I didn't read this "announcement" as announcing much at all. I wouldn't be too quick to read much into it. As far as whether ICANN ever will be privatized, remember that the document that started us on this process was a 1996 publication of the Clinton Administration. Clinton started the ball rolling, but left it to the next administration, Bush, to complete. When the JPA was agreed in 2006, to resolve in 2009, Bush, in turn, effectively passed the task to the next administration, McCain/Clinton/Obama, to complete. I don't think it's realistic to expect that new administration, whoever is leading it, six months into its term in office, to privatize ICANN completely in September, 2009. "Giving away the Internet," which is what it will be called by ICANN's political opponents here in the U.S., is politically risky. The understandable inclination of U.S. politicians, even those who might agree with the concept of privatizing these global resources, is to delay, and leave it to someone else to finally make it happen. Bret