Reply #174: WE'RE kidding ourselves? YOU said "The US only allows encryption algorithms that have a back door."

[Towlie]

Rijndael is an entirely open algorithm, as are all worthwhile encryption algorithms. If it had a so-called "back door" then that back door would be clearly visible to the multitude of cryptographers who have analyzed it. They worked hard for over 5 years trying to make names for themselves by discovering weaknesses in Rijndael and other algorithms, and because Rijndael beat out all of the competing algorithms in this respect it was chosen to be the Advanced Encryption Standard. (There were also other considerations, such as computing speed and efficiency.)

Saying that the U.S. government has a secret program to do what cryptographers around the world can't is about as credible as claiming they have a secret pill to turn water into gasoline.