Corporations Fined for Sharing Information

[David Floyd]

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Hughes Electronics Corp. and Boeing Co.'s Boeing Satellite Systems unit said Wednesday they agreed to a $32 million civil penalty with the U.S. Department of State, arising out of allegations that the companies might have illegally shared sensitive space technology with China in the 1990s.

The penalty includes the payment of $20 million in cash over seven years, $8 million to strengthen export compliance programs and $4 million already credited for past expenses on export program enhancements, the companies said. Hughes and the Boeing unit will appoint a third party to monitor export compliance.

"Hughes Electronics Corp. and Boeing Satellite Systems acknowledge the nature and seriousness of the offenses charged by the Department of State, including the harm such offenses could cause to the security and foreign policy interests of the United States," said Jack Shaw, Hughes's chief executive, and Dave Ryan, Boeing Satellite's vice president and general manager, in a joint statement.

The companies said they regretted not obtaining necessary licenses. The government's charges related primarily to the Boeing unit's involvement in reviews of two failed launches of commercial communications satellites on Chinese rockets in 1995 and 1996, the companies said.

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[KrazyHorse]

If you were anybody else I'd assume you were giving the thumbs-down to Boeing and Hughes...

[David Floyd]

Actually, in a way, I am. Boeing and Hughes should probably not sell some sorts of technology to morally bankrupt regimes such as that of the PRC. But the US government, in my opinion, shouldn't stop them, either.

[DinoDoc]

[Tuberski]

ACK!

[Asher]

I think we should pass a law forcing US companies to share all their information with China.

[Zero]

Did boeing acquire the space technology because the US government funded them or help them in anyway?

if not.

[Japher]

Did boeing acquire the space technology because the US government funded them or help them in anyway?

Those kind of things were usually commisioned. Anywho, it could still be closely related to rocketry and weapon production, it is sensitive information. Even in America you will get smacked if you learn how to make a nuclear bomb, and then go to a communist country and help them make one, or even sell them a book on the matter... National Security Issues or something.

[David Floyd]

**** national security - that is only an issue because of our aggressive (and now, it seems, almost unilateral) foreign policy.

[Japher]

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by David Floyd
**** national security - that is only an issue because of our aggressive (and now, it seems, almost unilateral) foreign policy.

I call BS.

[David Floyd]

So you're saying that there would ever have been a threat of nuclear war involving the US if the US stayed isolationist?

If that's what you're saying I call BS.

[Japher]

If the US stayed isolationist we may never have invented nuclear weapons... Then where would we be?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by David Floyd
So you're saying that there would ever have been a threat of nuclear war involving the US if the US stayed isolationist?

No, that's not what I'm saying. Kindly avoid responding to things I didn't say.

PS Where do you get this stayed isolationist line from?

[David Floyd]

Japher,

If the US stayed isolationist we may never have invented nuclear weapons... Then where would we be?

A better place?

DD,

No, that's not what I'm saying. Kindly avoid responding to things I didn't say.

Then what are you saying? I said that national security would not be an issue if the US was not aggressive, and you called BS. I don't quite see how you can call BS on that - if the US wasn't aggressive in the past, and currently, it wouldn't face foreign threats today. At least not any I can see.