US embassy cable - 02AMMAN5463

UNCLAS AMMAN 005463 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PDD (CBOURGEOIS); IIP/IT (SHEPPARD) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, AADP, ASEC, ACOA, AMGT 
SUBJECT: NEED FOR PD NETWORK 
 
REF: STATE 134398 
 
POST HAS NOTED SOME DISCUSSION THAT SEEMS TO INDICATE 
THAT OPENNET PLUS WOULD AND SHOULD REPLACE PDNET 
OVERSEAS.  WE WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT DESPITE THE 
PROJECTED ARRIVAL OF OPENNET PLUS AT SOME TIME IN THE 
FUTURE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO NEED A SEPARATE PDNET IN 
ORDER TO MEET ALL OUR INTERACTIVE REQUIREMENTS. 
ALTHOUGH OPENNET PLUS WILL PROVIDE WIDER ACCESS TO THE 
INTERNET THROUGHOUT THE EMBASSY, AS AN SBU SYSTEM IT IS 
UNLIKELY TO PROVIDE THE OPEN INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENT 
NEEDED FOR PUBLIC INTERACTION.  AS WE CONTINUE OUR 
EFFORTS TO STAY ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY IN 
BOTH OUTREACH AND IN INFORMATION GATHERING, WE WILL 
CONTINUE TO NEED THE ABILITY TO EXPERIMENT WITH NEW 
APPLICATIONS AND NEW DOWNLOADS FROM NON-GOVERNMEENT 
SITES, TO ACCESS INFORMATION INCLUDING PHOTO, VIDEO, 
SOUND, AND EXECUTABLE FILES FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, 
AND TO ENCOURAGE INTERACTION WITH A WIDE PUBLIC 
AUDIENCE. THESE NEEDS ARE PARTICULAR TO PD WORK AND 
NONE ARE LIKELY TO BE MET THROUGH AN OPENNET THAT WOULD 
STILL PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SECURITY FOR THE EMBASSY AS A 
WHOLE. 
IN OUR VIEW, OPENNET PLUS AND PDNET ARE NOT 
INTERCHANGEABLE.  DISCONTINUING PDNET WOULD HAVE A 
DEMONSTRABLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR ABILITY TO HARDNESS 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PURPOSES. 
GNEHM