I saw this story and it reminded me of an opportunity I recently turned down to help sell Internet-monitoring gear to a friendly Arab country. The folks involved were nice and the deal was said to be brokered by the Department of State. Among other things, I had reservations about my work possibly preventing an “Arab Spring”-type event, preventing a people from obtaining their rights.
The Department of Commerce is placing restrictions on a person and a company in the United Arab Emirates for supplying Syria with Internet-filtering devices made by California-based Blue Coat Systems Inc.
On Thursday, Commerce said it put Waseem Jawad and the Ras Al Khaimah-based company Info Tech, also known as Infotec, on a list of people and institutions determined to “have engaged in activities contrary to U.S. national security and/or foreign policy interests.”
The measure restricts Mr. Jawad and Info Tech from receiving or transferring items that fall under U.S. export controls.
via U.S. Restricts Firm for Web Filter Sale to Syria – WSJ.com.