] By Ibtissam Al-Bassam
]
] Although I am aware that my words of comfort will not
] lessen your grief and our rage and anger will not make
] your pain and burden any lighter, I want you to know that
] Saudis, near and far, mourn with you the loss of your
] husband Mr. Paul Johnson.

Palestine Chronicle - Open Letter to Mrs. Paul Johnson

] RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Paul Johnson's beheading
] sent a shiver of disgust throughout the world. Except the
] Arab world, that is.

This is an essay by a columnist for two arab-language dailies. I have to admit that I haven't seen much about Johnson in the Arab news either. Not even on Memri.

Strange Silence in Arab Media over Paul Johnson's Death

] An Arabic TV news network said Friday that American
] hostage Paul Johnson Jr. has been beheaded by his Saudi
] captors.

(deep sigh)

Yet another death for my family. My grandfather, my uncle, and two family friends all within a few months. My head reels. My heart grieves.

Saudi Hostage Paul Johnson Killed

] RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - A Saudi calling himself "the
] believer" and a friend of Paul Johnson Jr. went to
] Internet sites known for extremist Islamic postings to
] make a religious plea for the captured American's life.
 . . .
] In his Internet posting, a man identified as Saad
] al-Mu'men said his friendship bestowed a protection on
] Johnson other Muslims cannot violate. If Johnson was
] harmed, al-Mu'men told the kidnappers, "I will never
] forgive you. I will curse you in all my prayers."
]
] Al-Mu'men - a pseudonym meaning "the believer" - pointed
] to a saying by Islam's Prophet Muhammad: "If they were
] granted (Muslim) protection, then killing or taking their
] money or harming them is forbidden."
 . . .
] Al-Mu'men said he was a colleague of Johnson but did not give
] any details about his job. He said he often invited Johnson
] over for dinner or and gave books on Islam as presents.
]
] The letter was posted late Wednesday on web sites where
] al-Qaida members and other Islamic militants post messages.
] It was subsequently posted on the web site of the Arab satellite
] television channel Al-Arabiya.

As Johnson is a friend of my family, I am following this story closely. Though "closely" may not be the right word, since sometimes I find myself almost afraid to turn on the news, for fear that I'll just be reading about his death.

I know that Johnson was in Saudi of his own free will, so he had to know that there were some risks involved -- it's just so damn frustrating that of all the Americans to have been kidnapped, that someone as sympathetic to Islam as he was would be one of the people targeted. I have to wonder if he's been able to talk to his captors at all, to "speak their language", to establish any kind of connection.

And in the meantime, all I can do is wait. And hope . . .

Saudi friend pleads on internet for life of kidnapped American

] Lead singer Simon LeBon told The Associated Press that
] they have almost finished working on the untitled disc,
] which will be released in autumn on Epic Records. It will
] mark the first time the original band members - LeBon,
] John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor -
] have recorded an album together since 1983's Seven & the
] Ragged Tiger.
  . . .
] The British group were among the biggest rock acts in the
] world in the early '80s, with hits including Girls On
] Film, Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf and The Reflex.

Coolness. I'm a *huge* Duran Duran fan from way back. I followed the Whitbread round-the-world sailing race when Simon leBon bought a boat ("Drum"), and have met several of the associated crew, including getting a tour of the boat and some of the recording studios where the band has worked. I look forward to seeing their latest effort!

New Duran Duran album

] Kryptos and the Cracking of the Cyrillic Projector Cipher

Schedule's up! I'm currently scheduled to speak at Noon on Sunday, August 1st, 2004.

Defcon 12 Schedule - Elonka's Talk

] The American contractor kidnapped in Saudi Arabia, purportedly
] by al-Qaida, placed great value in Arabic culture and once sent a
] copy of the Quran to his sister, his son said.
]
] Paul Johnson Jr. highlighted passages from the Islamic
] holy text that he felt were especially important, said
] Paul Johnson III.

I do not personally know Paul Johnson, but he is a friend of my extended family, and news of his kidnapping was greeted with sadness. My sympathies go to him and his family, and I hope for his safe return.

Florida, New Jersey relatives await word on kidnapped man's fate

Whoo! I just got word that I've been accepted as one of the official speakers for this year's Def Con. :)

(for those who don't know what Def Con is, it's a huge hacker/technology convention in Las Vegas that draws thousands of attendees from around the world)

When I show up on the schedule, I'll meme it. As a sneak peek for the Memestreams community though, here's the abstract of the talk, which will be an updated version of what I presented at PhreakNIC. (thanks go to those that helped me with the wording!):

Kryptos and the Cracking of the Cyrillic Projector Cipher
----------------------------------------------------------------
In a courtyard at CIA Headquarters stands an encrypted sculpture called Kryptos. Its thousands of characters contain encoded messages, three of which have been solved. The fourth part, 97 or 98 characters at the very bottom, have withstood cryptanalysis for over a decade. The artist who created Kryptos, James Sanborn, has also created other encrypted sculptures such as the decade-old Cyrillic Projector, which was cracked last September by an international team led by Elonka Dunin. This talk is intended for a general audience with beginning to intermediate cryptographic experience. Elonka will go over how the code was cracked, and the current state of knowledge about the Kryptos sculpture, its own encrypted messages, and its mysterious CIA surroundings.

Elonka at Def Con

] Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate
] West Berlin, Germany
] June 12, 1987
]
] This speech was delivered to the people of West Berlin,
] yet it was also audible on the East side of the Berlin
] wall.
 . . .
] Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of
] this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the
] entire continent of Europe. From the Baltic, south, those
] barriers cut across Germany in a gash of barbed wire, concrete,
] dog runs, and guard towers. Farther south, there may be no
] visible, no obvious wall. But there remain armed guards and
] checkpoints all the same--still a restriction on the right to
] travel, still an instrument to impose upon ordinary men and women
] the will of a totalitarian state. Yet it is here in Berlin where
] the wall emerges most clearly; here, cutting across your city,
] where the news photo and the television screen have imprinted
] this brutal division of a continent upon the mind of the world.
] Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German,
] separated from his fellow men. Every man is a Berliner, forced
] to look upon a scar.

In regards to the death of President Reagan: I'm reminded of a time that we passed ever so briefly... I was working in Los Angeles at the time, during one of the post-Reagan administrations. I was standing streetside for some reason, probably waiting for a bus. There were few other people on the street, and I became aware of a large black car idling nearby, and then the black-suited and earplugged men who seemed to suddenly appear out of the shadows, standing quietly but obviously very very alert to their surroundings. A few moments later, I saw the reason for the Secret Service, as Reagan emerged from the building, strode briskly across the sidewalk, and smiled and waved at me as I stood there stunned and agape. He quickly entered the car, and then he and the dark ghosts were gone, leaving only the car's tiny puddle of dripped air conditioner condensation in their wake.

I was sorry to hear of his death, though of course it wasn't a surprise. I can't really say whether or not I liked him, but I did respect him, especially since he was President during the time that I was in the USAF, and as such, he was my boss.

And I will spend a moment of silence this Friday, in honor of his memory.

Ronald Reagan's 'Tear Down This Wall' Speech

The following is a transcript of remarks by CIA Director George J. Tenet to employees and members of the US Intelligence Community.

I have decided to step down as Director of Central Intelligence, effective July 11th, the seventh anniversary of my being sworn in as DCI.

I did not make this decision quickly or easily. But I know in my heart that the time is right to move on to the next phase of our lives.

As I look back on how the Intelligence Community has evolved over the past decade, there is much to be proud of.

What you have achieved in this fight against a clever, fanatical enemy, around the world the cells destroyed, the conspiracies defeated, the innocent lives saved will for most Americans be forever unknown and uncounted. But for those privileged to observe these often hidden successes, they will be an unforgettable testament to your dedication and your valor.

In short: each day, here and abroad, from diverse backgrounds, with varied skills, you come together for a single purpose: to give our country an essential advantage in its understanding of the conditions in the world, and in its ability to change those conditions for the better.

We are not perfect but one of our best kept secrets is that we are very, very, very good.

It is difficult in knowing that I will not be as directly connected to the thousands of men and women overseas who along with their families sacrifice so much to protect our country.

But there is also great joy in knowing that I will never be far away in heart and spirit from all of you. You will have no greater advocate wherever I may be for you and your families.

As Dick Helms used to say, let's get on with it and get back to work.

Tenet Remarks to CIA Colleagues