The U.S. Senate is placing increased emphasis on exposing corruption and profiteering in military contracting in Iraq. Last week, Sen. James Webb (D-VA) introduced a bill with twenty co-sponsors that would establish a Commission on Wartime Contracting to investigate fraud and abuse in government contracts, including intelligence contracts, in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring […]
The U.S. Navy has issued its first security policy (pdf) for protection of “biological select agents and toxins” (BSAT) at Navy facilities, a move that may signify heightened Navy interest in research involving these lethal materials. Select agents are substances designated by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture that […]
Recently updated reports of the Congressional Research Service on nuclear weapons-related topics include these (all pdf): “Nuclear Warheads: The Reliable Replacement Warhead Program and the Life Extension Program,” updated July 16, 2007. “Nuclear Weapons: The Reliable Replacement Warhead Program,” updated July 13, 2007. “Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,” updated July 12, 2007. “Nonproliferation and […]
The 1982 U.S. Army medical manual for special forces presented in Secrecy News yesterday is dangerously misleading and it should not be used in practice, one expert in military medicine warned. “That manual (pdf) is a relic of sentimental and historical interest only, advocating treatments that, if used by today’s medics, would result in disciplinary […]
A new publication of the Joint Chiefs of Staff presents U.S. military doctrine on “homeland defense” (pdf). “It provides information on command and control, interagency and multinational coordination, and operations required to defeat external threats to, and aggression against, the homeland.” See “Homeland Defense,” Joint Publication 3-27, July 12, 2007. The document further extends the […]
Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has put forward an agenda to increase transparency in government that includes “publishing budgets for every government agency.” This appears to be a roundabout way of endorsing disclosure of intelligence agency budgets, since the budgets of all other agencies are already published. The Clinton campaign did not immediately respond to […]
Recent reports of the Congressional Research Service on Middle East-related topics, obtained by Secrecy News without CRS authorization, include the following. “U.S. Foreign Assistance to the Middle East: Historical Background, Recent Trends, and the FY2008 Request,” updated July 3, 2007. “Libya: Background and U.S. Relations,” updated June 19, 2007. “U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel,” updated […]
More publicly unreleased reports from the Congressional Research Service on various topics of interest to some include these (all pdf). “Journalists’ Privilege to Withhold Information in Judicial and Other Proceedings: State Shield Statutes,” updated June 27, 2007. “Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Background, Legal Analysis, and Policy Options,” updated June 30, 2007. “Critical Infrastructure: The National Asset […]
Under extreme conditions, live maggots may be inserted into a wound to consume damaged or diseased flesh, according to a medical manual for U.S. Army Special Forces (large pdf). “Despite the hazards involved, maggot therapy should be considered a viable alternative when, in the absence of antibiotics, a wound becomes severely infected, does not heal, […]
The crucial interactions between military forces and the civilian environment in which they operate are the domain of “civil affairs,” a subject of urgent interest to the U.S. military in Iraq and elsewhere. Civil affairs operations that promote cooperation between the military and the local population help to advance the military mission. Activities that generate […]
The Congressional Research Service has recently updated several publications on Afghanistan, including these (all pdf). “NATO in Afghanistan: A Test of the Transatlantic Alliance,” updated July 16, 2007. “Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy,” updated June 21, 2007. “Afghanistan: Narcotics and U.S. Policy,” updated June 19, 2007. “Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance,” updated June […]
Recent reports from the Congressional Research Service concerning China include these (all pdf). “Hong Kong: Ten Years After the Handover,” June 29, 2007. “China’s Economic Conditions,” updated July 13, 2007. “Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990,” updated July 12, 2007. “China-U.S. Trade Issues,” updated July 11, 2007. “China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for […]