Bonum Certa Men Certa

Cablegate: Iraq Rebuilt With Free/Open Source Software

Cablegate



Summary: Folks from MIT (home of the FSF/GNU) were said to be using "open-source software" for an "Intranet [that] would rely on radio and satellite data links to avoid dependence on Iraq's telecom system" and more

"Gatti said MIT plans to set up the system using open-source software," claims the following Cablegate cable, which speaks about setting up some communication infrastructure for post-invasion Iraq. Here is the full cable:










C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002050

SIPDIS

SECDEF FOR OSD/AJTORRES JOINT STAFF FOR SYIKE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2014 TAGS: EAID [Foreign Economic Assistance], EINT [Economic and Commercial Internet], PREL [External Political Relations], IT [Italy], IZ [Iraq], IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: IRAQ: SECURITY CONCERNS PUT E-GOV PROGRAM IN LIMBO

Classified By: Economic Minister-Counselor Scott Kilner for reasons 1.4 (b)(d)

SUMMARY -------

€¶1. (C) Italy's Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MIT) is ready to send a team to Baghdad to start work on a Euro 11 million project to build an Intranet system for the Iraqi government. According to an aide to MIT Minister Lucio Stanca, however, the Italian Foreign Ministry will not approve the trip because of security concerns. The completed system would link 20-30 Iraqi government departments to each other and the Internet using a mix of radio and satellite links. End summary.

Safety Concerns Delay E-Government Project. -------------------------------------------

€¶2. (C) Stefano Gatti (protect), Diplomatic Advisor to Innovation and Technology Minister Lucio Stanca, recently gave Econoff an update of Italy's Euro 10-11 million project to provide the Iraqi government with a basic Intranet infrastructure. The MIT has a team ready to go to Baghdad to conduct an initial survey of the Iraqi Ministries' requirements; but, Gatti explained with some exasperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is delaying approval of the trip. Gatti speculated that the MFA was nervous about sending additional Italian officials to Baghdad given the unresolved status of three Italian hostages, the death this month of an Italian soldier in Nasiriyah, and the assassination of Interim Governing Council President Ezzedine Salim outside the Green Zone. In this environment, Gatti said, the GOI is reluctant to send more people to Baghdad. Gatti said the MIT has pared down the team from eight to four people in deference to the MFA's security concerns, but the MFA is still withholding approval.

Need for Iraqi Coordinator --------------------------

€¶3. (SBU) A second problem the project has encountered, Gatti remarked, is finding an Iraqi agency to coordinate with the MIT team. He explained that, since the project involves hooking up several Iraqi ministries to a central Intranet hub, Italy must find an Iraqi authority capable of overseeing such a government-wide project. Gatti predicted, however, that this problem would be overcome once the Ministry has its own people on the ground in Baghdad.

Background ----------

€¶4. (SBU) MIT's proposed Euro 10-11 million Iraqi Government Intranet project is designed to give the Iraqi government a basic system for electronically linking ministries and, possibly, municipal and provincial governments. The initial budget covers the cost of a central server bank, connections for 20-30 government departments (each with 20 work stations), a remote back-up system (possibly located in Italy), plus training and technical support. The Iraqi Intranet would rely on radio and satellite data links to avoid dependence on Iraq's telecom system. In addition to providing Iraqi officials with basic email and Internet connectivity, the Intranet network could also be used for telephone service among government departments. Gatti said MIT plans to set up the system using open-source software.

(Note: A copy of Italy's proposal for the Iraqi Government Intranet is available on Rome's Classnet homepage under the section "Italy Background Notes." Please do not distribute this document outside the USG. End note.)

Start-up Funding Available from MFA and World Bank --------------------------------------------- -----

€¶5. (SBU) Gatti said the MFA already has Euro two million available to start the project. The MIT expects to receive another Euro two million from the World Bank's Development Gateway Foundation, he said. The MIT, Gatti asserted, is ready to start the project even though it has yet to secure the full Euro 10-11 million in funding. Gatti predicted the

additional money would fall into place once the project got underway. (Note: The GOI is counting this project as part of its Euro 200 million Madrid pledge. End note.)

COMMENT -------

€¶6. (C) The delay in sending the MIT team to Baghdad demonstrates how the continuing Italian hostage ordeal and recent violence around Nasiriyah is creating government nervousness with negative consequences for reconstruction work. However, assuming the security situation stabilizes and there are no more high-profile attacks or kidnappings that target Italians, we expect that the MIT team will be cleared to go to Baghdad in coming weeks.

€¶7. (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.

Visit Rome's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/rome/index.cf m

SEMBLER

NNNN 2004ROME02050 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL







It is possible that a lot of systems were built with proprietary systems (contractors helping other contractors), but the above is noteworthy nonetheless.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Links 25/07/2025: NOAA Cuts Endanger Lives, "Europe's Self Inflicted Cloud Crisis"
Links for the day
YouTube is a Spamfarm, Slopfarm, and Clickfarm (a Lot of Numbers There Are Fake)
Those who don't fake look unpopular and unimportant
 
Links 25/07/2025: Slop Blunders and China Has Code of Conduct for Lawmakers in HK
Links for the day
Gemini Links 25/07/2025: Some Books and Babies and Capital
Links for the day
They Try to Lecture Us on Ethics
They even removed "master" from Microsoft GitHub
The Future of the Web is One Rendering Engine or 'Flavours' of Chrome
The future of the Web does not look bright at all
Best Sites Are Not Optimised for Any Browser, They Work Equally Well With All of Them
Red Hat (IBM) is making rubbish sites
We Don't Do JavaScript and Pages Are Small
Thankfully Gemini Protocol has nothing like JavaScript
'Tech' is Not Technology
Some people use terms like 'Old Tech'
IBM's Debt Rose by Almost 10 Billion Dollars in the Past 6 Months Alone
The "hey hi" circus is coming to an end
Yes, Master
Gaslighting by actual racists
Microsoft Bribes and Buys Politicians to Tell Europe What to Do About Free Software (Which It's Attacking)
Microsoft: we speak for the thing that we are attacking! Follow the money...
Making Backups Quickly and Reliably
Backups are imperative, more so in an age of uncertainty, unpredictable weather, and worsening standards (quality of products going down while prices go up)
Techrights Investigation: Estimating the Point in Time LinuxIac Turned Into LLM Slop (Part of the Time)
Bobby Borisov got lazy
10th Month, Ten Weeks From Now, at Ten AM
In Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, July 24, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, July 24, 2025
A Nadella Memo Distracts From Microsoft's Cheapening Of the Workforce
Right now the "MSM" (mainstream media) is flooded/overwhelmed by garbage pieces that relay lies for Nadella
Vanishing Faces of GNU/Linux
Free software projects do not depend on any one person or company to still exist
Microsoft Says It Lost 400 Million Windows Users, Now It's Waiting for GNU/Linux to Stop Booting on 'Old' PCs
When it comes to Windows, Microsoft is fully aware of the issue and statements it made earlier this summer suggest it lost 400 million Windows users
Slopwatch: LinuxTechLab, linuxsecurity.com, LinuxIac, and More
Also: The Register's Microsoft agenda (new editor)
Gemini Links 25/07/2025: Gemtext Aware Titan Editor and Gemini Protocol Comeback
Links for the day
Links 24/07/2025: Convicted Felon Quits UNESCO, "Vibe Coding Goes Wrong", and Signalgate Gets Worse
Links for the day
Gemini Links 24/07/2025: Forgejo Woes and Smolnet Directory Week
Links for the day
Misinformation is Not Intelligence
It's low-grade plagiarism and it fails to show any signs of intelligence
Links 24/07/2025: Storage Tapes Still Kicking, Windows TCO 'on Steroids' (Microsoft-Induced Catastrophes)
Links for the day
Bobby Borisov (LinuxIac) Has Apparently Begun Experimenting With LLM Slop, So We Cannot Trust LinuxIac Anymore
So did LinuxIac become a slopfarm? Maybe not yet, but it's getting there
Informa TechTarget's ITProToday is Becoming a Slopfarm Generated by Microsoft Chatbots
Busted.
'Tech' Gimmicks Are for Advertising, Not for Usability
In the case of Microsoft, they latched onto slop
BetaNews Sacked Brian Fagioli and Deleted His Comments, But He Still Tries to Use the "BetaNews" Brand for Self-Affirmation
Fagioli takes the work of other people
[Meme] Hard to Be a Better Person?
Sooner or later they'll realise that for each pound I spend they need to spend about 1,000 times more
The LLM Con Artists Are Highly Destructive
Who will ever be held accountable for this scam?
Too Bribed by Microsoft to Move to Free Software?
Microsoft lies and Microsoft bribery (in politics)
New US Editor for The Register is a Microsoft Booster
"Avram Piltch has served as US editor for The Register since July 2025."
Microsoft Hiring European Politicians is Another Form of Bribery; There Should be a European Investigation
When Microsoft bribed people in Europe for OOXML (there's no denying this!) a European government delegate said that Microsoft operated like a cult
Reda Demanded That FSF Removes Its Founder, Now Reda Works Directly for Microsoft
A sellout and a traitor, first working for GAFAM, now Microsoft
PCLinuxOS is Raising Money to Support Development After Fire Incident at the Host
PCLinuxOS has not had announcements lately
Speed of the Site Should be Better Now
The "bot attacks" impact the speed of the sister site too
Getting More From AnalogNowhere
Recently we used many images from AnalogNowhere
Microsoft, Microsofters and 'Secure' Boot Shills Already Storming the LWN Report About Expiring Certificate, Shooting the Messenger
LWN has clearly stuck a nerve
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Disable "Secure" Boot Today (the Only Better Time to Do So Was Yesterday)
Don't trust anything Red Hat tells you about security
Links 23/07/2025: Windows Killed Company After 150+ Years, US Government Mimics Russia's Attacks on the Media
Links for the day
Freedom Generally Wins at the End, History Shows (But It's Constantly Attacked, Too)
At the moment people realise "Linux" (e.g. Android) isn't enough to guarantee any freedoms
Over 3 Months Later Brett Wilson LLP Still Unable to Recruit a Media Lawyer?
"Immediate start", but not found... still unfilled
“Inhumane” and “Disgusting” Mass Layoff Execution, According to Microsoft Staff
The workers are looking for other places to work
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) Has a New Slogan for Its 40th Anniversary
The freedoms are what's most important
Microsoft is Trying to "Pull a Nokia" on GNU/Linux as Desktop/Laptop Platform
We all remember that rather well, don't we?
LLM Slopfarms gbhackers.com, "Cyber Press" and CyberSecurityNews Are Drowning Google News (and Shame on Google for Feeding and Facilitating Them)
All are run by the same people
Links 23/07/2025: Droplets GUI Patent Monopoly Challenge, Nokia Leverages Illegal Patent Court Against Rivals
Links for the day
Gemini Links 23/07/2025: Community in Geminispace and Challenges With Old Computers
Links for the day
Links 23/07/2025: Slop Patents Tackled, Slop Copyright Misuses Tackled by Politicians
Links for the day
Our Three Lawsuits Against Microsofters Are About to Become a Lot More Relevant to GNU/Linux
The Master will easily understand why Garrett has been attacking me since 2012
Links 23/07/2025: Retreating From Transparency on Jeffrey Epstein, We No Longer Have Press Freedom
Links for the day
Gemini Links 23/07/2025: Piano and Food
Links for the day
New and Old
On Ageism in Tech
Slop Is Not Intelligence and It Does Not Enhance Productivity
Like voice dictation, which cannot tell the difference between "sheet" and "shit"
EPO Crimes Are Spreading to the British Court System
Society is now paying the price for failing to tackle crimes at the EPO
It's Time to Dump SharePoint and Here's What to Use Instead
Nextcloud, ownCloud, Bookstack, MediaWiki, and MediaGoblin
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Brett Wilson LLP Has Gone Silent
Sometimes silence says more than nothing at all
Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity, Planet Ubuntu, and LinuxTechLab
some slopfarms show no remorse and they don't value their reputation at all
Links 23/07/2025: Book Bans, Storms, and Kangaroo Court for Patents Commits More Unlawful Acts of Overreach
Links for the day