Behind closed doors at the National Archives, an acrimonious debate has unfolded over whether and how to dispose of records generated by Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) at executive branch agencies. What is at stake is the proper identification and preservation of historically significant government financial records, some of which have already been lost. A proposed […]
Some noteworthy recent products of the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf). “The Whistleblower Protection Act: An Overview,” March 12, 2007. “China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress,” updated February 7, 2007. “Data Security Breaches: Context and Incident Summaries,” updated January 29, 2007. “Bolivia: Political and […]
Two new U.S. Secret Service agents are to be stationed in Moscow this year, in accordance with a secret memorandum of understanding between the Department of Homeland Security and Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), one of that country’s foreign intelligence agencies. (Correction: The FSB focuses primarily on internal security. Russia’s principal foreign intelligence agency is […]
The House of Representatives yesterday adopted a slate of open government bills by large, veto-proof majorities in the face of sharp opposition from the Bush White House. “Today, Congress took an important step towards restoring openness and transparency in government,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, who expeditiously moved the bills through his Committee on Oversight and […]
More than 1 million pages of historical government records have been removed from public access at the National Archives on asserted security grounds since September 2001, according to an Associated Press investigation. Some of the records are more than 100 years old. See “Government guards papers from public eye” by Frank Bass and Randy Herschaft, […]
A new U.S. Army regulation (PDF) “updates the definition of leadership and introduces the concept of the Pentathlete.” The regulation identifies various aspects and levels of leadership, describes the warrior ethos and its place in Army culture, and discusses the responsibility of leaders and how they are trained. Pentathletes in this context “are multi-skilled, innovative, […]
The steps by which the Justice Department conducts investigations of unauthorized disclosures of classified information (“leaks”) were described by then-Attorney General Janet Reno in 2000 testimony before a closed hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee. At a moment when some, such as Senator Jon Kyl, are proposing to enact new statutory penalties against leaks, it […]
Some recent products of the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues,” updated January 31, 2007. “National Guard Personnel and Deployments: Fact Sheet,” updated January 10, 2007. and courtesy of U.S. News […]
The conduct of warfare today raises challenging new legal issues that require prompt and operationally sound responses, according to a new publication (pdf) from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Modern military operations take place in an increasingly complex geo-political environment. The classic scenario of defending against cross-border aggression represents only one of the challenges facing […]
The Federal Bureau of Investigation made numerous “improper and illegal” uses of the investigative tool known as “national security letters,” by which it gathers information in national security cases, a report (large pdf) by the Justice Department Inspector General found. The abuses identified by the Inspector General “did not involve criminal misconduct,” the report said. […]
Army policy on human resources — the mundane but vital identification, development, coordination and deployment of military personnel needed to accomplish Army objectives — is presented in a new Field Manual. See “Human Resources Support,” FM 1-0, February 2007 (223 pages, 6.0 MB PDF).
A new report (pdf) from a Dutch counterintelligence agency warns of the growing role of the Internet in Islamic extremist circles. “The Internet is an important platform for radicalisation and can even serve as a virtual [terrorist] training camp. Jihadis not only use the Internet as a resource, but can also attack the Internet itself […]