According to Pentagon sources, intelligence chiefs are increasingly concerned about the potential use of paper as a means of communication by terrorists. One senior insider told the New York Tribune: "The concern is that, when combined with ink, and these things called stamps and envelopes, ordinary sheets of paper could easily become what we call a covert channel of communication." While the official admitted that this technique would lack the speed of computers and phones, he added "The ability to get your message delivered under even the worst weather conditions makes this a very powerful weapon for the terrorist."
Security experts we spoke with agreed that paper could one day show up in the terrorist arsenal. According to cryptography guru Brian Wrankler, "As a means of communication between persons or people, paper supports use of the only encryption system known to be unbreakable, the one-time pad."
Given paper's enormous potential for abuse, we asked Homeland Security if there were plans to ban paper or limit its sale. While nobody would comment for the record, one senior official hinted that a system for tracking paper purchases was in development and could possibly be interfaced with customer reward card programs at major suppliers such as Staples and Office Depot. Neither store responded to our inquiries although one local Staples manager said the idea of his company telling the government who was buying paper was "Totally absurd."
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