FAS

Covert vs. Clandestine: Defining Terms

04.26.18 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The differences between “covert action” performed by the CIA and “clandestine activities” conducted by the military, as well as the distinct legal frameworks and reporting requirements that govern them, are revisited in a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

See Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of the Intelligence Community: Selected Definitions in Brief, April 25, 2018.

Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made publicly available this week include the following.

Army Futures Command, CRS Insight, April 24, 2018

Australia, China, and the Indo-Pacific, CRS Insight, April 23, 2018

The Consumer Product Safety Act: A Legal Analysis, April 24, 2018

Frequently Asked Questions About Prescription Drug Pricing and Policy, updated April 24, 2018

Overview of “Travel Ban” Litigation and Recent Developments, CRS Legal Sidebar, updated April 23, 2018

Can Corporations be Held Liable under the Alien Tort Statute?, CRS Legal Sidebar, April 24, 2018

Cross-Border Data Sharing Under the CLOUD Act, April 23, 2018

publications
See all publications
Environment
Press release
Position on S.325 – establishing the National Integrated Heat Health Information System

S.325 would establish a clear, sustained federal governance structure for extreme heat by bringing all responsible agencies together to coordinate planning, preparedness, and response, a key recommendation of FAS’ 2025 Heat Policy Agenda.

02.04.25 | 1 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Using Targeted Industrial Policy to Address National Security Implications of Chinese Chips

In an industry with such high fixed costs, the Chinese state’s subsidization gives such firms a great advantage and imperils U.S. competitiveness and national security. To curtail Chinese legacy chip dominance, the United States should weaponize its monopoly on electronic design automation software.

02.04.25 | 17 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Report
Technology and NEPA: A Roadmap for Innovation

Improving American competitiveness, security, and prosperity depends on private and public stakeholders’ ability to responsibly site, build, and deploy proposed critical energy, infrastructure, and environmental restoration projects.

02.03.25 | 15 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
An “Open Foundational” Chip Design Standard and Buyers’ Group to Create a Strategic Microelectronics Reserve

The technical advances fueled by leading-edge nodes are vital to our long-term competitiveness, but they too rely on legacy devices.

02.03.25 | 9 min read
read more