Publication Archive

Back
FAS
Blog
A Forgotten Spy at GAO?

“There is no known instance in which classified information was leaked or compromised by Government Accountability Office (GAO) employees,” I wrote on February 9 (“Senate Bill Revisits GAO Oversight of Intelligence”).  But that may not be true, according to one former GAO analyst. “Sadly, your assertion of GAO’s record of no loss or compromise of […]

02.13.09 | 2 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Marine Corps: Expose Yourself to Secrecy News

U.S. Marine Corps personnel who are responsible for protecting classified information should consult a variety of sources including Secrecy News in order to maintain their professional awareness, a new Marine Corps newsletter advised (pdf). To begin with, “you should read every security-related regulation/article you can get your hands on,” including the executive order on classification, […]

02.13.09 | 1 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Management Crisis Threatens “Foreign Relations” Series

A management crisis in the State Department Office of the Historian threatens the future of the official “Foreign Relations of the United States” (FRUS) series that documents the history of U.S. foreign policy, according to a newly disclosed report on the situation. “We find that the current working atmosphere in the HO [Historian’s Office] and […]

02.12.09 | 4 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Open Source Center Views Iraqi Elections

A recent DNI Open Source Center publication presents a guide to the Iraqi provincial elections that took place on January 31.  The report was prepared prior to the elections and does not reflect their important results, but it does provide an informative overview of the electoral process, the Iraqi provincial council structure, and the thirty-six […]

02.12.09 | 1 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Iran’s Economic Conditions, and More from CRS

Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public — despite the widely–noted publication and republication of other CRS reports by wikileaks.org this week — include the following (all pdf). “Iran’s Economic Conditions: U.S. Policy Issues,” updated January 15, 2009. “U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians,” […]

02.12.09 | 1 min read
read more
Global Risk
Blog
Plague Infected Mice Missing from UMDNJ Lab

This weekend it was reported that 2 mice infected with Yersinia pestis, the causitive agent of plague, were missing from a lab at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). In September 2005 it was also reported that 3 live mice infected with Y. pestis were missing from UMDNJ a lab. In […]

02.09.09 | 1 min read
read more
Global Risk
Blog
USAMRIID Suspends Select Agent Research

ScienceInsider is reporting that the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) has suspended their research on biological select agents and toxins. Officials froze research last Friday when they realized that there were problems with the system of accounting for high risk microbes and biological materials in the laboratories at Fort Detrick, MD […]

02.09.09 | 2 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Deputy AG-Nominee is “A Big Believer in Whistleblowers”

David W. Ogden, who has been nominated to be the next Deputy Attorney General, last week expressed strong support for government whistleblowers who help to expose corruption or malfeasance. “I am a big believer in whistleblowers,” he said at his February 5 confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, “and in the need to make […]

02.09.09 | 2 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Technology for Detection of Nuclear Weapons Advances

Technology for detecting nuclear weapons and materials “appears to be advancing faster than many have expected,” according to an exceptionally informative new report from the Congressional Research Service. The 97-page report (pdf) by CRS analyst Jonathan Medalia explains the basics of nuclear detection — what is to be detected and how — and introduces nine […]

02.09.09 | 1 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Senate Bill Revisits GAO Oversight of Intelligence

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and several Senate colleagues last week reintroduced the “Intelligence Community Audit Act” that would strengthen the authority of the Government Accountability Office to oversee intelligence agency programs and activities. “GAO has well-established expertise that should be leveraged to improve the performance of the Intelligence Community,” Sen. Akaka said. “In particular, GAO […]

02.09.09 | 2 min read
read more
Global Risk
Blog
United States Reaches Moscow Treaty Warhead Limit Early

B83 thermonuclear bombs are offloaded from a C-17 aircraft for storage in preparation for meeting the limit of the Moscow Treaty three and a half years early. . By Hans M. Kristensen The United States has reduced its deployed strategic warheads to the maximum number allowed under 2002 Moscow Treaty, three and a half years […]

02.09.09 | 3 min read
read more
Global Risk
Blog
NAS-AAAS Dual-Use Research Survey Results Released

Today the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), released their survey of Attitudes and Actions on Dual Use Research in the Life Sciences. The survey was sent to AAAS members whose primary area of research was in the life sciences in order to assess their awareness […]

02.05.09 | 2 min read
read more