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Submission + - Espionage in Icelandic Parliament

bumburumbi writes: An unauthorised computer, apparently running encrypted software, was found hidden inside an unoccupied office in the Icelandic Parliament, Althingi, connected to the internal network. According to the [url=http://www.grapevine.is/News/ReadArticle/Mysterious-Spy-Computer-In-Parliament-Works-Differently-Than-Being-Reported-Tech-Expert-Says]Reykjavik Grapevine[/url] serial numbers had been removed and no fingerprints were found. The office had been used by substitute MP's from the Independence Party and The Movement, the Parliamentary group of Birgitta Jonsdottir, whoseTwiiter account was recently subpeonad by US authorities. The Icelandic daily Morgunbladid, under the editorship of Mr David Oddsson, former Prime Minister and Central Bank chief, has suggested that this might be an operation run by Wikileaks.

The reporter for the Reykjavik Grapevine, Mr Paul Nikolov is a former substitute MP, having taken seat in Parliament in 2007 and 2008.

Comment Re:Bull (Score 1) 738

How the Swiss recycle their copper is irrelevant. They have a population of less than 8 million and are already one of the most developed countries in the world. What does matter is that China and India have a population of 2.5 billion, a much less developed infrastructure than Switzerland and can't meet their demand for copper (or other resources) simply by recycling. There is an awful lot of dirt poor people wanting to improve their lot and approach the quality of life we in the west are enjoying. For that to happen, all kinds of scarce resources are needed and demand will continue to grow.

Comment Re:Follow this story! (Score 1) 454

[...]

Amazingly, they fucked up so badly that they couldn't get things to stick for even a day. How did that happen?

I'm not sure they did fuck up. This case was all over the media. Now, all that is needed is a woman to come forward and report him to the police for raping her in the US. Mr Assanage is needed to help the police with their inquiries, can the Swedish authorities please hand him over? If an US three letter agency can get two swedes to file a complaint against Assange, I'm sure the could also find an american to do so.

Comment Re:HTTP Proxy? VPN Tunnel? (Score 4, Insightful) 160

Well, it is within the realm of the possible that somebody sat down and applied Occams razor to the possible scenarios: The first scenario involves this bloke (1) planning to rob somebody, (2) setting up a proxy or vpn service and (3) some people conspiring to give false evidence. The second scenario: The bloke was at home and nobody lied.

Comment Re:Low Datacenter Costs (Score 5, Informative) 88

With only two cables connecting Iceland to the Ineternet, companies have not been eager to set up shop here. FARICE-1 is fairly modern (2004), CANTAT-3 is rather old (1994) and a new cable, DANICE is being built. For many companies the risk of one or more of these cables being down is to large to offset the cheap electricity and cool weather.

Comment Re:That's why the US isn't a democracy (Score 5, Informative) 624

To some this IS cruel and unusual punishment. In 1997 a couple wanted by the authorities in Arizona successfully avoided extradition.

"They demonstrated [to the district court] that the conditions in that [Maricopa County] prison were inhumane and degrading, and that an Icelandic decision to grant the extradition request would therefore conflict with their rights under Article 68 paragraph 1 of the [Icelandic] Constitution, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Article 3 of the European Human Rights Convention, and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Supreme Court sustained the view that the legal requirements for extradition were not fulfilled[.]"

(Interim report of the Icelandic Government to the European Committee Against Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), 1999) http://eng.domsmalaraduneyti.is/reports/nr/126

Comment Re:Just one layer of paint (Score 1) 625

It is my understanding that computers can't write random numbers. A computer only understands the digits zero and one. Zero isn't really a number, it just means nothing so the only number a computer can write is one. When the chance of writing the digit one is 1 it is not random.

Comment Re:Lets burn our public libraries (Score 1) 191

Books from the library are read there, or borrowed to be returned later. The number of copies in existence remains the same (unless people go to a copy machine to copy the book - a non-trivial and fairly costly operation, probably more costly than going to the book shop and buy yourself a copy).

Many library patrons prefer to photocopy a page or two from a magazine rather than borrow it from the library or buy a copy at the bookstore. Photocopying instructions for knitting a particular sweater will only cost a few cents but saves a trip to the library to return the magazine and you can write notes on your copy if you need to make any changes.

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