Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Anthony @ Equity Investigations, Dear Anthony, -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Polar-Bear who wrote (36156)	5/14/1999 1:57:00 PM
From: If only I'd held	Respond to of 122087

****Cutting Yugoslav Net Access A "Serious Mistake" - CDT WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1999 MAY 14 (Newsbytes) -- By Bob Woods, Newsbytes. A Washington-based organization that works to promote democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age said using a trade embargo recently signed by President Clinton to affect Internet access into the war-torn country would be a serious mistake. Impeding Internet access in Yugoslavia would also "harm the goal of promoting democracy and ethnic tolerance in Serbia," the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) said. Loral Space & Communications Inc.'s [NYSE:LOR] Loral Orion subsidiary acknowledged late yesterday it is discussing with the US Treasury Department the possibility that an embargo that forbids US exports of oil and other items - even software - as a result of ongoing aggression against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo could also prevent the company from providing Internet access via satellite into Yugoslavia. Internet access currently provided by Loral Orion into Yugoslavia, though, is "status quo" and operational, Loral Orion spokesperson Lisa Koppel said. In addition, Loral Orion still has not heard anything from the US government on the matter, Koppel said this morning. Loral Orion believes the embargo does not apply to its business with the Yugoslav ISPs. "We should be able to continue to offer our services, " Koppel said, adding, "The ball is now in the Treasury Department's court." Treasury Department officials did not return calls seeking comment on the situation. A National Security Council spokesperson, meantime, said today the government has no additional information on the matter, and could not say when a determination would be made. A protest Web site from Yugoslav ISP BeoNET, at shutdown.beonet.yu , claimed as of 12:30 PM EDT today, "Latest information indicates Loral Orion decided to postpone shutdown of Internet links to Yugoslavia. This is a direct result of protests from Internet users and other individuals from several countries. We have no reliable information on how long this 'postponment' will last." An news release from BeoNET earlier this week claimed, "We have reliable information that the US Government ordered Loral Orion company to shut down its satellite feeds for Internet customers in Yugoslavia... This action might be taken as soon as later tonight or tomorrow (May 12 or 13, 1999)... This is a flagrant violation of commercial contracts with Yugoslav ISPs, as well as an attack on freedom of the Internet." Koppel would not confirm if BeoNET was one of Loral Orion's customers that would specifically be affected by the possible US government order, citing confidentiality reasons. But she did say less than five ISPs in Yugoslavia would be affected. Most ISPs in Yugoslavia do not have their own satellite links, the AFX news service reported yesterday. Instead, Yugoslav ISPs rent satellite access from foreign companies. A European company also provides satellite service to Yugoslavia, and Internet access can also be obtained through landline connections. But a US government-forced interruption by Loral Orion could greatly impede Yugoslavians' access to the Internet. CDT Policy Analyst Ari Schwartz said hampering Internet access would hurt Yugoslavia, as "the Internet remains one of the major sources of independent news reporting and information in Serbia, and is one of the main means for democratic opponents of Milosevic to communicate with the outside world." "CDT believes that the US government should quickly and clearly state that a cutoff of Internet access is not required by any trade embargo with Yugoslavia," Schwartz said. "Instead, the (Clinton) administration should be supportive of the ability of Serbian citizens to receive outside information." Reported By Newsbytes News Network, newsbytes.com . -0- (19990514/Press Contacts: White House Press Office, 202-456-2580; National Security Council Press Office, 202-456-9271 or 202-456-7150; Treasury Dept. Press Office, 202-622-2960; Loral Orion, Marketing and Media Relations, 301-258-8101; Jeanette Clonan, Loral Space and Communications, 212-338-5658 /WIRES ONLINE, PC, TELECOM, BUSINESS, GOVT, ASIA/WEBWAR/PHOTO) News provided by COMTEX.