A bipartisan bill introduced in the House would require the House Intelligence Committee to disclose information on intelligence activities to other congressional committees, as long as such disclosure did not reveal sensitive intelligence sources or methods. “In order to exercise proper oversight, House committees need all pertinent information and, unfortunately, that process isn’t functioning as […]
Some noteworthy congressional documents that have recently been published include the following. “The Need to Know: Information Sharing Lessons for Disaster Response,” House Committee on Government Reform, March 30, 2006. “Plane Clothes: Lack of Anonymity at the Federal Air Marshal Service Compromises Aviation and National Security” (pdf), House Judiciary Committee investigative report, May 25, 2006. […]
The Department of Defense recently published its annual report on counterproliferation, an overview of U.S. government programs to detect, prevent and counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. See “Report on Activities and Programs for Countering Proliferation and NBC Terrorism, Counterproliferation Program Review Committee” (pdf), Volume I, Executive Summary, May 2006. See also the […]
Published sources on stealthy satellites were compiled in “A Stealth Satellite Sourcebook” by independent researcher Allen Thomson, available here (pdf). An earlier compilation on the French GRAVES (Grande Réseau Adapté à la Veille Spatial) space surveillance system, also by Mr. Thomson, may be found here (pdf).
New reports of the Congressional Research Service, not readily available to the public, include the following: “India-U.S. Relations” (pdf), updated July 31, 2006. “Pakistan-U.S. Relations” (pdf), updated July 27, 2006.
Some intriguing new details of U.S. intelligence policy were disclosed in two reports on the implementation of the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 that were issued yesterday by the House Intelligence Committee and by the Director of National Intelligence. Beyond broad conclusions on the status of intelligence reform, each report voiced numerous passing observations of […]
Reciprocity in security clearances — meaning the acceptance by one agency of a security clearance granted by another agency, and vice versa — has been an elusive security policy goal for well over a decade. But lately it has become the subject of increased attention. “The Director [of National Intelligence] has done little to ensure […]
The Freedom of Information Act “continues to be a valuable tool for citizens to obtain information about the operation and decisions of the federal government,” the Government Accountability Office reported at a July 26 House hearing. “Since 2002, agencies have received increasing numbers of requests and have also continued to increase the number of requests […]
The Department of Defense has published a new manual (pdf) on the conduct of “technical intelligence” operations, or TECHINT. Technical intelligence here refers to the collection, analysis and exploitation of captured enemy materiel and documentation. TECHINT serves to maintain U.S. technological advantage on the battlefield and helps to counter adversary weapons systems and operations. TECHINT […]
In a rare victory for public access to intelligence agency records, a federal court yesterday ordered (pdf) the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to process its FY 2006 budget request for release under the Freedom of Information Act. Judge Reggie B. Walton of the D.C. District Court granted a motion filed by the Federation of American […]
New reports from the Congressional Research Service, not readily available to the public, include these. “Intelligence Issues for Congress” (pdf), July 12, 2006. “Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah: The Current Conflict” (pdf), July 21, 2006.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the 1978 law that is supposed to govern surveillance of foreign intelligence targets within the U.S., has had an unusually dynamic legislative history. It has been modified in a hundred ways on at least a dozen occasions, the Congressional Research Service reported (pdf) this week. Despite the demonstrated adaptability of […]