“The Department of Justice has not taken the initiative to prosecute leaks of national security secrets,” said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) at a House Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday.
Considering that the Justice Department in the Obama Administration has initiated an unprecedented number of leak prosecutions, Rep. Smith had it exactly wrong. But his remark illustrates the rampant confusion and the growing antagonism that surrounds the topic of leaks of classified information.
For some of the latest coverage, see:
“The ‘Leak’ Wars” by Josh Gerstein, Politico, June 8
“Toobin: Obama has been ‘very tough’ on leakers” by Ashley Hayes, CNN, June 7
“U.S. Attacks, Online and From the Air, Fuel Secrecy Debate” by Scott Shane, New York Times, June 7
Current scientific understanding shows that so-called “anonymization” methods that have been widely used in the past are inadequate for protecting privacy in the era of big data and artificial intelligence.
China is NOT a nuclear “peer” of the United States, as some contend.
China’s total number of approximately 600 warheads constitutes only a small portion of the United States’ estimated stockpile of 3,700 warheads.
The Federation of American Scientists strongly supports the Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act of 2025.
The Federation of American Scientists strongly supports the Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025.