On October 24, the Pentagon issued an updated version of DoD Directive 5143.01 defining the role of the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence), the Department’s principal intelligence advisor and manager of military intelligence programs. The new directive is about 30% longer than the 2005 version that it replaces. The differences between the two directives reflect changes in the global environment as […]
By Hans M. Kristensen NATO is currently conducting a nuclear strike exercise in northern Italy. The exercise, known as Steadfast Noon 2014, practices employment of U.S. nuclear bombs deployed in Europe and includes aircraft from seven NATO countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, and United States. The timing of the exercise, which is […]
New and updated products from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Can the President Bar Foreign Travelers from Ebola-Stricken Countries from Entering the United States?, CRS Legal Sidebar, October 23, 2014 The Appointment Process for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Overview, October 22, 2014 […]
A newly disclosed Department of Defense doctrinal publication acknowledges the reality of offensive cyberspace operations, and provides a military perspective on their utility and their hazards. Attacks in cyberspace can be used “to degrade, disrupt, or destroy access to, operation of, or availability of a target by a specified level for a specified time.” Or […]
New publications from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public disclosure include the following. A New Authorization for Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State: Comparison of Current Proposals in Brief, October 21, 2014 U.S. Citizens Kidnapped by the Islamic State, CRS Insights, October 17, 2014 Smartphone Data Encryption: A […]
Last week government attorneys submitted 28 documents concerning “watchlisting” procedures to a federal court for in camera review that they said should be protected from disclosure under the state secrets privilege. The documents had been sought by the plaintiff in Gulet Mohamed v. Eric Holder, a case challenging the constitutionality of the “no fly” list. […]
New and updated publications from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Cybercrime: An Overview of the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Statute and Related Federal Criminal Laws, October 15, 2014 Insurance and Climate Change: Do Governments Have a Duty to Protect Property Owners?, CRS Legal Sidebar, […]
The executive branch interprets the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to permit military action against terrorist groups that are “associated” with Al Qaeda. Such associated forces are considered co-belligerents with Al Qaeda and the Taliban and are therefore legal targets of U.S. military force. But some groups or individuals may be “affiliated” with […]
It’s a funny thing: the administrations that talk the most about reducing nuclear weapons tend to reduce the least.
The U.S. Nuclear Weapons Council has selected the W80-1 thermonuclear warhead for the Air Force’s new nuclear cruise missile (Long-Range Standoff, LRSO) scheduled for deployment in 2027. The W80-1 warhead is currently used on the Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), but will be modified during a life-extension program and de-deployed with a new name: W80-4. […]
A report to Congress on authorized disclosures of classified intelligence to the media — not unauthorized disclosures — is classified and is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, the National Security Agency said. The notion of an authorized disclosure of classified information is close to being a contradiction in terms. If something […]
Security policies in the executive branch are being overhauled in response to a potential “insider threat.” But while some progress is being made, the intended functionality will not be available for several more years to come. The insider threat includes “the threat of those insiders who may use their authorized access to compromise classified information.” […]