Dirty War Documents, Directed Energy Weapons, More
Last week, Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) asked President Obama to expedite the declassification of U.S. intelligence documents pertaining to Argentina’s so-called “dirty war” during the military dictatorship that lasted from 1976 to the mid-1980s. “The substantial backlog at the National Archives and Records Administration and history of unwillingness to declassify by U.S. intelligence agencies has led me to believe that systematic declassification is not a suitable solution,” Rep. Hinchey wrote on November 2, explaining his request for Presidential intervention.
A new U.S. Air Force policy directive on “Directed Energy Weapons” specifies that whenever such a weapon is developed within a tightly-secured Special Access Program, a legal review of the classified weapon will be conducted by the Air Force General Counsel to “ensure… that any such weapon complies with domestic and international law.”
A new report from the Congressional Research Service considers the use and abuse of synthetic drugs. See “Synthetic Drugs: Overview and Issues for Congress,” October 28, 2011.
Without a robust education system that prepares our youth for future careers in key sectors, our national security and competitiveness are at risk.
The Federation of American Scientists applauds the United States for declassifying the number of nuclear warheads in its military stockpile and the number of retired and dismantled warheads.
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) takes its role as a beacon and voice of the scientific community very seriously. We strive for a world that is both more inclusive and informed by science, and are committed to the idea that the path to that world starts by modeling it within our organization.
To understand the range of governmental priorities for the bioeconomy, we spoke with key agencies represented on the National Bioeconomy Board to collect their perspectives.