The Department of Defense is not particularly concerned with “openness” in the abstract, but it is strongly motivated to conserve resources and reduce discretionary expenditures. That imperative dictates the discriminating use of national security secrecy — at least in theory — because of the costs incurred by classification. “Precise classification guidance is prerequisite to effective […]
Last month, attorneys for Navy linguist James Hitselberger, who was charged under the Espionage Act with unlawful retention of classified documents, filed a motion arguing that the Espionage Act is unconstitutionally vague and unenforceable. Last week, prosecutors replied and said that’s not so. “Prosecuting Mr. Hitselberger under this statute violates the fair notice requirements of […]
The U.S.-Japan Nuclear Working Group, co-chaired by FAS President Dr. Charles Ferguson, has released a new report recommending priorities for the Japanese government following the March 11, 2011 nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The U.S.-Japan Nuclear Working Group is composed of bi-national experts who have come together to examine the broader strategic implications of the […]
An updated summary of open source reporting on the North Korean nuclear weapons program was produced this week by the Congressional Research Service. See North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues, April 3, 2013 Other new or newly updated CRS reports include the following. Integration of Drones into Domestic Airspace: Selected Legal Issues, April 4, 2013 […]
At the same time the White House is finishing a review of nuclear weapons policy, U.S. Strategic Command has quietly put into effect a new strategic nuclear war plan.
By Hans M. Kristensen After two years of stalling, the latest New START Treaty aggregate data released today by the State Department indicates that U.S. warhead reductions under the treaty are finally picking up. Russia, which is already below the treaty limit, has been more or less flatlining over the past year. Seen in perspective, however, […]
Iran’s quest for the development of nuclear program has been marked by enormous financial costs and risks. The report analyzes the economic effects of Iran’s nuclear program, and policy implications of sanctions and other actions by the United States and other allies.
“Reconnaissance assets, like artillery assets, are never kept in reserve,” according to U.S. Army doctrine. In other words, whatever means you may have to gather information about the activities and capabilities of an adversary should be fully deployed, not held back. “Reconnaissance units report exactly what they see and, if appropriate, what they do not […]
Senate Republicans are the most prolific users of Twitter in Congress, tweeting an average of 1.53 Tweets per day, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service. They were followed by Senate Democrats (1.49 Tweets on average), House Republicans (1.23), and House Democrats (1.09). Senate Republicans were also the most frequent posters on […]
Several nuggets of interest are presented in the latest biennial report from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, summarizing the Committee’s oversight activities in the 112th Congress: * The Director of National Intelligence abruptly cancelled a multi-year effort to establish a single consolidated data center for the entire Intelligence Community a year or so ago, […]
A Department of Defense instruction issued on Friday reinforces the policy that the DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) is to have full access to all records, including classified records, that it needs to perform its function, and that no DoD official other than the Secretary himself may block such access. “The OIG must have […]
New and updated products from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made readily available to the public include the following. Cloud Computing: Constitutional and Statutory Privacy Protections, March 22, 2013 The National Broadband Plan Goals: Where Do We Stand?, March 19, 2013 U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Trade Facilitation, Enforcement, and Security, March […]