In the absence of an official public account of post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism programs, Americans (and others) must rely on unofficial accounts. “Globalizing Torture” is a new report from the Open Society Justice Initiative, authored by Amrit Singh. It is said to provide “the most comprehensive account yet assembled of the human rights abuses associated with […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following. Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress, February 4, 2013 U.S.-India Security Relations: Strategic Issues, January 24, 2013 Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY2000-FY2013, February 1, 2013 IMF Reforms: Issues […]
The use of information-related tools to support military operations and to help shape their outcome is discussed in a newly updated Army manual on what are now called “Inform and Influence Activities.” Inform and influence activities (or IIA) refers to “the integration of designated information-related capabilities in order to synchronize themes, messages, and actions with […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service which Congress has not made publicly available include the following. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Recent Activities and Ongoing Developments, January 31, 2013 The Unemployed and Job Openings: A Data Primer, January 31, 2013 Congressional Redistricting and the Voting Rights Act: A Legal Overview, January 31, 2013 […]
The development of unmanned aerial systems (or drones) for military and civilian applications appears to be accelerating faster than the normal policy process can adapt to it. Aside from festering doubts about the legality, propriety and wisdom of their routine use in targeted killing operations, drone programs are beset by budgetary confusion, and a host […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made available to the public include the following. Stealing Trade Secrets and Economic Espionage: An Overview of U.S.C. 1831 and 1832, January 28, 2013 Cybersecurity: Cyber Crime Protection Security Act (S.2111) — A Legal Analysis, January 28, 2013 Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues […]
“Since the early 1980s, there has been a historically unprecedented increase in the federal prison population,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service observes. “The number of inmates under the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) jurisdiction has increased from approximately 25,000 in FY1980 to nearly 219,000 in FY2012. Since FY1980, the federal prison population has […]
“Integrating intelligence will continue to be the organizing principle for the future,” according to the FY2013 Congressional Budget Justification Book for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “The takedown of Usama Bin Ladin provided a prime example of what can be accomplished when the IC [intelligence community] works together toward a single goal, […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has declined to make broadly available to the public include the following. Maritime Territorial Disputes in East Asia: Issues for Congress, January 23, 2013 Algeria: Current Issues, January 18, 2013 Malawi: Recent Developments and U.S. Relations, December 11, 2012 Kosovo: Current Issues and U.S. […]
Updated below Former CIA officer John Kiriakou was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for a violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act after he pleaded guilty to one count of identifying a covert agent. Although the sentence is less than that prescribed by federal sentencing guidelines, the government said that it considers the […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made available to the public include the following. Tax Havens: International Tax Avoidance and Evasion, January 23, 2013 An Overview of the Tax Provisions in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, January 20, 2013 Receipt of Unemployment Insurance by Higher-Income Unemployed […]
When U.S. Army Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer wrote a memoir of his service as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan called “Operation Dark Heart” in 2010, the Department of Defense intervened to block publication, asserting that the manuscript contained classified information. An initial print run of the book was destroyed, and the work was republished with […]