I am not a 100% sure if the cDc is being pressured by the Feds, but some big names in the industry sure are.
Meinel is working on a book about Defcon and the role the gorvernment has been playing in it.
Defcon is just to get control over the hacker community, why do you think 2600 has H2K? And HAL is fed free, they couldn't do **** on Dutch grounds, the Government wouldn't allow it.