[Peace] Re: SAIC (democracy now today and Bush and Wolfie in chicago)

[Margaret E. Kosal]

At 09:26 1/3/2003 -0800, Paul Mueth wrote:
>  does anyone know about SAIC and its business here?

Paul & all -

i'm plugged in to one of SAIC's ventures here - those pertaining to high 
tech business development in Champaign County.  (For those who aren't 
familiar SAIC = Science Applications International Corporation, major 
post-Cold War defense contractors.)

They are occupying space in the U of I Research Park (next to Assembly 
Hall, aka the "south farms research park").

SAIC recently took over administration of what used to be the Tech 
Community ... now renamed Champaign Cty Economic Dev Corp ... something 
akin to Lockheed Martin runs Sandia Natl Lab.

SAIC also employs Shaye Mandle, who is also/supposed to be President of the 
Illinois Coalition - which is a psuedo public (IL State) and psuedo private 
not-for-profit organization nominally to strengthen Illinois' economy 
through science and technology ... realization of the 'Silicon 
Prairie'.  Peter Fox (Fox Development, folks building the U of I Research 
Park) is on the Illinois Coalition Board & a member of the State & Federal 
Initiatives Group ...

SAIC is also coordinating (& expecting to share in the Federal & State 
grant funds) a State and Federal Initiatives Group, in which i participate.

The stated mission:
"For those that are new to the group, our mission is to:
·       Develop partnerships between the University of Illinois and local 
and State business to jointly pursue State, Federal, and private industry 
business opportunities
· Develop local CU company partnerships to jointly pursue State, Federal 
and commercial business opportunities
· Support the local Champaign County economy development being by 
developing and capitalizing on multiple High Technology business opportunities
· Provide a Clearinghouse of local and National opportunities that we might 
all collaborate to improve the local High Tech business environment in 
Champaign County
· Assist local High Technology businesses to ensure they emerge, grow and 
remain viable in Champaign County
· Get our fair share of State and Federal funding to provide a catalyst of 
growth for the local community and economy
· Assist the University of Illinois in staff recruitment and retention by 
growing the local High Technology business base"

Relatively benign-sounding ... fostering local business.

The 2 initiatives which SAIC is spearheading are (1) an "Secure User 
Network for Food and Agricultural Response and Mobilization ... basically 
to develop a FEMA Region 5 "data fusion center" addressing biological 
terrorism directed at agriculture, and (2) to fund, build and operate the 
"National Signature & Information Security Research & Production Center" 
... a DoD "Information Anaylsis Center" for developing methods to do 
defense related simulations and modelling, including applications for 
missile defense, emphasizes use and interpretation of radar 
signatures.  Don't have any indication that this overlaps with DARPA's TIA 
(Total Information Awareness).

Other initiatives being fostered via SAIC include a Carle-driven 
Comprehensive Breast Cancer Treatment & Research Center, a UIUC Civil Engin 
Advanced Transportation Research complex (fancy test track), and an UIUC 
CARIS Information Technology and Internet Security projects.

My opinion is that SAIC wants to be Battelle.

Namaste,
Margaret
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