“Despite President Obama’s vow to open government more than ever, the Justice Department is defending Bush administration decisions to keep secret many documents about domestic wiretapping, data collection on travelers and U.S. citizens, and interrogation of suspected terrorists,” Michael J. Sniffen reported for the Associated Press. See “Despite Obama Pledge, Justice Defends Bush Secrets,” February 16, 2009.
David Sobel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation described several actions taken by his organization to test and challenge the Obama Administration’s new disclosure policies. See “EFF to Obama Administration: Time to Make Open Government a Reality,” February 12, 2009.
Excessive classification continues to generate intense frustration within the government and to foster suspicion and hostility on the part of allies, according to Lt. Gen. (ret.) John Sattler, the former director of strategic plans for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His remarks were reported in “Sattler: Less Classification, More Communication with Coalition” by Rebekah Gordon, Inside the Navy, February 16, 2009.
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.