“The Soviet Army is the best prepared force in the world to conduct both offensive and defensive NBC [nuclear, biological and chemical] operations,” according to a 1984 U.S. Army manual (large pdf) that is newly available online. The three-part manual, based on Soviet military literature and other open sources, provides a dauntingly detailed account of […]
After a court issued a ruling last spring that a Yemeni detainee held in U.S. custody should be released, the opinion was briefly published in the case docket and then abruptly withdrawn for classification review. When it reappeared, reporter Dafna Linzer discovered, it was not only redacted but had been significantly altered. “The alterations are […]
Two histories of the early decades of MI-6, the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence service, have recently been published. “MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949” by Keith Jeffery is the authorized version, prepared with the cooperation of the Service. “Six: A History of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service” by Michael Smith is the unauthorized […]
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily to the public include the following (all pdf). “North Korea: Legislative Basis for U.S. Economic Sanctions,” September 29, 2010. “China’s Sovereign Wealth Fund: Developments and Policy Implications,” September 23, 2010. “Defense: FY2011 Authorization and Appropriations,” September 17, 2010. “Federal Conspiracy Law: […]
A White House report to Congress (pdf) last week assessed “both positive and negative trends in the implementation of our Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy.” The report described the progress — or lack thereof — made this year towards achieving eight specified objectives. Those objectives include enhancing stability and civilian control in Pakistan, improving Pakistan’s counterinsurgency […]
The compact W84 warhead (left) was designed to be delivered by the ground-launched cruise missile. Some 380 W84s are awaiting dismantlement – or reuse. . By Hans M. Kristensen The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently announced that disassembly of the W84 warhead has begun at the Pantex Plant in Texas. This marks the final […]
A U.S. Army regulation (pdf) issued yesterday requires Army personnel to report any incident on a newly expanded list of possible indications of “espionage, international terrorism, sabotage, subversion” as well as “leaks to the media.” “The Army is a prime target for foreign intelligence and international terrorist elements… from within and OCONUS [outside the continental […]
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 […]