[lac-discuss-en] ICANN, the JPA and Draft Cybersecurity Act 2009

[Carlton Samuels]

I have always had a difficulty seeing how my Uncle Sam would let go of
something so clearly strategic, especially when most Americans hold it was
bought and paid for by American money.

So when I opined to some of you that the JPA - or some form thereof - shall
forever be with us,  some said this was an "over the top" assessment. Follow
the link and see the rattles of the the ordinary American political mind.
Note well that the politicians named here are not your usual klavern of
rightwing firebreathing nativists. These - Snow and Rockefeller - tend to
sterling centrist perspectives, if not actively liberal.

The *draft* *Cybersecurity Act 2009* [http://cdt.org/security/CYBERSEC4.pdf]
establishes some facts on the ground.

Read *Sec 2: Findings* carefully. The *recitals* in this part justify what
is proposed: the maintenance of the DNS infrastructure currently jobbed out
to ICANN is a strategic and critical infrastructure resource which is
fundamental to the security and continued well-being of the United States.
Plainly put, it is ineligible for "foreign" control.

Focus on *Sec 3: Cybersecurity Advisory Panel* and note who are the persons
elegible for appointment to help USG/DOC make the decisions on JPA.

Be sure to read carefully *Sec 8: Review of NTIA Domain Name Contracts*. The
provision for extending USG oversight of ICANN is documented here and the
mechanism by which that will be assured.

Here is further grist for the mill, compliments of Milton Mueller's blog:

http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/4/2/4141451.html

http://www.cdt.org/

Kind regards,

Carlton Samuels
The University of the West Indies.