The complexities of U.S. defense contracting in Iraq and some of the resulting irregularities are reviewed in a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service.
“Given the size and scope of the contracts in Iraq, and the challenge of managing billions of DOD-appropriated dollars, many have suggested it appropriate to inquire whether these types of contracts can be managed better,” the CRS report delicately stated.
See “Defense Contracting in Iraq: Issues and Options for Congress” (pdf), updated November 15, 2007.
Other noteworthy new CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News include the following (all pdf):
“North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: Latest Developments,” November 21, 2007.
“Russian Energy Policy toward Neighboring Countries,” November 27, 2007.
“Foreign Aid Reform: Issues for Congress and Policy Options,” November 7, 2007.
“Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations,” updated November 28, 2007.
“Botnets, Cybercrime, and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress,” updated November 15, 2007.
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This is not the first time Google has agreed to censor imagery at the behest of governments, but be warned: obfuscation at this broad level poses a direct threat to the public’s ability to monitor and scrutinize government operations.
America’s affordability problem is bigger than home prices and rents. The best housing policies make it easier to build homes, and recognize how housing connects to other domains.
America’s affordability problem, for instance, is bigger than home prices and rents. How we build affects household costs like insurance and utilities.