CRS on Terrorist Financing, Army Officer Shortage
A new Congressional Research Service report provides a resume of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program that was recently described in news stories.
See “Treasury’s Terrorist Finance Program’s Access to Information Held by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT)” (pdf), July 7, 2006.
News reports on the program elicited furious criticism of the New York Times and other publications from those who believed classified information had been improperly and damagingly disclosed.
But “closely similar” accounts were publicly presented years ago in open congressional hearings, the Washington Post reported today.
See “Watching Finances Of Terror Suspects Discussed in 2002” by Walter Pincus, Washington Post, July 14.
Another new CRS report describes the erosion of the U.S. Army officer corps.
“The Army currently projects an officer shortage of nearly 3,000 in FY2007, with the most acute shortfalls in ‘senior’ captains and majors with 11 to 17 years of experience.”
See “Army Officer Shortages: Background and Issues for Congress” (pdf), July 5, 2006.
Internal disagreements present a growing concern about FDA leadership overruling the expert opinions of scientific staff and proceeding with official approvals, thus undermining staff expertise, decreasing agency morale, and potentially diminishing public trust.
Public meetings led by FDA Advisory Committees are instrumental in facilitating transparent deliberation between the FDA, the advisory body, and the American public.
FAS estimates that India has produced enough weapons-grade plutonium for up to 210 nuclear warheads, but has likely assembled closer to 172.
We are excited to engage in a productive and collaborative partnership with IAM, with the goal of fostering a positive and mutually beneficial working environment for all FAS employees.