Dear Mr. Cerf: With this letter I transmit to you a "Statement Opposing Political Intervention in the Internet's Core Technical Functions." The Statement expresses the signatories' concern over the Department of Commerce's August 11, 2005 letter to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) regarding the creation of a <.xxx> top level domain. We urge you to read the full statement as it expresses our concerns regarding the precedent this action might have on governmental intervention in ICANN. The attached statement has obtained the support of 102 experts in Internet and telecommunication policy, Internet businesspeople, and Internet users from various nations. The letter and the list of signatories have also been transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce, and the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information. We hope this can be posted on ICANN's correspondence section of the website and brought to the attention of the ICANN Board. Sincerely, Dr. Milton Mueller Syracuse University School of Information Studies http://www.digital-convergence.org http://www.internetgovernance.org