mclure@SRI-UNIX@sri-unix (06/07/82)
Mail-from: ARPAnet host SRI-AI rcvd at 7-Jun-82 1033-PDT Date: 7 Jun 1982 0939-PDT From: Mark Stickel <Stickel at SRI-AI> Subject: Belle seized by U.S. Customs To: AIC-Associates: ; Remailed-date: 7 Jun 1982 1027-PDT Remailed-from: Leslie Heeter <Heeter at SRI-AI> Remailed-to: sad at SRI-AI, larson at SRI-AI, cower at SRI-AI Remailed-date: 7 Jun 1982 1036-PDT Remailed-from: Stephen Dougherty <SAD at SRI-KL> Remailed-to: Mclure at SRI-KL, JPerry at SRI-KL Via: Sri-Kl.ArpaNet; 7 Jun 82 10:42-PDT In today's S.F. Chronicle: U.S. Impounds Chess Computer The U.S. Customs Service, intent on stopping the flow of sensitive technology to the Soviet Union, has seized and impounded indefinitely a machine called Belle, the world-champion chess computer. Belle won the title in 1980 at the most recent world computer chess championship tournament in Linz, Austria. The Commerce Department says the computer might be of military use to Moscow. The frustrated scientist who wanted to take it to a Moscow chess exhibition -- and now isn't sure he'll even get it back -- has a different view: "The thing plays chess. That's all." Customs officials said a squad of special agents spotted Belle's computer case about three weeks ago at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The destination stamped on the crate: Moscow. Agents quickly detained the shipment and sent for instructions from Washington. Customs then turned to the Commerce Department, whose International Trade Administration decides whether a piece of equipment might be of use to the Russians. In this case, the answer was yes. The seizure of Belle is part of Operation Exodus, a major new program to halt what officials have called a "hemorrhage" of the nation's best technology to the Soviet Union and its allies. Customs officials are delighted with the new program, which they say has tripled the number of seizures of illegal exports of sensitive equipment and technology. They say Exodus has produced 1150 leads and 370 seizures, including computers, aircraft parts and communications equipment, in its first nine months. The Commerce Department would not comment on why the chess computer could be considered militarily sensitive, but Kenneth Thompson, the scientist at Bell Laboratories who was responsible for the shipment, says the only way it could be used militarily would be "to drop it out of an airplane. You might kill somebody that way." A spokesman at the Commerce Department said Thompson would be subject to a penalty for violation of the Export Control Act. The possibilities range from a cash fine to losing the computer altogether. Thompson said the parts of the machine said to be sensitive are available for purchase in this country. "I just don't see the point of all this," he said. -------
jcwinterton (06/10/82)
Giggle. Well, it looks like ol' Ronnie and his boys are finally showing their stripes. This is certainly an attempt to stop a leak in the iron curtain. If the Russians learned as much as the Americans on how to play chess, would they be the better for it???? (Oops, maybe I said that backwards!) In view of the state of the current western economy, could this be a step up in the cold war so that Alexander the not-so-great can get on with his hawkish intents? Who can say? Provocation varies inversly with the triviality of the offense. I hope Ma Bell will defend Ken Thompson on this rather than allow him to be thrown to the wolves (or the bears?). John Winterton.