DON'T ASK ESTHER

Reacting to today''''''''s New York Times report that the General Accounting Office was investigating every facet of ICANN''''''''s creation and assumption of control over the Internet''''''''s vital Domain Name System, Dyson said she was unaware of any investigation.

"They have not contacted me," Dyson said. She concedes that it is possible such an investigation is taking place, but insists she has heard nothing about it.

ICANN - the not-for-profit organization chosen by the US Commerce Department to introduce competition into the business of selling .com domain names and to otherwise manage the DNS - has been the subject of intense congressional and public scrutiny throughout its brief existence.

But even if the General Accounting Office is investigating ICANN, Dyson questions whether the body, or its congressional overseers have any real standing to act against ICANN.

"We are not beholden to them and they do not control us," Dyson said of the US government.

Despite Ms. Dyson''''''''s ignorance, last October 19th the current ICANN investigation was ordered, this time by the GAO.

CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2670, DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000 (House of Representatives - October 19, 1999) is the title of the report.

"The conferees direct the General Accounting Office to review the relationship between the Department of Commerce and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and to issue a report no later than June, 2000. The conferees request that GAO review: (1) the legal basis for the selection of U.S. representatives to ICANN''''''''s interim board and for the expenditure of funds by the Department for the costs of U.S. representation and participation in ICANN''''''''s proceedings; (2) whether U.S. participation in ICANN proceedings is consistent with U.S. law, including the Administrative Procedures Act; (3) a legal analysis of the Department of Commerce''''''''s opinion that OMB Circular A-25 provides ICANN, as a `project partner'''''''' with the Department of Commerce, authority to impose fees on Internet users for ICANN''''''''s operating costs; and (4) whether the Department has the legal authority to transfer control of the authoritative root server to ICANN. In addition, the conferees seek GAO''''''''s evaluation and recommendations regarding placing responsibility for U.S. participation in ICANN under the National Institute of Standards and Technology rather than NTIA, and request that GAO review the adequacy of security arrangements under existing Departmental cooperative agreements."

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