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CIA’s Refusal to Release Softcopy Records Challenged in Court

Even when the Central Intelligence Agency possesses a releasable document in a softcopy format, the Agency typically refuses to release the softcopy version in response to Freedom of Information Act requests, and insists on providing a hardcopy version of the document instead. A federal judge said last week that that may be a violation of […]

03.17.14 | 4 min read
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U.S. Military Given Secret “Execute Order” on Cyber Operations

Last June, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a classified “execute order” to authorize and initiate a military operation. The nature, scope and duration of the military operation could not immediately be determined — even the title of the order is classified — but it evidently pertains to the conduct of military […]

03.13.14 | 3 min read
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Global Risk
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B61-12 Nuclear Bomb Integration On NATO Aircraft To Start In 2015

By Hans M. Kristensen The US Air Force budget request for Fiscal Year 2015 shows that integration of the B61-12 on NATO F-16 and Tornado aircraft will start in 2015 for completion in 2017 and 2018. The integration marks the beginning of a significant enhancement of the military capability of NATO’s nuclear posture in Europe […]

03.13.14 | 3 min read
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Global Risk
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NATO Nuclear Weapons Security Costs Expected to Double

By Hans M. Kristensen The cost of securing U.S. non-strategic nuclear weapons deployed in Europe is expected to nearly double to meet increased U.S. security standards, according to the Pentagon’s FY2015 budget request. According to the Department of Defense NATO Security Investment Program , NATO has invested over $80 Million since 2000 to secure nuclear […]

03.11.14 | 2 min read
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Some Legislators Seek More Intelligence Budget Disclosure

Now that annual disclosure of the intelligence budget total has become routine, some legislators are seeking more transparency on intelligence spending. As anticipated, the requested U.S. intelligence budget for Fiscal Year 2015 that was submitted to Congress this week fell below the current year’s level and continued a decline from the post-9/11 high that it […]

03.07.14 | 3 min read
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Russian Security Issues and US Interests, and More from CRS

New or updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public access include the following. Russian Political, Economic, and Security Issues and U.S. Interests, March 5, 2014 China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress, February 28, 2014 Direct Overt U.S. Aid Appropriations for […]

03.07.14 | 1 min read
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Disclosure of FISA Court Opinions: Legal Issues (CRS)

Could Congress legally compel the executive branch to disclose classified opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court?  Maybe not, a new analysis from the Congressional Research Service concludes. The CRS report — entitled “Disclosure of FISA Court Opinions: Select Legal Issues” — has little to do with FISA Court opinions in particular. It is an […]

03.04.14 | 3 min read
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Drought in the US, and More from CRS

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Drought in the United States: Causes and Current Understanding, February 26, 2014 The 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and Defense Strategy: Issues for Congress, February 24, 2014 FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel […]

03.04.14 | 1 min read
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Global Risk
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Ukraine: The Value of Risk Analysis in Foreseeing Crises

The quantitative risk analysis approach to nuclear deterrence not only allows a more objective estimate of how much risk we face, but also highlights otherwise unforeseen ways to reduce that risk. The current crisis in Ukraine provides a good example. Last Fall, I met Daniel Altman, a Ph.D. candidate at MIT, who is visiting Stanford’s Center for International […]

03.03.14 | 6 min read
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Inspector General Blasts NRO Secrecy Practices

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the agency that builds and operates U.S. intelligence satellites, frequently makes mistakes when it classifies national security information, according to an assessment performed last year by the NRO Inspector General. “From the classified documents we reviewed at NRO headquarters, 114 of 134 documents contained classification errors,” the IG report said. […]

02.28.14 | 3 min read
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FAS
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Options for US Nuclear Weapon Pit Production (CRS)

A major new report from the Congressional Research Service examines the infrastructure for producing the plutonium “pits” that are used in US nuclear weapons, and the feasibility of sharply increasing the rate of pit production. The CRS report does not deal with whether or why that is a sensible goal, but instead probes deeply into […]

02.28.14 | 2 min read
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Global Risk
Blog
B61-12: First Pictures Show New Military Capability

By Hans M. Kristensen The U.S. government has published the first images of the Air Force’s new B61-12 nuclear bomb. The images for the first time show the new guided tail kit that will provide new military capabilities in violation of the Nuclear Posture Review. The tail kit will increase the accuracy of the bomb […]

02.28.14 | 4 min read
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