In an abrupt reversal, the Central Intelligence Agency said that it will process a Freedom of Information Act request for documents pertaining to the establishment of Open Source Works, the CIA’s in-house open source intelligence organization.
Intelligence historian Jeffrey Richelson had requested the charter of Open Source Works under the Freedom of Information Act, only to be told that the CIA could not confirm or deny the existence (or non-existence) of responsive records. See “Charter of Open Source Org is Classified, CIA Says,” Secrecy News, December 12.
But Dr. Richelson said that CIA Information and Privacy Coordinator Susan Viscuso called him yesterday to inform him that the request would be processed after all. The earlier response, she said, was “an administrative error.”
Called today to speak on behalf of U.S. science and technology, Dr. Jedidah Isler, astrophysicist, educator, strategist, policy-maker, and science communicator, will provide constructive, nonpartisan feedback to the House Committee’s hearing “American Global Competitiveness at 250: Legislative Proposals to Secure U.S. Technology Leadership.”
“Federal data and access to it is not a partisan issue. It is a people issue. Our country cannot achieve greatness without access to the data that measure what we value, who we are, and where we’re heading.”
The United States’ biosecurity governance system is structurally incapable of detecting and responding to certain classes of threats. U.S. biosecurity tools have not kept pace with technological advancements or a changing threat landscape.
The United States has never lacked for scientific ambition. What we need now is a renewed civic commitment to ensuring that talent is harnessed for the benefit of all people. Science can work for everyone. Join us as we build a broader coalition committed to that vision.