An improved understanding of the dynamics of the conflict between Hamas and Israel — one that goes beyond “they started it” — is probably a prerequisite to any enduring reduction of the violence and the terrible human suffering that the conflict now entails. A detailed new assessment (pdf) by an analyst at the U.S. Army […]
Many of the roots of today’s conflicts in the Middle East can be discerned in the crises of the past, some of which are newly documented in the latest volume of the official Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series. The new FRUS volume includes a section on the Nixon Administration’s response to the […]
The importance and the hazards of government secrecy are now widely understood. But the principles and practices of secrecy policy as it has developed over the years remain obscure to many. A new anthology published this week aims to present “the best that has been thought and written” on the subject. “Government Secrecy: Classic and […]
A survey conducted by the Federation of American Scientists and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that while scientists are disposed to assist in criminal investigations, they often fear working with law enforcement agencies. The survey questions were designed to evaluate the working relationship between FBI field agents and scientists, and the results, published December […]
In the closing days of the Bush administration, we see nuclear advocates laying down markers for the debate about nuclear weapons that is expected early in Senator Obama’s presidency. In a recent speech at Carnegie and in an article in Foreign Affairs, Robert Gates, slated to stay on as Secretary of Defense, has called for […]
Legal opinions issued by the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel that interpret the law for the executive branch on questions of surveillance, detention and other disputed national security policies are among the Bush Administration records that are most urgently sought by members of Congress and others, and are often among the records that are […]
Noteworthy publications from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available online include the following (all pdf). “Executive Branch Reorganization and Management Initiatives: A Brief Overview,” updated November 26, 2008. “Islamist Militancy in the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Region and U.S. Policy,” November 21, 2008 (new format, with map). “Section 1206 of the National […]
The interim report from the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States appears to reinstate Russia as a center for U.S. nuclear thinking. By Hans M. Kristensen The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States has published an interim report that buys into many of the arguments of the […]
A proposed new Department of Energy regulation would eliminate the so-called “public interest” balancing test that encourages DOE officials to release information under the Freedom of Information Act even when it is legally exempt from disclosure if doing so would serve the public interest. “This proposed rule would remove the so-called ‘extra balancing test’… which […]
The elite JASON defense science advisory panel dismissed claims that high frequency gravitational waves (HFGW) could pose any kind of national security threat. In a study (pdf) prepared for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the JASONs concluded that “No foreign threat in HFGW is credible, including: communication by means of HFGW; object […]
In a December 10 letter to President-elect Obama, Sen. Russ Feingold urged the next Administration to take a series of specific measures to strengthen the rule of law. Distilled from the record (pdf) of a September 16 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the subject, the recommendations addressed four topics in particular: separation of powers, excessive […]
Noteworthy new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News include the following. “Iran’s Nuclear Program: Status,” updated November 20, 2008. “Iran: Ethnic and Religious Minorities,” updated November 25, 2008. “Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses,” updated November 24, 2008. “Presidential Libraries: The Federal System and Related Legislation,” updated November 26, […]