Wind farms that use spinning blades and turbines to generate electricity have the undesirable side effect of disrupting the operation of radar systems. The JASON defense science advisory group was asked to consider the problem and to propose solutions. “Wind farms interfere with the radar tracking of airplanes and weather. The velocity of the blade […]
Members of the 704 Munition Support Squadron at Ghedi Torre in Italy are trained to service a B-61 nuclear bomb inside a Munitions Maintenance Truck. Security at “most” nuclear bases in Europe does not meet DOD safety requirements, a newly declassified U.S. Air Force review has found. Withdrawal from some is rumored. Image: USAF . […]
Yesterday the CUBRC Center for International Science and Technology Advancement held a symposium entitled “Promoting Mutual Security and Development through Bioscience Cooperation”. The meeting focused on ways to promote cooperation and networking across organizations to create a more prosperous and secure world. Dr. Leonard Marcus of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Harvard […]
On Thursday, June 12 the House Foreign Relations Committee met for over three hours and heard testimony from members of the Committee, a representative of the Bush administration, and expert witnesses regarding the pros and cons of supporting the Agreement Between the United States and Russia for Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of […]
To reduce unnecessary restrictions on unclassified information, Congress should require agencies to publish more of their unclassified records, we suggested in a letter (pdf) to the House Intelligence Committee this week. A White House policy announced last month to establish a government-wide standard for “controlled unclassified information” (CUI) may exacerbate existing barriers to public access, […]
Newly published hearing records and Pentagon directives concerning intelligence policy include the following. A House Intelligence Subcommittee examined intelligence community personnel security policy in “Security Clearance Reform,” February 27, 2008. “National Security Letters: The Need for Greater Accountability and Oversight” was the subject of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on April 23, 2008. The Senate […]
Recent reports from the Congressional Research Service include these (all pdf): “Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments,” updated May 28, 2008. “Coast Guard Deepwater Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress,” updated June 5, 2008. “The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: History, Perspectives, and Issues,” updated June 6, 2008.
Stewart R. Mott, the political activist and philanthropist who died last week, was a consistent supporter of the FAS Project on Government Secrecy. A man of many appetites, he seemed to derive pleasure from giving away money to support causes he believed in. Luckily for us, open and accountable government was one of those causes. […]
Today the American Association for Advancement in Science (AAAS) Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy sponsored a briefing on Capitol Hill entitled “Understanding President Bush’s FY2009 Biodefense Budget Request.” Dr. Alan Pearson of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation was the featured speaker at the event and his presentation was followed up by […]
Secrecy News was removed from the distribution list for the U.S. State Department history publication “Foreign Relations of the United States” (FRUS) after we reported on errors in several FRUS volumes on March 24 and 26, 2008. A spokesman for the State Department Historian’s Office confirmed that officials had ordered the removal of Secrecy News […]
The Director of National Intelligence this week issued a new Intelligence Community Directive (pdf) that defines the structure and mission of the National Intelligence Council (NIC). “The NIC consists of the senior-most intelligence analysts supporting the DNI in carrying out responsibilities as head of the IC and as the principal adviser to the President, the […]
Some new reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “Tsunami Detection and Warnings for the United States,” May 28, 2008. “Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer,” May 20, 2008. “Nanotechnology and U.S. Competitiveness: Issues and Options,” May 15, 2008. […]