The Federal Bureau of Investigation advised Congress last month that it will no longer seek to recover classified information that may be contained in the collected papers of the late Jack Anderson.
The FBI “is not seeking to reclaim any documents,” the Bureau said in response to a question from Senator Arlen Specter.
The FBI statement (pdf) was contained in the answers to questions for the record from a May 2, 2006 hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on FBI Oversight that were posted on the Federation of American Scientists web site by Secrecy News yesterday.
The Associated Press today noted the FBI’s renunciation of its pursuit of the Jack Anderson papers. Earlier in 2006, the Bureau had expressed concern that the Anderson archive may contain classified indication and approached the Anderson family to review the collection.
See “FBI Drops Its Quest for Papers of Reporter” by Laura Jakes Jordan, Associated Press, and Wendy Leonard, Deseret Morning News, January 4.
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.