NEED FOR PD NETWORK

UNCLAS AMMAN 005463

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/PDD (CBOURGEOIS); IIP/IT (SHEPPARD)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP AADP ASEC ACOA AMGT
SUBJECT: NEED FOR PD NETWORK

REF: STATE 134398

POST HAS NOTED SOME DISCUSSION THAT SEEMS TO INDICATE
THAT OPENNET PLUS WOULD AND SHOULD REPLACE PDNET
OVERSEAS. WE WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT DESPITE THE
PROJECTED ARRIVAL OF OPENNET PLUS AT SOME TIME IN THE
FUTURE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO NEED A SEPARATE PDNET IN
ORDER TO MEET ALL OUR INTERACTIVE REQUIREMENTS.
ALTHOUGH OPENNET PLUS WILL PROVIDE WIDER ACCESS TO THE
INTERNET THROUGHOUT THE EMBASSY, AS AN SBU SYSTEM IT IS
UNLIKELY TO PROVIDE THE OPEN INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENT
NEEDED FOR PUBLIC INTERACTION. AS WE CONTINUE OUR
EFFORTS TO STAY ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY IN
BOTH OUTREACH AND IN INFORMATION GATHERING, WE WILL
CONTINUE TO NEED THE ABILITY TO EXPERIMENT WITH NEW
APPLICATIONS AND NEW DOWNLOADS FROM NON-GOVERNMEENT
SITES, TO ACCESS INFORMATION INCLUDING PHOTO, VIDEO,
SOUND, AND EXECUTABLE FILES FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES,
AND TO ENCOURAGE INTERACTION WITH A WIDE PUBLIC
AUDIENCE. THESE NEEDS ARE PARTICULAR TO PD WORK AND
NONE ARE LIKELY TO BE MET THROUGH AN OPENNET THAT WOULD
STILL PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SECURITY FOR THE EMBASSY AS A
WHOLE.
IN OUR VIEW, OPENNET PLUS AND PDNET ARE NOT
INTERCHANGEABLE. DISCONTINUING PDNET WOULD HAVE A
DEMONSTRABLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR ABILITY TO HARDNESS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PURPOSES.
GNEHM