[WSIS CS-Plenary] Bush admin. objects to .xxx domains

[Milton Mueller]

>>> Parminder at ITforChange.net 08/16/05 11:31 PM >>>
>I want a clarification, and hope you can provide it. I agree 
>with you that this present development is going to have 
>great significance. 
>
>However, I am not sure how this issue stands at present. 
>Has US only used its presence in GAC to voice opposition to 
>the .xxx domain, (with all the strength that a 'US concern' 
>carries vis a vis other countries' concerns

No. The US did NOT voice opposition to the .xxx domain in the
Luxembroug GAC meeting. And the GAC itself did NOT pass a resolution or
go through any formal process to ask to recall the delegation. What
really happened is that the US Commerce Department basically ordered
ICANN to delay it and then "politely requested" the GAC Chairman (who is
known to be close to the US) to send a letter to ICANN so that the order
would have some legitimate "cover."

Here is a recitation of the relevant facts:

 * At Luxembourg (July 9-15), neither the GAC nor the US made 
a request to stop the delegation. That was before Mr. Sampson, a new 
Commerce Dept official was appointed
 * All the outraged letters from Christian conservatives (and
pornographers posing as such) came into the Commerce Dept. 
weeks before the Luxembourg meeting
 * David Sampson was made new Deputy Secty of Commerce July 22. 
 * The US Commerce Dept letter to ICANN is dated August 11, about two
weeks after Sampson was appointed.  
 * The GAC Chairman's letter to ICANN is dated August 13, and
obviously
follows the US initiative.
 * The US letter was buried in the "Correspondence" section of ICANN's
web site.
 * The GAC letter was put on the front page, providing a nice cover
for
the US initiative.

--MM