pattern. Many public figures who have spoken out
against the war on Iraq are being publicly punished by the Bush
administration and the Pentagon.

OpenBSD had planned a seminar in May. Without notice, DARPA
representatives called and canceled reservations at a Canadian hotel for
60 developers who were to attend. And all other funds just stopped.

In an online conversation available on slashdot.com, de Raadt said, "I
am not sorry for having said my anti-war stuff, in fact if anything,
this comes to something I said to Ty a few nights ago at the bar: 'If
they take the money away, then it was blood money, and I don't want
it.'"

The OpenBSD project has put out an appeal for help that has gotten wide
support. Funds were quickly raised to replace the $30,000 withdrawn from
the conference; it will happen as scheduled.

- END -

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