WikiLeaks: Intel strong-armed Russian apparatchiks

A WikiLeaked cable reveals that Intel was able to arm-twist Russian apparatchiks into letting it import 1,000 development platforms that ran afoul of import restrictions imposed by the government of that worker's paradise struggling economy. To bend the Russian bureaucrats to their will, Chipzilla used the magic word that …

[Anonymous Coward]

Are the leaks "all wrong"?

For example:

http://213.251.145.96/cable/2007/07/07HARARE638.html

is probably something for any nation to be proud of.

[JohnG]

Quid pro quo?

Would the US authorities would allow a Russian company to import and use some unknown encryption in the USA?

Does anyone know what type of encryption Intel are using? Is it some exotic in-house creation?

[nyelvmark]

Craig Barrett

According to the infallible Wikipedia, Craig Barrett was booted upstairs to became chairman of Intel in 2005 and retired in May 2009 - only 6 months before the date of this cable, so it looks as though John Beyrle (the cable's author) just cocked up on his job title.

Hardly surprising, when you read that he was promoted (hence the WTF?) from president to CEO in 1998.

Personally, I'm happy with my job title - Senior Vice President (sanitation). Where's my bog brush gone?

[Hombre sin nombre]

Presumably the condition of the devices on arrival was not specified.

It'll be somewhat difficult to reverse engineer the equipment after it's had a good once-over with a sledgehammer and a blowtorch.

[Anonymous Coward]

Those engineers must have been dirt cheap

Remember, the IP was still at risk. It's a certainty that the Russian Federal Security Bureau eventually got the crypto info. So why woudl Intel do this, unless those "200 engineers' were dirt cheap compared to comparably skilled engineers elsewhere.

[Anonymous Coward]

buıʎouuɐ ǝɹɐ sǝןʇıʇ

"What assurance may have been agreed upon to ensure that reverse engineering won't occur at that state-run demolition site wasn't explained."

Nor will it matter. At that time, the tech will be 5 or 6 years old, giving Intel plenty of lead time.

[duncan campbell]

So what's in these things?

"What assurance may have been agreed upon to ensure that reverse engineering won't occur at that state-run demolition site wasn't explained. "

Could be really snazzy new stuff or it could be just a box with a digital once-off pad

in it. In the latter case who cares what the Russians find after the job is done?

~D

[multipharious]

Guess nobody remembers...

Intel and AMD created quite a love saga as well. This climaxed when Intel thought they could force the industry to go 64-bit, and AMD capitalized on this mistake and built a foundry with the profits. (eliminating their historic supply problem) Intel is now likely having to watch their asses closer than Microsoft when it comes to offering deals to vendors...but how this reads is like it was back in the day.

Now, maybe I am a bit jaded, but WikiLeaks is just failing to impress me compared to proper analysis. Where is the news Assange? Threatening to move jobs? Really. I am stinking stunned!

Did anyone ever see "Big Fish" (the book did not have this in it) where Danny Devito gave one bit of worthless information per week?

[mhenriday]

Nice touch, Rik -

I loved «worker's paradise [crossed over] struggling economy» ! Can't wait for «land of the free, home of the brave [crossed over] bankrupt banana empire» !...

Henri

[Code Monkey]

@bankrupt banana empire

Keyboard, etc. Nice one.

[Yann BZH]

Thanks to Wikileak

The "cable guy's" got a job for life!