[liberationtech] Question for Mehdi re State Dept funding

[Cyrus Farivar]

Salaam Mehdi,

On this very list, on Sept 17, 2010 you wrote:

"I also believe that it is better for all these circumvention tools projects to stay away from the opposition groups or the US government. However, the reality is that being associated with the opposition groups or the US government is often the norm more than not in the circumvention tools industry. Almost all the main projects whether they want to admit or not are US government funded. 

For example, Ultrasurf, the most successful circumvention tool of all time, is 
created by a Chinese opposition group. Another product of the same group, FreeGate, is distributed in Iran exclusively by Voice of America and Radio Farda (Persian version of Radio Liberty Europe). Each time, state-owned newspaper Kayhan, talks about Radio Farda adds the prefix of "an official wing of CIA"."

Just wondering, in light of the new revelations that you are slated to receive State Dept. funding for this Bluetooth project -- how/why your views changed on this? 

Curious,

-C 
-- 
Cyrus Farivar
"suh-ROOS FAR-ih-var"

Freelance technology journalist and radio producer

Author, "The Internet of Elsewhere"
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