Text 3928, 128 rader
Skriven 2007-03-30 23:31:00 av ROSS SAUER
Ärende: Homeland "Security?"
============================
Just when you thought our Department of Homeland "Security" couldn't get 
even more stupid...  
Homeland Security Classifies TRON as "Sensitive"

BURBANK, CA - Reports are emerging from members of the movie industry 
that the Department of Homeland Security has designated the 1982 film 
TRON as "sensitive", and ordered Walt Disney Studios to turn over all 
copies of the film in its possession. Retailers are also receiving 
notices to remove all copies of the film from stock shelves and turn 
them over to Federal officials. The reports have industry insiders 
bewildered and outraged. 

TRON is a science fiction film that takes place within a computer's 
circuits. Protagonist Kevin Flynn is pulled into the computer via laser 
by the malevolent Master Control Program. However, official concern 
reportedly centers around a portion of the movie's live-action sequence 
which was filmed at Shiva, a nuclear fusion research facility created at 
the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Constructed in 1977 for 
research into generating fusion energy, Shiva used a battery of enormous 
lasers to smash tiny pellets of deuterium and tritium. It was hoped the 
resulting compression and shockwave would illustrate how to trigger 
fusion in the materials. 

The facility was dismantled in 1981 after experiments were completed and 
its successor, Shiva/Nova, was built. However, as a government funded 
nuclear research program, it is subject to comprehensive national 
security guidelines, and it is this point that seems to have gotten the 
film into trouble. 

"They said the [Shiva] scenes contained sensitive nuclear information," 
said a Disney employee tasked with locating copies of the film in the 
studio's archives. "I mean, the film's been out for 25 years. All of a 
sudden, there's something wrong with it? It's silly." 

The film is reportedly being sequestered via a National Security Letter, 
a result of the PATRIOT Act that permits Homeland Security to demand 
information and records without judicial oversight. The PATRIOT Act 
provides harsh criminal penalties for failing to comply with the letter, 
or even for disclosing to anyone that such a letter was received. 

No Disney employee was willing to comment on record, as they fear 
Federal prosecution if they do so. Video retailers in receipt of the 
letter, however, were more forthcoming. Many see the request as patently 
ridiculous, and are refusing to take it seriously. "I only have three 
copies, but they expect me to just hand over my stock?" said Jim 
Steinert, a video store owner in Van Nuys, CA. Steinert's copy of the 
letter demands, "any and all copies, in any and all recording formats," 
of the film. The letter states the copies are merely, "being sought for 
review to determine possible conflicts with national security 
interests." The expectation among retailers is that the copies, once 
surrendered, will never be returned. Steinert has two DVD copies, and a 
rare laserdisc copy widely regarded as the finest release of the film to 
date, which he is especially loathe to part with. Said Steinert, "I'm in 
business. I don't give stuff away. If they want to pay rental fees or 
buy the copies outright, fine, they can have them that way." 

Use of national security letters, long criticized by civil libertarians, 
recently came under official scrutiny when an internal audit at the FBI 
revealed in early March at least 26 instances where the letters were 
issued without proper authority, and as many as 22% of all such requests 
-- over 8,800 -- were not recorded at all. While archived film and 
videos are considered records (such as closed-circuit security video 
recordings), observers say using a national security letter to 
quarantine a movie is something new. "A close reading of the statute 
doesn't answer the question," said Steve Shapiro, legal director for the 
ACLU. "The language is ambiguous. Under certain circumstances, it could 
be seen as justified. However, this was clearly not intended by the 
measure's authors." 

Neither FBI nor DHS officials would comment on the matter, citing that 
they do not comment on ongoing investigations or alleged breaches of 
national security. However, they were willing to discuss general 
questions concerning security surrounding nuclear research. "We are 
carefully reviewing disclosure procedures and criteria concerning any 
nuclear information that could be misused by terrorists," said FBI agent 
Lirpa Sloof, official bureau spokesperson in Los Angeles. "We are 
mindful of the current global terror situation, and are working to 
ensure the continued safety of American interests and lives all over the 
world." 

Disney obtained all neccesary clearances in 1980 when the film was in 
production. But despite these clearances, and an interval of 25 years, 
Sloof says that doesn't matter. "9/11 showed us that our enemies could 
make unexpectedly destructive use of seemingly innocuous information and 
systems. With this new view, we are re-evaluating all our disclosure 
procedures and criteria," she said. Indeed, since 9/11, the 
Administration has, under its "records of concern" program, re-
classified over one million records that previously were public, some 
for over a century. 

According to a Disney employee, the imbroglio is believed to have 
started when the studio began preparations to digitally remaster TRON 
for theatrical and HD-DVD release. Disney's plans were communicated to 
the FBI as a matter of long-standing routine (Walt Disney himself 
established a close working relationship with the FBI in the 1950's). 
The bureau expressed concern that the improved image quality from the 
restored film might reveal sensitive details about US nuclear research. 
Disney film experts reportedly countered that anything visible in the 
restored version was already visible, albeit slightly blurrier, in 
existing DVD copies. Approximately three days later, the DHS declared 
the film "sensitive" and demanded its surrender. 

Although the studio has been working quietly to locate all its copies, 
it is not yet certain if they will comply with the demand. Apparently 
there is sharp division within the company about how to respond. "TRON 
is a landmark in film history. You can't simply make it go away," said a 
Disney employee who's been closely following the controversy. He also 
observed, "It was made during the Cold War. Nuclear secrets were 
sensitive then, too. Did they assume the Soviets wouldn't bother 
watching a Jeff Bridges film?" But another Disney employee closer to the 
decision-making process suggested the studio may not want to jeopardize 
its relationship with the FBI over the film. "Although it has a very 
dedicated fan base, TRON has never made a lot of money for us. Each 
release has only generated modest revenue, and the game was essentially 
a flop," referring to the PC game TRON 2.0 released in 2003. He added, 
"From a fiscal standpoint, it won't be a significant loss to the company 
if we decide to let them have it." 

Released in 1982, TRON featured a largely electronic musical score and 
is the first motion picture to extensively use computer-generated 
imagery. It is widely regarded among film historians as a significant 
landmark in the science fiction genre and in the craft of filmmaking. 
 
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