Executive branch agencies have spent more than a billion dollars on declassification of government records in recent years, but the results have been unsatisfactory, requiring a change in declassification policy and procedure. “Between 1997 and 2007 the Federal Government acknowledges spending $1.343 billion on declassification,” reported Michael J. Kurtz, Assistant Archivist at the National Archives, […]
The Justice Department has released its responses to questions (pdf) originally posed by the House Judiciary Committee in 2007 about the Department’s views on the legal framework governing electronic surveillance under the amended Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. In questions for the record from a September 18, 2007 hearing, House Committee members probed the potential use […]
New reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “Government Interventions in Response to Financial Turmoil,” February 1, 2010. “International Food Aid Programs: Background and Issues,” February 3, 2010. “Architect of the Capitol: Appointment Process and Current Legislation,” February 16, 2010. “Ozone […]
The Quadrennial Deference Review forecasts reduction in regional role of nuclear weapons. By Hans M. Kristensen A little-noticed section of the Quadrennial Defense Review recently published by the Pentagon suggests that that the Obama administration’s forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in regional scenarios. The apparent reduction coincides with a […]
The Obama Administration’s open government initiative might possibly inspire a transformation in the character of government operations along with an expansion of citizen engagement in policy development. But in order to succeed, it needs some thoughtful, creative input from members of the public. All Cabinet level agencies (and a few others) have now prepared Open […]
Among the untold official resources that have been removed from public access in recent years is the Army’s Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin, a quarterly journal on Army intelligence policy and practice. We have made a commitment to restoring access to the Bulletin, including current and past issues. The latest issue (pdf), dated April-June 2009, has […]
It is useful to be reminded from time to time that not every allegation or published report concerning Central Intelligence Agency operations is necessarily true. A front-page story in the Washington Post on January 27 included the remarkable statement that “Both the CIA and the JSOC [Joint Special Operations Command of the Department of Defense] […]
The U.S. Air Force’s 701 Munitions Support Squadron at Kleine Brogel Air Base must protect and handle the nuclear weapons at the base. An astounding statement by a Belgian defense official has pointed an unexpected light on the apparent location of nuclear weapons at the Kleine Brogel Air Base in Belgium. After a […]
Last week, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) placed a “hold” on all of the Obama Administration nominations that are pending before the Senate, thereby preventing a vote on their confirmation. There are said to be at least 70 such nominations awaiting Senate action, including those of several senior defense and intelligence officials. Sen. Shelby, a man […]
Several recent reports from the Congressional Research Service provide descriptive profiles of the present and past composition of Congress by race, ethnicity, gender, education, religion and occupation (all pdf). “Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile,” February 4, 2010. “Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2009,” December 23, 2009. “Asian Pacific Americans in the United […]
New reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following (pdf): “Al Qaeda and Affiliates: Historical Perspective, Global Presence, and Implications for U.S. Policy,” February 5, 2010. “The Rum Excise Tax Cover-Over: Legislative History and Current Issues,” January 20, 2010.
In testimony this week before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair declared unequivocally that Al Qaeda would attempt to attack the United States within the next six months. “The priority is certain, I would say,” he told the Committee. This recalls nothing so much as the startling August 6, 2001 […]