The compact W84 warhead (left) was designed to be delivered by the ground-launched cruise missile. Some 380 W84s are awaiting dismantlement – or reuse. . By Hans M. Kristensen The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently announced that disassembly of the W84 warhead has begun at the Pantex Plant in Texas. This marks the final […]
A U.S. Army regulation (pdf) issued yesterday requires Army personnel to report any incident on a newly expanded list of possible indications of “espionage, international terrorism, sabotage, subversion” as well as “leaks to the media.” “The Army is a prime target for foreign intelligence and international terrorist elements… from within and OCONUS [outside the continental […]
The Pentagon’s heavy-handed attempt to censor the new Afghanistan war memoir “Operation Dark Heart” by Anthony Shaffer has predictably turned a volume of narrow, specialized interest into a mainstream bestseller. It has also focused attention on just what information the government was seeking to conceal, and why. For a review of the material that was […]
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf). “The Helium-3 Shortage: Supply, Demand, and Options for Congress,” September 21, 2010. “China’s Steel Industry and Its Impact on the United States: Issues for Congress,” September 21, 2010. “Authority of State and Local Police to Enforce Federal Immigration Law,” September 17, 2010. […]
By censoring Anthony Shaffer’s new book “Operation Dark Heart” even though uncensored review copies are already available in the public domain, the Department of Defense has produced a genuinely unique product: a revealing snapshot of the way that the Obama Administration classifies national security information in 2010. With both versions before them (excerpts), readers can […]
The House and Senate this week approved legislation that will require the Inspector General of each executive branch agency that classifies information to evaluate the agency’s classification program and to assess its implementation of classification policies and procedures. The new measure should help to bolster the oversight of the national security classification system, which is […]
The Government Accountability Office seems poised to play an increased role in intelligence oversight, despite a series of legislative setbacks and the Obama Administration’s threat of a veto earlier in the year. The issue remains alive in the FY2010 Intelligence Authorization Act which was approved in the Senate on September 27 and which now appears […]
China’s new DF-21C missile launcher shows itself in Western China. Image: GoogleEarth . By Hans M. Kristensen The latest Pentagon report on Chinese military forces recently triggered sensational headlines in the Indian news media that China had deployed new nuclear missiles close to the Indian border. The news reports got it wrong, but new […]
When Wikileaks published tens of thousands of classified U.S. military records concerning the war in Afghanistan last July, did it commit a criminal act under U.S. law? That was the question posed by a new report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service. In the end, the CRS report tentatively concludes that “although unlawful acquisition of […]
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence last week released Intelligence Community Directive 701 (pdf), entitled “Security Policy Directive for Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information,” dated March 14, 2007. The directive sets forth procedures and requirements for identifying and reporting suspected unauthorized disclosures of classified information that are likely to cause damage to national […]
Some new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “The Freedom of Information Act and Nondisclosure Provisions in Other Federal Laws,” September 13, 2010. “The Role of Trade Secrets in Innovation Policy,” August 31, 2010. “Regulating Coal Combustion Waste Disposal: Issues […]
The possible near-term declassification of historical intelligence satellite programs was examined by Dwayne Day in “A Paler Shade of Black,” The Space Review, September 20. The author also noted the pending Fundamental Classification Guidance Review that is supposed to purge obsolete classification requirements from the system. An initiative led by Public Citizen to gain release […]