SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 15, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 SEOUL 000615 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 15, 2009 TOP HEADLINES -------------- Chosun Ilbo, All TVs Prosecution: "$3 Million out of $The 5 Million Former President Roh's Nephew-In-Law Received from Taekwang Industrial CEO Went to Company Owned by Roh's Son" JoongAng Ilbo Former President Roh's Close Aides Also Found to Have Received Money from President of Changshin Textile Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye Ilbo, All TVs North Korea Quits Six-Party Talks and Restarts Nuke Plants Seoul Shinmun ROKG Announces Plan to Join PSI Today DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS The ROKG will announce its decision today to become a fully operating member of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). (All) This could increase the possibility of armed conflict between the two Koreas. (Hankyoreh) The ROK's plan to use its own cryptographic technique ARIA for the security systems of Internet phone calls from government agencies could fall apart under pressure from the U.S., which says that it would violate WTO rules if the ROK does not use the international cipher standard AES. (Hankyoreh) INTERNATIONAL NEWS -------------- The UN Security Council on April 13 adopted the presidential statement on North Korea's April 5 rocket launch, which unanimously condemns the action as a contravention of UNSC Resolution 1718 banning the country from all missile-related activities. (Chosun, All TVs) In response, North Korea announced yesterday that it will resume its nuclear weapons program and will never again take part in the Six-Party Talks. (All) This is North Korea's typical brinkmanship tactic to force bilateral dialogue with the U.S. (JoongAng, Chosun) Experts say that although Pyongyang threatens to build light-water nuclear reactors again, it is just bluffing to gain an advantage in negotiations with the U.S. because the North has no economic or technological capacity to build such a reactor on its own. (Dong-a, Hankoyreh) Some observers say that North Korea's threats can be construed as Pyongyang declaring that it will develop a highly enriched uranium nuclear program. (Hankook) Meanwhile, concerns are growing that the detention of three Korean and American hostages may be prolonged. (Dong-a) MEDIA ANALYSIS -------------- -North Korea -------------- Conservative Chosun Ilbo reported that the UN Security Council on April 13 adopted the presidential statement on North Korea's rocket launch, which unanimously condemns the action as a contravention of UNSC Resolution 1718 banning the country from all missile-related activities. All newspapers reported on North Korea's announcement yesterday that it will resume its nuclear weapons program and will never again take part in the Six-Party Talks. Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun added that the North ordered U.S. and UN personnel at Yongbyon to leave the country. SEOUL 00000615 002 OF 009 Conservative Dong-a Ilbo said that because of North Korea extreme reaction, international efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear and missile issues have returned to the starting point, and the Six-Party Talks faces its biggest crisis in five years and seven months. However, the newspaper and left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun quoted experts that although Pyongyang threatens to build light-water nuclear reactors again, it is just bluffing to gain an advantage in negotiations with the U.S. because the North has no economic or technological capacity to build such a reactor on its own. Meanwhile, Dong-a Ilbo reported that concerns are growing that the detention of three Korean and American hostages may be prolonged. Moderate Hankook Ilbo reported that if North Korea restores the reprocessing facilities to their original state, they can produce an additional 6 to 8 kilograms of plutonium. The newspaper quoted some observers that North Korea's threats to construct its own light-water nuclear reactor seem to be a declaration that it will develop a highly enriched uranium nuclear program. Hankook Ilbo also reported that whether the presidential statement is effective is up to China, North Korea's economic supporter, and quoted an ROK high-ranking representative to the UN as saying, "The presidential statement is aimed at bringing the North back to the Six-Party Talks.If the North expresses its intention to come back to the negotiation table, UN sanctions could be shelved." The newspaper also speculated that the presidential statement will prolong the cooling-off period following the rocket launch, thereby slowing down the USG's road map for North Korea. Hankyoreh Shinmun cited a source well-versed in the Obama Administration's North Korea policy as saying, "The U.S. will closely cooperate with other Six-Party countries to refrain from further provoking the North or aggravating the current situation. For the time being, the Obama Administration is expected to carry out the policy of "good-will ignorance (of the North)." Meanwhile, China is expected to send a special envoy to Pyongyang to placate the North. Right-of-center JoongAng ilbo and conservative Chosun Ilbo construed North Korea's response as its typical brinkmanship tactic to force bilateral dialogue with the U.S. JoongAng Ilbo said that the North opened the possibility of additional nuclear tests by declaring that it will not be bound by any existing agreements. JoongAng Ilbo editorialized: "The North's nuclear and missile program endangers world peace and can be regarded as an international criminal act rather than a defense of its sovereignty. How can Pyongyang talk of sovereignty infringement when it poses such danger to the international community? We may have to take up full membership in the Proliferation Security Initiative... We need some kind of defense mechanism to deter the North from its constant provocation." Dong-a llbo editorialized: "North Korea is gravely mistaken. The president's statement contains not only the council's determination to not condone the North's provocation, but also concrete measures to implement sanctions on the North. The world must show the North this time that brinksmanship, a tactic Pyongyang employs whenever driven into a corner, is no longer effective." Hankook Ilbo editorialized: "In this situation, a confusing debate over (North Korea) policy or hasty reaction would not be beneficial. We should wait for North Korea to calm down and change (its attitude),while keeping the door of dialogue open." Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "North Korea is not hiding its intention to focus on bilateral talks with the U.S., rather than on the Six-Party Talks. This intention was revealed when the North specifically pointed to Japan, not the U.S., and the UN presidential statement, as reasons to boycott the Six-Party Talks... Through escalating tensions, North Korea intends to have direct negotiations with the U.S. To manage the situation in a stable way and put the SEOUL 00000615 003 OF 009 Six-Party Talks back on the right track, a united effort by Six-Party countries is essential." Chosun Ilbo editorialized: "International pressure on North Korea can succeed only with the participation of China, which holds the lifeline supporting the North's leadership. That can only be possible if measures against North Korea are implemented at a level where China can participate openly - or at least implicitly agree to them. But the diplomacy pursued by South Korea and the U.S. has stumbled at this stage. As a result, sanctions against North Korea are failing to change the country's attitude." Moderate Seoul Shimun and conservative Segye Ilbo carried editorials under the respective headline, "North Korea's Boycott of Six-Party Talks Will Only Deepen Its Isolation" and "Will North Korea Go down the Road of Self-Destruction?" All newspapers gave coverage to the ROKG's announcement today that it will become a fully operating member of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). Hankyoreh Shinmun reported that this could increase the possibility of armed conflict between the two Koreas and lead to conflict between the ROK and China. -Cuba -------------- All newspapers reported that the U.S. lifted its blockade of CUBA for the first time in 47 years. JoongAng Ilbo describes it as the first product of the Obama Administration's "smart diplomacy," adding that this move is notable because it could impact U.S.-North Korea relations. OPINIONS/EDITORIALS ¶N. KOREA PURSUING ITS OWN DESTRUCTION (Dong-a Ilbo, April 15, 2009, Page 31) The U.N. Security Council has unanimously adopted a president's statement condemning North Korea's April 5 rocket launch. Pyongyang said in response that it will boycott the Six-Party denuclearization talks and resume its nuclear activity. The communist country is using a tit-for-tat strategy to defy the international community, while threatening world peace by developing nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles. The North, however, asked for the president's statement. Despite global warnings not to, it launched a long-range missile and conducted a nuclear test in 2006. This prompted the council to adopt Resolution 1718 prohibiting the North from engaging in missile activity. When Pyongyang returned to the Six-Party Talks afterwards, the council withheld the implementation of sanctions on the North. The communist country, however, has launched another missile under the guise of a satellite. Given the North's betrayal, the council`s statement seems like a mere slap on the wrist. Nevertheless, Pyongyang has reacted with the most drastic measures. The North Korean Foreign Ministry stated yesterday, "We will never participate in Six-Party Talks or be bound any longer to any agreement of the talks." It also threatened to strengthen its nuclear deterrence by reprocessing spent fuel rods in its main reactor at Yongbyon, review the construction of light-water reactors, and pursue its right to the peaceful use of space. The North is set to undermine 14 years of denuclearization efforts by the world's leading countries. This is no surprise, however, given the North's previous attempts to sabotage the Six-Party Talks through false accusations. By blasting the council's statement, the SEOUL 00000615 004 OF 009 North has clearly showed its intent not to abandon its nuclear ambitions. The reclusive country is gravely mistaken, however. The president's statement contains not only the council's determination not to condone the North's provocation, but also concrete measures to implement sanctions on the North. For the export of weapons of mass destruction, certain conventional arms and luxury goods to the North are likely to be banned and the North's WMD-related assets will be frozen. Besides suffering isolation from the international community, the North is also being hit by severe economic difficulty and food shortages. Now that China and Russia have endorsed the statement, the North has nobody to turn to. The communist country is now making frantic efforts to defy the condemnation, but this will only invite its self-destruction. The world must show the North this time that brinksmanship, a tactic Pyongyang employs whenever driven into a corner, is no longer effective. The ROK, the U.S. and Japan must react in unison. For their part, China and Russia should actively join in punishing the North. No less important is Seoul's determination. The ROK should declare its full-fledged participation in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative and be thoroughly prepared for provocations by the North. (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) REIGNITING NUCLEAR ISSUE (JoongAng Ilbo, April 15, 2009, Page 46) North Korea declared yesterday that the international community leaves it no choice but to restart its nuclear program. The declaration came as a swift response to the United Nations Security Council's unanimously adopted statement condemning the North's April 5 rocket launch. The council said the launch breached an earlier Council resolution banning the country from ballistic missile activity. North Korea reiterated that it will walk away from the Six-Party Talks aimed at denuclearization. Before carrying out its long-range rocket launch in spite of international warnings, Pyongyang threatened to boycott the talks if the United Nations took action in response to what it called its satellite program. North Korea's response yesterday was to say it will reactivate its Yongbyon nuclear plant, which was shut down in 2007, and restart reprocessing used nuclear fuel rods. In short, North Korea said it will return to nuclear weapons development. Pyongyang also said it will consider building its own light-water nuclear reactor, which hints at the development of a uranium enrichment program. The belligerent nation also suggested it will consider giving up its United Nations membership. North Korea appeared well prepared for possible international action following its rocket launch. It issued a strongly worded statement berating the Security Council for its statement shortly after it was announced. Pyongyang may already have a second nuclear test card up its sleeves. As the Security Council states, with the endorsement of China and Russia, North Korea's rocket launch was a clear violation of its 2006 Resolution 1718 banning any missile tests by the country. The North's nuclear and missile program endangers world peace and can be regarded as an international criminal act rather than defense of its sovereignty. How can Pyongyang talk of sovereignty infringement when it poses SEOUL 00000615 005 OF 009 such danger to the international community? What does it think it can gain by threatening the world in such an irrational manner? We do not believe North Korea will carry out its threats, and we hope the international community will try to resolve this matter diplomatically and peacefully through the existing Six-Party channel. We trust Pyongyang will listen. Our government will have to deal with this matter discreetly, and we may have to take up full membership in the Proliferation Security Initiative. North Korea may be further provoked if we join the U.S.-led PSI, but we need some kind of defense mechanism to deter the North from constant provocation. We also need to protect our people. (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) PROBLEMATIC DECISIONS MADE BY BOTH KOREAS (Hankyoreh Shinmun, April 15, 2009, Page 27) Yesterday North Korea, through a statement from the Foreign Ministry, said it will not participate in the Six-Party Talks and is going to strengthen its "nuclear deterrent for self-defense." It was an expected response to the United Nations (UN) Security Council's presidential statement that denounced Pyongyang's recent rocket launch for violating Security Council Resolution 1718. North Korea had said, "there will be no Six-Party Talks" if the matter of its rocket launch was discussed at the UN Security Council. Nonetheless, its reaction is stronger than expected. It said it "will no longer participate in the talks, nor will it be bound to any agreement of the Six-Party Talks," and will therefore resume normal operations of its nuclear facilities and reprocess its spent fuel rods. Denying the Six_Party Talks that have become the diplomatic framework for resolving issues facing the Korean peninsula, such as the North Korean nuclear issue for the past five years, does not signal a good and proper course of action. North Korea is not hiding its intention to focus on bilateral talks with the U.S., rather than on the Six-Party Talks. This intention was revealed when the North specifically pointed to Japan, not the U.S., and the UN presidential statement, as reasons to boycott the Six-Party Talks. North Korea has characterized Japan as "villainously trying to thwart the Six-Party Talks from the start" and "is openly even trying to enact sanctions of its own because of our satellite launch." Through escalating tensions, North Korea intends to have direct negotiations with the U.S. The North is taking a very dangerous approach. Bilateral talks with the U.S. cannot replace the Six-Party process, and it could make the situation on the Korean peninsula worse in unpredictable ways. North Korea needs to return to the Six-Party Talks immediately. To manage the situation in a stable way and put the Six-Party Talks back on the right track, a united effort by Six-Party countries is essential. Our own government in the ROK, however, is doing the opposite. Yesterday afternoon, the Lee Myung-bak Administration made its final decision in favor of full participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). North Korea has for some time now been saying it will consider participation "a declaration of war" and would "respond firmly." The Lee Administration says the decision is not a form of sanction against North Korea's rocket launch and that it is merely acting on something it had already been considering. However, full participation in PSI is a type of sanction if you consider the timing and circumstances. North Korea's reaction to the concerns and warnings of the international community are of course a problem, but that does not rationalize our government's actions as it now assumes the lead in escalating tensions. (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) SEOUL 00000615 006 OF 009 HOW TO DEAL WITH N. KOREA'S INCREASING PROVOCATION (Chosun Ilbo, April 15, 2009, Page 35) The United Nations Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a statement condemning North Korea's rocket launch and accusing Pyongyang of violating UN Resolution 1718. The Security Council said it would punish North Korea by reviving sanctions in Resolution 1718 passed in 2006, but that were not implemented while there was progress in the six-country talks. In protest, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday, "The DPRK (North Korea) will never participate in such Six-Party Talks." North Korea added it would reprocess the spent fuel rods that were extracted from the nuclear reactor in Yongbyon, pursue the construction of a light water reactor and continue its long-range rocket launches. The communist country has responded to criticism by restarting its nuclear program, which had been frozen for the past two years under the framework of the six-party talks. The ROK's presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said on Tuesday that the Lee Myung-bak Administration would soon declare its full participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),a U.S.-led initiative that aims to interdict the transfer of banned weapons and related technology. Launched in 2003, a total of 94 countries are taking part in the PSI, in order to cooperatively prevent the spread of nuclear and missile technology to rogue states or international terrorists. But the ROK has withheld from participating in the initiative, mindful of North Korea's protest. The North previously claimed that it would consider the ROK's participation in the PSI a "declaration of war." Over the past few months, the ROK, the U.S. and Japan have vowed to address North Korea's rocket launch at the UN Security Council, while North Korea has declared it would scuttle the Six-Party Talks if the UN implements sanctions. The problem is whether the ROK government has a step-by-step plan to respond to the crisis as it worsens. Once implemented, options such as UN Security Council sanctions and participating in the PSI quickly narrow the range of restraints against North Korea. It is obvious North Korea will ignore sanctions placed against it and proceed with further acts of provocation. Following the Security Council's statement, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Beijing had opposed the implementation of sanctions. International pressure on North Korea can succeed only with the participation of China, which holds the lifeline supporting the North's leadership. That can only be possible if measures against North Korea are implemented at a level where China can participate openly - or at least implicitly agree to them. But the diplomacy pursued by South Korea and the U.S. has stumbled at this stage. As a result, sanctions against North Korea are failing to change the country's attitude. The ROK government appears to consider North Korea's protest against Seoul's participation in the PSI and sanctions as expected rites of passage. But problems involving North Korea could escalate into a major national security crisis due to a simple misjudgment. The ROK's participation in the PSI carries the possibility of triggering a military confrontation, should the U.S., Japan and other countries seek to halt a suspicious North Korea vessel in ROK waters. If that happens, the government must have a preconceived plan of action on how it intends to deal with the situation according to different crisis scenarios. (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) NORTH KOREA SAYS THERE WILL BE NO MORE SIX-PARTY TALKS (Hankook Ilbo, April 15, 2009, Page 35) North Korea announced that it will never join the Six-Party Talks again. In response to the UN Security Council's presidential SEOUL 00000615 007 OF 009 statement condemning North Korea's rocket launch, North Korea boycotted all talks including negotiations for denuclearization. North Korea went so far as to say that it will not be bound by any agreement and will halt its nuclear disablement process. This reaction was no surprise, but was a bit stronger than expected. It is important to figure out North Korea's intention rather than rebuke the North for its reckless action or raise a dispute over (the ROK's) North Korea policy. Even prior to its rocket launch, North Korea vowed to walk away from the Six-Party Talks if the rocket launch is brought before the UN Security Council. Therefore, it is not surprising that North Korea reacted strongly to the UNSC's presidential statement which contains more detailed sanctions than the UNSC's resolution adopted following North Korea's nuclear test in 2006. It is questionable how effectively the UN Security Council will implement sanctions on North Korea. The ROK's full participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is unlikely to produce the effects ROK conservatives expect. North Korean ships could avoid the ROK territorial waters. Moreover, since ROK ships sailing near North Korean territorial waters outnumber North Korean ships (passing the ROK territorial waters),we may suffer greater adverse effects (from full participation in PSI.) North Korea pushed for the rocket launch despite international criticism and possible sanctions in order to showcase its leader Kim Jong-il's intention to become a more powerful and prosperous nation. Considering Kim Jong-il's health and his unstable succession plan, North Korea will exaggerate external threats to consolidate its internal unity, which is the North's ultimate goal, and maintain a tough stance. In this situation, a confusing debate over (North Korea) policy or hasty reaction would not be beneficial. We should wait for North Korea to calm down and change (its attitude),while keeping the door of dialogue open. FEATURES -------------- NORTH KOREA BOYCOTTS SIX-PARTY TALKS AS EXPECTED AND SEEKS 'CLINTON-STYLE BILATERAL TALKS' (Chosun Ilbo, April 15, 2009, Front page) By political reporter Kang In-seon Eight years of the Bush Administration was a nightmare for North Korea. Now North Korea wants to sit face-to-face with the Obama Administration at a new negotiating table. North Korea sent an invitation letter for talks through the Taepodong-2 rocket. The U.S. responded with the UN Security Council presidential statement condemning the rocket launch. On April 14, North Korea countered with a strong message that the relations between North Korea and the U.S. during the Bush Administration are invalid and they should return to (how they communicated bilaterally with) the Clinton Administration. North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement denouncing the UNSC's presidential statement. North Korea said it will never participate in the Six-Party Talks again. North Korea added it will review developing its own light water reactors to possess nuclear capability. North Korea went on to say that it will reprocess the spent fuel rods to restore nuclear facilities which have been disabled under the agreement of the Six-Party Talks. This reaction by North Korea was expected. Even prior to the rocket launch, North Korea warned on April 24 that if its rocket launch is brought before the UN Security Council, it would lead to collapse of the Six-Party Talks. What is the reason that North Korea insists on boycotting the Six-Party Talks while threatening to rescind the existing agreements under the Six-Party Talks and restart its nuclear process? North Korea views that it can not achieve the deal SEOUL 00000615 008 OF 009 it craves within the framework of the Six-Party Talks which were initiated during the Bush Administration. North Korea continues to send messages to the Obama Administration that it is interested in bilateral talks with the U.S. North Korea conveyed its willingness to hold bilateral talks in order to improve the U.S.-North Korea relations through Park Han-sik, Professor at the University of Georgia, and Leon Sigal, Director at the Social Science Research Council, who have built up close relations with North Korea. North Korea is saying that it wants to go back to the bilateral talks that it held with the Clinton Administration. However, the United States will not engage in talks with North Korea soon. Bush's policy of not rewarding bad acts will not be discarded by the Obama Administration. Since North Korea flagrantly violated UN Security Council Resolution 1718 (adopted after its 2006 nuclear test),the U.S. should at least pretend to chastise North Korea in order to maintain international rules. Also, North Korea's rocket launch proved that North Korea's long-distance missile capability does not yet pose a threat to the U.S. Therefore, the U.S. has no reason to hurry. At present, President Obama is focused on the U.S. domestic economy as well as issues of Afghanistan and Iraq. He is thus not in a position to commit fully to the North Korean issue. The Obama Administration has not formed a team for addressing the North Korean issue, nor has it completed reviewing its North Korea policy. However, experts believe that Obama would not keep the same hard-line policy the Bush Administration adopted during its first term. The U.S. will not, however, also sit back and watch North Korea bolster its nuclear capability, now that the North has vowed to restore its nuclear facilities. During his candidacy, Obama criticized the U.S.'s North Korea policy with the logic that the Bush Administration increased the North's nuclear capability while refusing to hold bilateral talks. Under what pretext would U.S.-North Korea talks resume? Former ROK Foreign Minister Han Sung-joo said that the issue of two detained U.S. journalists could lead to the bilateral talks. Special Representative for North Korea policy Bosworth would visit North Korea to discuss ways (to secure the release of) the detained journalists. Those visits could lead to bilateral talks for addressing nuclear and missile issues. ROK'S PLAN TO ADOPT ITS OWN PHONE ENCRYPTION TECHNIQUE COULD FALL APART UNDER U.S. PRESSURE (Hankyoreh Shinmun, April 15, 2009, Page 2) By Reporter Kim Jae-sup The U.S.: "If the ROK does not follow the international standard, it would violate the WTO agreement." Experts: "The agreement does not apply to security matters." The ROK's plan to encrypt Internet phone calls from government agencies by using its own standard cryptographic technique is on the verge of falling apart. This is because the U.S. says that it would violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. The U.S. is thus asking the ROK to "adopt the international standard instead." Industry officials said on April 14 that the ROKG is reconsidering its plan to encrypt Internet phone calls from government agencies by using its own standard cryptographic technique "ARIA." U.S. telecom equipment makers, such as Cisco and Abaya, are asking the ROK to use the international encryption standard "AES" for Internet phone calls, which government agencies make for an official purpose. The U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative are also applying pressure on the ROK. A Cisco official said, "We are proposing to the ROKG that it should follow the international standard." SEOUL 00000615 009 OF 009 The National Information Society Agency, which has been in charge of replacing telephones at government agencies with Internet-based phones, decided last December to adopt the ARIA standard to prevent eavesdropping. The ROKG notified Internet phone equipment makers of the decision through an explanatory meeting. ARIA is an encryption technology developed by the National Security Research Institute, an agency affiliated with the National Intelligence Service. The ROKG plans to replace 900,000 phones at the Ministry of Public Administration and Security and local government agencies with Internet phones. It costs an estimated 400 billion won only to purchase necessary equipment. The U.S. government and Internet equipment companies claim that the ROK's decision to use the ARIA technique for official Internet phone calls would violate Article 6, Paragraph 2 of the WTO agreement on government procurement, which stipulates, "Technical specifications prescribed by procuring entities shall be based on international standards, where such exist." The U.S. also included this matter in its first annual National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers after President Obama's inauguration to put pressure on the ROKG. However, ROK experts argue that the ROKG's decision to use the ARIA technique does not violate the WTO agreement because "Nothing in the Agreement shall be construed to prevent any Party from taking any action or not disclosing any information which it considers necessary for the protection of its essential security interests." The White House and the Pentagon also use separate encryption techniques. Lawyer Oh Jin-wook at the Hanseo law firm said, "The adoption of the ARIA technique is aimed at protecting official phone conversations from eavesdropping, and therefore, it is considered as a step taken for public purposes, such as national security." Lawyer Oh added "In particular, since the technology to load the ARIA apparatus into phone equipment is made public on the Internet, and a test bed for the technology is available to everyone, it is difficult to see how or in what ways U.S. companies experience discrimination when using ARIA." The National Information Society Agency plans as early as late this month to issue Requests for Bid Proposal to select Internet phone services providers for government agencies. STEPHENS