Important researchers are kept out of the USA

(written by lawrence krubner, however indented passages are often quotes). You can contact lawrence at: lawrence@krubner.com, or follow me on Twitter.

How long can the USA remain the world capitol of technical research if the world’s researchers can not meet here for conferences?

Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

“Peter G. Neumann”
Wed, 16 Oct 2013 9:43:36 PDT
Adi Shamir applied for a J1 visa at the beginning of June 2013, two and
one-half months early, so that he could attend the annual Crypto Conference
in Santa Barbara in mid-August (which he has almost always attend for the
past 32 years) and a subsequent NSA-affiliated History of Cryptography
Conference—at which he was to present his paper, The Cryptology of John
Nash from a Modern Perspective. As the S in RSA, and one of the most
important cryptographers in the world, it would seem to be a no-brainer that
he should be present for both conferences. However, he was unable to attend
either, because the U.S. took exactly *four* months to send him his new
visa. In his apology
(dated 15 Oct 2013) for not being able to attend the History of Cryptography
conference, Adi notes that “I am not alone, and many foreign scientists are
now facing the same situation.”

Because of the delay, his paper was removed from the program for the History
conference. Even though his visa has now arrived long after Crypto 2013, he
was reinvited to give the talk at the Cryptology History conference, it is
apparently no longer possible due to other commitments.

This could be some sort of egregious combination of incredible arrogance,
ignorance, stupidity, personal vendetta, diplomatic blunder, and misguided
attitude to International scientific collaboration, or possibly just
attributable to a serious miscarriage of innate bureaucracy. In any case,
the injustice is really sad, because four months for the simple nth renewal
of a visa seems outrageous. Indeed, public-key cryptography might not even
be with us today if Adi had not been involved with Ron Rivest and Leonard
Adleman so long ago. [PGN’s personal opinion]

Post external references

  1. 1
    http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/27.54.html#subj1
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