New reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made otherwise available to the public include these. Climate Change and Existing Law: A Survey of Legal Issues Past, Present, and Future, July 2, 2012 (published July 19) A Brief Overview of Actions Taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Its First […]
The latest report from the National Declassification Center features notable improvements in interagency collaboration in declassifying records, along with increased efficiency and steadily growing productivity. Even so, the declassification program will almost certainly miss its presidentially-mandated goal of eliminating the backlog of 25 year old records awaiting declassification by December 2013. The new NDC report […]
Following a closed House Armed Services Committee hearing on leaks yesterday, the Department of Defense issued a statement outlining its multi-pronged effort to deter, detect and punish unauthorized disclosures of classified information. “The Department of Defense has taken a comprehensive approach to address the issue of national security leaks,” the statement said. “Personnel in all […]
Both as a matter of humanitarian principle and as sound military strategy, U.S. military forces should strive to minimize civilian casualties in military operations, according to new U.S. Army doctrine published on Wednesday. “In their efforts to defeat enemies, Army units and their partners must ensure that they are not creating even more adversaries in […]
The first new legislative initiative to combat leaks of classified information is a bill called the Deterring Public Disclosure of Covert Actions Act of 2012, which was introduced July 10 by Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC). “This act will ensure that those who disclose or talk about covert actions by the United States will no longer […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has declined to make publicly available online include these. Midnight Rulemaking, July 18, 2012 An Analysis of the Distribution of Wealth Across Households, 1989-2010, July 17, 2012 Oil Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline: Background and Selected Environmental Issues, July 16, 2012 Defense Surplus […]
In 1972, the United States, the Soviet Union and other nations signed the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention that was supposed to ban biological weapons. At that very time, however, the Soviet Union was embarking on a massive expansion of its offensive biological weapons program, which began in the 1920s and continued under the Russian […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following. Defense: FY2013 Authorization and Appropriations, July 13, 2012 The Unified Command Plan and Combatant Commands: Background and Issues for Congress, July 17, 2012 LIBOR: Frequently Asked Questions, July 16, 2012 The 2001 and […]
The recent controversy over publication of scientific papers concerning the transmissibility of bird flu virus was reviewed in a new report by the Congressional Research Service. The report cautiously elucidates the relevant policy implications and considers the responses available to Congress. “Because of the complexity of dual-use issues, analysis of a topic according to one […]
Among the latest Congressional Research Service reports that have not been made readily available to the public are the following. China, Internet Freedom, and U.S. Policy, July 13, 2012 Department of Defense Implementation of the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative: Implications for Federal Information Technology Reform Management, July 12, 2012 Confirmation of U.S. Circuit and […]
The Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP) is preparing to provide improved public notification of its declassification and disclosure decisions. The ISCAP, among its other duties, considers and rules on appeals from the public to declassify records that agencies have refused to release. The Panel, which was established by executive order in 1995, has actually […]
The Indian government says its first nuclear ballistic missile submarine – the Arihant – will be “inducted” in mid-2013, a term normally meaning delivered to the armed forces. Several boats are thought to be under construction. Image: Government of India . […]