The Office of Personnel Management has invited the public to comment on proposed changes to Standard Form (SF) 86, the questionnaire that must be filled out by all persons who are seeking a security clearance for access to classified information. Although critics have argued that the SF-86 is hopelessly out of date and should be […]
Last summer, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper directed agencies that perform polygraph tests to include a “pre-test dialogue” about the need to prevent leaks of classified information as part of the polygraph interview process. In a July 2012 memorandum to agencies, he said that the CIA’s polygraph program exemplified what he had in […]
Leaks of classified information and the government’s responses to them are the subject of a new study by David Pozen of Columbia Law School. The starting point for his examination is the “dramatic disconnect between the way our laws and our leaders condemn leaking in the abstract and the way they condone it in practice.” […]
The latest products from the Congressional Research Service include the following. China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues, March 11, 2013 China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States, March 4, 2013 Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources, March 8, 2013 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization Proposals […]
At an open hearing on February 28, Pfc. Bradley Manning said that he was responsible for providing U.S. government documents to the WikiLeaks website, including a large collection of U.S. State Department cables, a video of a brutal U.S. Army helicopter attack in Baghdad, and other records. “The decisions that I made to send documents […]
The latest products from the Congressional Research Service include these items. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): Background and Policy Options for the 113th Congress, March 8, 2013 What’s the Difference? — Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data, February 25, 2013 Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, March 8, 2013 Hugo Chavez’s Death: Implications for […]
Last fall, Navy contract linguist James Hitselberger was charged under the Espionage Act with two counts of unlawful retention of national defense information after several classified documents were allegedly found in his possession. (See “Document Collector Charged Under Espionage Statute,” Secrecy News, November 7, 2012.) Two weeks ago, in a superseding indictment, prosecutors added a […]
Last year, DC District Judge Richard W. Roberts ordered the U.S. Trade Representative to disclose a classified document to a FOIA requester because, he said, the classification of the document was not properly supported. That ruling in Center for International Environmental Law v. Office of the U.S. Trade Representative was a startling judicial rebuff to […]
This week is Sunshine Week, an annual effort sponsored by journalism advocacy and civil society organizations to promote values of open government, freedom of information, and public participation. A rich variety of events are scheduled around the country, most of which are free and many of which will be webcast. I will be participating in […]
The Commander of U.S. Central Command said last week that he is “encouraged” by the willingness of U.S. intelligence agencies to share information with military allies, which is becoming “a standard practice rather than the exception.” At the same time, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee complained that her committee has not been receiving […]
Researchers from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) asked two physicists who are experts in missile defense issues, Dr. Yousaf Butt and Dr. George Lewis, to weigh in on the announcement on March 15, 2013 regarding missile defense by the Obama administration. Before exploring their reactions and insights, it is useful to identify salient elements […]
The latest updated products from the Congressional Research Service include the following. The U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA): Provisions and Implications, March 7, 2013 Arab League Boycott of Israel, March 5, 2013 Senate Select Committee on Ethics: A Brief History of Its Evolution and Jurisdiction, March 7, 2013 Small Business Administration: A Primer […]