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Secrecy and Security News

Newer News: June 2005

May 2005

• Defense Worker Charged Again in Secrecy Case by Jerry Markon, Washington Post, May 25. "The new criminal complaint says 83 classified documents dating back three decades -- including 38 marked Top Secret -- were found in a search of Lawrence Franklin's West Virginia home."
• CIA Describes Its Privacy Act Systems of Records, Federal Register, May 24. "The Central Intelligence Agency has undertaken and completed an Agency-wide review of its Privacy Act systems of records. As a result of this review, the Agency is publishing a complete set of revised Privacy Act systems of records notices."
• Security issues trip up DHS info-sharing network by Michael Arnone, Federal Computer Week, May 23. "The Homeland Security Department's critical Homeland Secure Data Network (HSDN) is not only insecure, according to a recent inspector general report, but it was so rushed into operation that it will largely not meet user needs."
• 'Tomahtoes' get in the way of saving e-records / FOIA Faces An E-Challenge by Aliya Sternstein, Federal Computer Week, May 23. "The right to access government records — the foundation of an open and accountable democracy — faces more challenges in the Information Age."
• Paper Chase: DHS Struggles to Dig Through Growing Pile of Requests for Documents by Justin Rood, CQ Homeland Security, May 20. "What would it take to eliminate the growing backlog of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)?"
• NRO Denies FOIA Request for Unclassified Budget Records, May 18. "After a complete review, responsive records would be contained in operational files."
• Presidents' private lives shrink under scope by Judy Keen, USA Today, May 13. "This administration has been very aggressive about withholding information and even withdrawing information that was formerly in the public domain," says Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy.
• Rep. Waxman to Introduce Legislation to Restore Transparency and Open Government Laws, news release, May 11. "The Restore Open Government Act of 2005 requires public disclosure of government information and presidential documents, promotes timely declassification of information, and prohibits secret advisory meetings between government officials and private parties."
• Sabo Amendment Addresses Abuse of "SSI" Designation within the DHS, news release, May 10. "The 'Sensitive Security Information' designation came under fire from Congressman Martin Olav Sabo (D-MN) in a House Appropriations Committee meeting today."
• Pentagon Seeks Greater Immunity from Freedom of Information Act by Michelle Chen, The New Standard, May 6. "The provision, proposed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act, would render so-called 'operational files' fully immune from requests under the Freedom of Information Act."
• Spying on the government by A.C. Thompson, San Francisco Bay Guardian, May 4 - May 10. "A UC Berkeley geographer maps the secret military bases of the American West – where billions of dollars disappear into creepy clandestine projects."
• DoD Analyst Larry Franklin Charged with Disclosing Classified Information, Justice Dept news release, May 4. "A Department of Defense analyst has been arrested by the FBI and charged with disclosing classified information related to potential attacks upon U.S. forces in Iraq to individuals not entitled to receive the information, the Department of Justice announced today."
• Declassification Board: Named but Unfunded by Christopher Lee, Washington Post, May 2. "In Washington, it takes many ingredients to make a bureaucracy: a measure of authorizing legislation, a pinch of personnel and, of course, money to help it rise. The five-year-old Public Interest Declassification Board is still one element short of the recipe, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of advocates of open government."

Older News: April 2005

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