There are seventeen so-called Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), such as Chagas disease, dengue fever and leprosy, that are found in some 149 countries, a new report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service explains. “Estimates indicate that some 2 billion people are at risk of contracting an NTD, of whom more than 1 billion people are […]
A January 31 Secrecy News item on “Diane Roark and the Drama of Intelligence Oversight” focused on the personal friction and hostility that are sometimes generated by the intelligence oversight process. Unfortunately, what I wrote did an injustice to Ms. Roark, the former House Intelligence Committee staffer, and to Thomas Drake, the former National Security […]
In a focused effort to combat overclassification, President Obama has ordered executive branch agencies to conduct a “Fundamental Classification Guidance Review.” The two year Review process, mandated in the December 2009 executive order 13526 (sect. 1.9) is intended to identify and eliminate obsolete classification requirements in current agency policies. Last week, the Information Security Oversight […]
What is the rationale for classifying information? The RAND Corporation attempted to articulate an answer to that question and then to apply it in practice to a current national security issue. In a new study prepared for the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, RAND researchers “developed a general framework for judging classification decisions” that, they suggested, might […]
Key characteristics of seventeen leading Iranian newspapers are described in a wall poster (large pdf) prepared last year by the DNI Open Source Center. With an estimated circulation of 350,000-450,000, “Hamshahri appears to be the most widely read newspaper in Iran thanks to its voluminous classified advertisement supplement, attracting individuals seeking to buy a car, […]
Last Wednesday, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) read brief excerpts from a classified U.S. State Department cable on the House floor. The cable was written in 1990 by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Glaspie and described her conversation with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein shortly prior to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. It was released January 1 by […]
Judging from appearances, the conduct of congressional oversight of intelligence is usually professional, placid and rather dull. Just beneath the surface, however, the process is sometimes filled with tension, conflict and human foible. In her day, Diane S. Roark, a Republican staffer on the House Intelligence Committee from 1985 to 2003, elicited an impressive amount […]
The Congressional Research Service is not equipped to provide up-to-the-minute coverage of current news events, like the continuing upheaval in Egypt. But CRS does provide deeply researched background on factual matters including U.S. economic and military aid to Egypt, as well as a detailed account of many aspects of U.S.-Egypt political relations. See the newly […]
The DNI Open Source Center has produced an updated directory of North Korean diplomatic missions (pdf) in Europe and Central Asia. “The directory includes photos, when available, of overseas diplomatic personnel as well as such standard information as facility addresses, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. Personnel changes and new ambassadorial appointments also have […]
The New START treaty is in the bag, approved by the US Congress and Russian Duma. . By Hans M. Kristensen The upper house of the Russian Parliament (Duma) earlier today approved the New START treaty signed by presidents Medvedev and Obama in Prague on April 8, 2010. This follows approval of the treaty by […]
The new National Declassification Center (NDC) reviewed 83 million pages of classified historical records in 2010, but so far only 12 million of those pages have been declassified and released to the open shelves at the National Archives, according to a new report (pdf) from the NDC. At a time when currently classified records are […]
If meaningful international agreements are reached to limit or reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide that contribute to global warming, then it will be necessary to verify compliance with such agreements. This turns out to be a challenging problem, involving technical, analytical and political dimensions. The JASON scientific advisory panel […]