Mosul, Iraq
11 messages in this thread
This is a completely left-field question, but here goes…
Has any other 3D company out there been getting letters from various names, all
addressed to PO Box numbers in Mosul, Iraq?
About once a month we get very similar-looking letters from Mosul, Iraq. Some
claim to be computer dealers, others look like regular requests for info, all
ask for free product. All appear to be in the same handwriting, sometimes the
names are minor variations of each other. It's a hoot. Has anyone else seen
this?
Are you pulling our virtual legs John ? I haven't gotten one of those yet. As
goofy as it sounds I'd send a copy to the State Department and a copy to the
producers of PBS's FRONTLINE. One of the reasons Iraq's evil dictator still
rules is that we underestimated him, and his countrymen, as incompetant
buffoons. Meanwhile he came within a hairsbreath of getting a collection of
nukes. Stick a computer, a topological database, 3D software, propulsion and
wings on a bomb and you've got a cruise missile making right hand turns at red
lights on it's way downtown to your capitol. If a Cessna can make it through to
knock on the front door, if the bastards can blow up the World Trade Center, if
we refuse to enforce the international borders at Mexico, Canada, and our ports
of entry, etc…you get the picture.
Anyway, Please turn this goofy letter over to the proper authorities, you just
never know . . .
Bruce N. Goren
No, I'm not kidding. We did receive one of the (relatively) famous letter from
an African nation, requesting our bank account number so they could hide cash
there. I forget which country it was, it was sent by some guy claiming that he
had extra money in his agency's account and that he needed to spend it by the
end of the year… quite funny, and quite sad.
As for the Mosul guy(s), I'm sure they're "mostly harmless." Probably
teenagers, from the professionalism of their letters. Unless you regard the
acquisition of 3D models of Scud launchers to be a threat to national security.
🙂
Well, I'll try not to lose any sleep over it but the lack of professionalism of
thier letters which leaves the impression that they might be "harmless" is
exactly the type of clever ploy I worry about. I'm sure the bearded fanatic
racing around the World Trade Center parking garage in a rented and bomb-laden
van was dismissed as just another reckless idiot immigrant driver by any
cynical New Yorkers who were around at the time. Our collective lack of
vigilence in a dangerous world scares me.
Bruce N. Goren
They were just hunting for free software. Americans do it, too. 🙂
As they say, vice in the defense of liberty is not extremism… 🙂
Bruce, I had no previous indication of your political views. I vote
Libertarian myself, which makes me unpopular with both the left and the right.
John,
Hunting for free software, maybe — but don't forget they consider us
thier enemies, a great Satan, they scavange technology wherever they
can find it.
Don't forget that one of the many reasons we ruled thier skies is
because we planted a software virus in thier air defense radar. Cool
tricks like that only work once, they'll be ready and watching next
time.
Since trade with them is banned they will use whatever innocent
looking scams they can think of to get any shred of anything that
might prove useful in some long term obscure manner. Think about U.S.
history in WW2 and how every pair of nylons, every victory garden,
every penny made from steel/zinc instead of copper made a difference.
Saddam and his staff are very resourceful and creative, we have not
heard the last of the Iraqis.
Actually I'm issue oriented and all over the political spectrum
without regard to ideology, sometimes left and sometimes right. I
grew up a radical leftist and switched through the Democarats,
Libertarians and then non-affiliation to the Republican party in
order to lend a moderating voice and vote in "enemy" primaries. But,
like the libertarians, I believe the Government's main task is to
guard the international borders and insure public safety. Beyond that
I'd like to see uncle sam take a retirement cruise with the exception
of several key areas which I believe the Feds ought to oversee and
regulate, if not nationalize.
Actually, I think I started learning the most about libertarianism when I said
"the only proper role of government is to protect the borders and deliver the
mail," and a real libertarian said to me, "absolutely not." Well, he was
probably a capital L Libertarian. I'm sure there could be a long thread that
could debate exactly what you'd try to keep inside the border, and what you'd
try to keep out, and why people hire private protection even if the government
is supposedly protecting them, and why UPS should be allowed to deliver the
mail door-to-door, and why my cable wire should transmit and receive in both
directions. 🙂
>> As they say, vice in the defense of liberty
>> is not extremism… 🙂
From reading this thread, I am not sure if you intended to quote Mr.
Republican, or mangle that famous quote.
From my recall, I think you mangled it but if you did it the way you wanted,
never mind <g>.
I will try to refrain in commenting about an alarming display of ignorance and
paranoia
Another idiot immigrant
Arturo
I will refraim from flaming someone with no sense of humor who takes colorful
language out of context and pouts publicly. Sorry that you were offended.
If the shoe fits . . . Bruce