Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, CT)

July 31, 2003 Thursday

SECTION: EDITORIAL

LENGTH: 331 words

HEADLINE: Terrorism 'market' an appalling idea

BODY:
Thankfully, a Pentagon program that would have investors wagering on the
probability of terrorist events in the Middle East is dead in the water before
it could become a reality.

The sick lottery, called the Futures Markets Applied to Prediction [FutureMAP],
would have had investors betting small sums of money on a terrorist attack,
assassination or a coup occurring.

The program is the brainchild of the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency [DARPA], which went so far as to set up a Web site describing
the game and announcing that trading was to begin Oct. 1.

Most disturbing of all, over 1,000 traders had registered to play this twisted
market by the time its existence was revealed to Congress.

Just what were Pentagon officials thinking?

Not surprisingly, it was part of the Total Information Awareness program, under
the direction of Ret. Navy Adm. John Poindexter.

Certainly not a stranger to an ethical lapse or two, Poindexter was a key player
in the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s. Convicted of lying to Congress, his
conviction was eventually overturned.

We're not sure why this man still enjoys a job paid for at taxpayer expense, but
after this "terrorists futures" debacle, he certainly shouldn't.

It's a safe bet that families of the victims of terrorist attacks on Americans
don't see the reasoning behind such a Web site, and neither do we.

At a time when American soldiers on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan and possibly
soon in Liberia are performing with the highest professionalism, such a miscue
by the Pentagon brass would be unfortunate blemish on that record. That
misconception is not needed.

Also unnecessary is the thought of this "futures market" costing the American
taxpayer $8 million by 2005.

Such a farce should have been regarded by military officials as the sick joke
that it is

allowing individuals to make money on the type of events U.S. foreign policy
should be working tirelessly to prevent.