The US White Paper is at:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/6_5_98dns.htm

The notable thing is that the document is a statement of policy and
does not have the force and effect of law.  In this sense the
international community can be relieved, for the US administration to
assert real authority over these issues would raise serious concerns.
What isn't spelled out is the actual nature of the powers that are
being asserted through the transition period.  IANA's authority comes
from below, not from the meagre funding provided through the DARPA
contract.

On the one hand the White Paper implies that it is just convenience
that the new corporation is housed in the US.  On the other, there's
some sense of a unique relationship between the US Government and the
new IANA.  The tension between these two positions isn't reconciled or
clarified.

The administration has delayed dealing with both .us and NSI for as
long as possible, two issues that are very clearly a US
responsibility.

Lots of other points of interest that others have covered well on this
list.  A couple more:
* still no elucidation on what they didn't like about the IAHC
process.
* the promotion of payment *before* registration as a mechanism
   for discouraging cybersquatting.
* the technique of installing an interim board to get the process
kick-started,
  with the intention that these folks are there to do the
organisation-building,
  before passing the baton.

Leni.
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