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.
The emphasis on interagency consensus, while well-intentioned, has become a structural impediment to bold or innovative policy options. When every agency effectively holds veto power over proposals, the path of least resistance becomes maintaining existing approaches with minor modifications.
The Federation of American Scientists supports H.R. 471, the re-introduction of the Fix Our Forests Act.
As people become less able to distinguish between what is real and what is fake, it has become easier than ever to be misled by synthetic content, whether by accident or with malicious intent. This makes advancing alternative countermeasures, such as technical solutions, more vital than ever before.
Throughout this phase of work, there are many actions hiring managers and staffing specialists can take to streamline the process and improve the quality of eligible candidates. Most importantly, hiring managers and staffing specialists can collaborate within and across agencies to expedite and simplify the process.