PISMO DIREKTORA RA^UNSKOG CENTRA U LINCU

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Date: Wed, 3 Jun 92 09:57:26 CDT
Reply-To: EARN Board of Directors
Sender: EARN Board of Directors
Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was K000160@ALIJKU11
From: Wilfried Maschtera
Subject: Deactivation of line to Belgrade
X-To: Yagos Puric ,
Svetozar Niketic
X-cc: EARN Board of Directors ,
mirjana tasic ,
Schmittner Guenther
To: Multiple recipients of

Dear Jagos and Svetozar,

on June, 2nd 1992 Mr. Axmann from the Ministry for Science and Research called the head of our computing center, Mr. Valach and informed him on the following:

On June, 2nd the Austrian government decided to follow UN resolutions 752 and 757 and to suspend the scientific, technological and cultural cooperation with Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). As a consequence the Computing Center of the University of Linz has to deactivate the line to Belgrade.

This decision was confirmed when I phoned with Mr. Axmann. On June 3rd I informed the Austrian EARN Director, Prof. Schulz. He gave me the order to follow the directive and to deactivate the line.

I do not agree with this decision but I have to comply with it. Therefore the line will be deactivated temporarely on June 3rd, 4 o'clock pm (16.00). Please note that we do not cancel the line itself. All files destined for a location in Yugoslavia will be saved.

I regret this decision but I ask you to understand that I have to follow this order. We all hope that we can resume the transfer and our good cooperation shortly.

Kind Regards / Wilfried

PISMO DIREKTORA EARN ASOCIJACIJE


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Wed, 03 Jun 92 11:55:28 CET
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 92 11:30:13 DNT
Reply-To: EARN Board of Directors
Sender: EARN Board of Directors
From: Frode Greisen
Subject: Re: Deactivation of line to Belgrade
In-Reply-To: Message of Wed,
3 Jun 92 09:57:26 CDT from
To: Multiple recipients of

Dear colleagues,

I'm afraid there is not much EARN can do in this situation. My personal view is that EARN should keep as far away from politics as possible and concentrate on our mission to provide a communication system for as many academics and researchers as possible.

However, we have to realize that this system in not entirely under the EARN association's control. Much is done by staff at the international nodes who work for their universities and as such are under control of their governments. So, as in this case the Austrian government has made a decision, AEARN staff in Linz clearly has to follow. My concern has been that the government be made aware of exactly how the system works and that closing a line is very different from e.g. freezing a scientific cooperation project, but Wilfried has assured me that his government representatives understand this.

I have offered to make the EARN mission known to the Austrian government but I do not plan to take any further steps unless the board decides we should do so. So, if anyone thinks we should take formal action, please say so.

Regards/ Frode