[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 31, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E532-E533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THE SAFE ACT (H.R. 695) IS DETRIMENTAL TO ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SECURITY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 31, 1998

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, below is the Clinton Administration's 
official position regarding the effect of immediate decontrol of 
encryption technology on Israel.

       The potential consequences of an immediate decontrol of 
     encryption exports is of international concern. This is not 
     an issue for United States alone. As proposed in H.R. 695 
     (the SAFE ACT), the immediate decontrol of encryption exports 
     would likely result in the proliferation of strong encryption 
     to entities such as terrorists groups which then could use 
     encryption to hide their plans and intentions. Such a move 
     will have a destabilizing effect on national security 
     worldwide.

  The proponents of H.R. 695 maintain that our enemies and Israel's 
enemies will eventually possess encryption technology. This may be 
true, but fails to explain why we should rush to make this technology 
available to our enemies. The United States and Israel need time to 
develop a strategy and countermeasures to address these new 
technologies

[[Page E533]]

and for this reason H.R. 695 should be opposed.

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