“There appears to be no statute that generally proscribes the acquisition or publication of diplomatic cables,” according to a newly updated report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service, “although government employees who disclose such information without proper authority may be subject to prosecution.” But there is a thicket of statutes, most notably including the Espionage […]
After its access to the Wikileaks web site was blocked by the Library of Congress, the Congressional Research Service this week asked Congress for guidance on whether and how it should make use of the leaked records that are being published by Wikileaks, noting that they could “shed important light” on topics of CRS interest. […]
Noteworthy new products from the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf). “Securing America’s Borders: The Role of the Intelligence Community,” December 7, 2010. “Hamas: Background and Issues for Congress,” December 2, 2010. “U.S.-Australia Civilian Nuclear Cooperation: Issues for Congress,” December 1, 2010. “Intelligence Estimates: How Useful to Congress?,” November 24, 2010.
PDUSPD Jim Miller appears to confirm FAS/NRDC estimates for NATO and Russia tactical nuclear weapons. By Hans M. Kristensen A Wikileaks document briefly posted by The Guardian Monday appears to give an official number for the U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in Europe: 180. The number appears in a leaked cable written by U.S. NATO Ambassador […]
Missile Watch A publication of the FAS Arms Sales Monitoring Project Vol. 3, Issue 3 November 2010 Editor: Matt Schroeder Contents: Editor’s Note: Wikileaks and arms trafficking, Missile Watch sponsorship program Global News: UN Arms Register: Venezuela was the largest importer of MANPADS in 2009 Global News: Extradition of Viktor Bout could reveal much […]
A white paper describes plans for a joint warhead. By Hans M. Kristensen The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has sent Congress a white paper describing plans for extending the life of the W78 warhead on the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). According to the paper, W78 Life Extension Program Description and Work Scope, […]
The Library of Congress confirmed on Friday that it had blocked access from all Library computers to the Wikileaks web site in order to prevent unauthorized downloading of classified records such as those in the large cache of diplomatic cables that Wikileaks began to publish on November 28. Since the Congressional Research Service is a […]
On December 3, I participated in an interesting, somewhat testy discussion about Wikileaks on the show Democracy Now along with Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com, who is a passionate defender of the project. The ultimate victory of Wikileaks (or something like it) is guaranteed, Mr. Greenwald suggested, so any criticism of it is basically irrelevant. “We […]
Morton Halperin speaks at CSIS By Hans M. Kristensen Kevin Kallmyer at CSIS has an interesting recap of a recent debate between Paula DeSutter and Mort Halperin about the New START Treaty. Ratification of the treaty is held up in Congress by a handful of Senators who (mis)use questions about, among other issues, verification to […]
The ongoing release of U.S. diplomatic communications by the Wikileaks organization is “embarrassing” and “awkward,” said Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates yesterday, but its consequences for U.S. foreign policy are likely to be “fairly modest.” “I’ve heard the impact of these releases on our foreign policy described as a meltdown, as a game-changer, and […]
As confidential U.S. diplomatic documents continue to enter the public domain, it is worth remembering that not everything that is written down in a government document, even (or especially) in a classified document, is necessarily true. “Truth telling” involves a bit more than trafficking in official records. Any historian or archival researcher knows that. So […]
Nuclear physicist Sam Cohen died Sunday at age 89, the Washington Post reported in an obituary today. Cohen, a veteran of the Manhattan Project, conceived, designed and advocated development of the neutron bomb, a high-radiation anti-personnel weapon. He cordially despised the Federation of American Scientists, which didn’t stop him from writing and calling us regularly […]