The Pentagon’s heavy-handed attempt to censor the new Afghanistan war memoir “Operation Dark Heart” by Anthony Shaffer has predictably turned a volume of narrow, specialized interest into a mainstream bestseller. It has also focused attention on just what information the government was seeking to conceal, and why. For a review of the material that was […]
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf). “The Helium-3 Shortage: Supply, Demand, and Options for Congress,” September 21, 2010. “China’s Steel Industry and Its Impact on the United States: Issues for Congress,” September 21, 2010. “Authority of State and Local Police to Enforce Federal Immigration Law,” September 17, 2010. […]
By censoring Anthony Shaffer’s new book “Operation Dark Heart” even though uncensored review copies are already available in the public domain, the Department of Defense has produced a genuinely unique product: a revealing snapshot of the way that the Obama Administration classifies national security information in 2010. With both versions before them (excerpts), readers can […]
The House and Senate this week approved legislation that will require the Inspector General of each executive branch agency that classifies information to evaluate the agency’s classification program and to assess its implementation of classification policies and procedures. The new measure should help to bolster the oversight of the national security classification system, which is […]
The Government Accountability Office seems poised to play an increased role in intelligence oversight, despite a series of legislative setbacks and the Obama Administration’s threat of a veto earlier in the year. The issue remains alive in the FY2010 Intelligence Authorization Act which was approved in the Senate on September 27 and which now appears […]
China’s new DF-21C missile launcher shows itself in Western China. Image: GoogleEarth . By Hans M. Kristensen The latest Pentagon report on Chinese military forces recently triggered sensational headlines in the Indian news media that China had deployed new nuclear missiles close to the Indian border. The news reports got it wrong, but new […]
When Wikileaks published tens of thousands of classified U.S. military records concerning the war in Afghanistan last July, did it commit a criminal act under U.S. law? That was the question posed by a new report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service. In the end, the CRS report tentatively concludes that “although unlawful acquisition of […]
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence last week released Intelligence Community Directive 701 (pdf), entitled “Security Policy Directive for Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information,” dated March 14, 2007. The directive sets forth procedures and requirements for identifying and reporting suspected unauthorized disclosures of classified information that are likely to cause damage to national […]
Some new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “The Freedom of Information Act and Nondisclosure Provisions in Other Federal Laws,” September 13, 2010. “The Role of Trade Secrets in Innovation Policy,” August 31, 2010. “Regulating Coal Combustion Waste Disposal: Issues […]
The possible near-term declassification of historical intelligence satellite programs was examined by Dwayne Day in “A Paler Shade of Black,” The Space Review, September 20. The author also noted the pending Fundamental Classification Guidance Review that is supposed to purge obsolete classification requirements from the system. An initiative led by Public Citizen to gain release […]
“Pakistan is in the midst of a catastrophic natural disaster that has precipitated a humanitarian crisis of major proportions,” a new report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service observes. The widespread flooding that has displaced millions of Pakistanis also represents a political crisis that “may undermine the already waning legitimacy of the civilian government” and […]
An apparent spike in Islamist terrorist plots by American citizens and residents is examined in another new report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service. “This report describes homegrown violent jihadists and the plots and attacks that have occurred since 9/11.” The report uses the term “jihadist” to refer to “radicalized individuals using Islam as an […]