LoU - Legions of the Underground
Joint Statement 7 Jan 1999

The Legions of the Underground (LoU) group was established some seven years ago as a group who researched, explored and learned about technology. LoU has always believed in sharing what they have learned with the general public, which is why we release our e-zine Keen Veracity, and which is why we try and promote a positive image towards the general public.

As of late, some of our members have taken it upon themselves to express their opinions on the state of conditions in China by some high profile 'cracks' and the defacing of some Chinese government run web servers.

While the LoU supports and stands by their members actions and, as the rest of the hacking community, agree that there are serious problems that need to be addressed in China, the statement that "the LoU wishes to declare 'war' on China or Iraq's internal information networks in order to destroy, damage or harm their computers, systems, or networks" is totally false. The LoU does not support the damaging of other nations computers, networks or systems in any way, nor will the LoU use their skills, abilities or connections to take any actions against the systems, networks or computers in China or Iraq which may damage or hinder in any way their operations.

Although this may sound contrary to what the popular media has been presenting, this is a united declaration from the LoU and this is the groups standing on this matter. If you refer to the second Wired.com article on the second series of penetrations into Chinas Internet/Intranet, you can clearly see that an LoU member, in an interview with Niall McKay, clearly states that the second series of penetrations were done independently, and were not done as part of any LoU effort. After a series of meetings, LoU decided it "may, in the future, take actions against other Chinese systems" if other actions, like the one against Lin Hai, continued, but then they may only be actions along the same line as the simple protests taken by others in the past.

From this point, the LoU has been, for the most part, silent. We have taken no further actions against China, or any direct actions against Iraq.

With the size of LoU, numbering some 20 plus members, and our loose organization, we realize it may be hard to verify if someone is in fact a member, which is what may of lead to the rash of LoU imposters who have been issuing false statements regarding us and our actions. There have been several well known, national publications, as well as online and hacker culture sites that have been getting a flood of reports from people who say they are in LoU claiming to have taken 'such and such' actions, or giving interviews, or even saying they have allied them selves with the LoU. These are all false. There are also new groups who are 'cracking' innocent sites in China, then reporting these and claming they are doing this in "conjuncture with" or for the "LoU effort". We are in no way associated with these groups what-so-ever.

In summary, on behalf of all LoU members, let me state that we (LoU) have taken no harmful or damaging actions against either Chinese or Iraqi networks or systems, or any other system or network in any location across the world, and we have no plans to do so. In addition, the LoU has not allied with, and is currently not working or affiliated with any other group or activity. We in the LoU hold strong integrity and a strong code of ethics, and wish nothing more then for fair, equal treatment for all people, and want nothing but a positive light shed upon this for the entire hacking community in general.

The Legions of the Underground (LoU):

Bah, DataShark, Debussy, dethl0k, DigiEbola, dyslexia, [havoc], IsolationX, Kanuchsa, KingbOng, Lothos, MetalTongue, m0f0, NeatHack, OptikLenz, Sreality, Zortin8r, Zyklon, nawk, Mnemonic, and Bronc Buster (some members wished to go unnamed or anonymous)

www.legions.org