Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has put forward an agenda to increase transparency in government that includes “publishing budgets for every government agency.” This appears to be a roundabout way of endorsing disclosure of intelligence agency budgets, since the budgets of all other agencies are already published. The Clinton campaign did not immediately respond to […]
Recent reports of the Congressional Research Service on Middle East-related topics, obtained by Secrecy News without CRS authorization, include the following. “U.S. Foreign Assistance to the Middle East: Historical Background, Recent Trends, and the FY2008 Request,” updated July 3, 2007. “Libya: Background and U.S. Relations,” updated June 19, 2007. “U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel,” updated […]
More publicly unreleased reports from the Congressional Research Service on various topics of interest to some include these (all pdf). “Journalists’ Privilege to Withhold Information in Judicial and Other Proceedings: State Shield Statutes,” updated June 27, 2007. “Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Background, Legal Analysis, and Policy Options,” updated June 30, 2007. “Critical Infrastructure: The National Asset […]
Under extreme conditions, live maggots may be inserted into a wound to consume damaged or diseased flesh, according to a medical manual for U.S. Army Special Forces (large pdf). “Despite the hazards involved, maggot therapy should be considered a viable alternative when, in the absence of antibiotics, a wound becomes severely infected, does not heal, […]
At a press briefing on Monday, Assistant Secretary of State John Rood elaborated on the Bush Administration’s latest attempt to secure license-free defense exports to the UK, a contentious issue that sparked a bruising battle between the administration and House Republicans three years ago. This time the exemptions are packaged in the form of a […]
Note: After this entry was posted, the Associated Press revealed that the item in question is actually a 20-year-old expended AT-4 anti-tank missile launcher that posed no threat. This morning a woman from Jersey City discovered a “missile” lying in the grass on her front lawn. Niranjana Besai showed the missile to her neighbor, who […]
By Hans M. Kristensen The now month-long clash between Russia and the West over U.S. plans to build a missile defense system in Europe should warn us that – despite important progress in some areas – Cold War thinking is alive and well. The missile defense system, Moscow says, is but the latest step in […]
The crucial interactions between military forces and the civilian environment in which they operate are the domain of “civil affairs,” a subject of urgent interest to the U.S. military in Iraq and elsewhere. Civil affairs operations that promote cooperation between the military and the local population help to advance the military mission. Activities that generate […]
The Congressional Research Service has recently updated several publications on Afghanistan, including these (all pdf). “NATO in Afghanistan: A Test of the Transatlantic Alliance,” updated July 16, 2007. “Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy,” updated June 21, 2007. “Afghanistan: Narcotics and U.S. Policy,” updated June 19, 2007. “Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance,” updated June […]
Recent reports from the Congressional Research Service concerning China include these (all pdf). “Hong Kong: Ten Years After the Handover,” June 29, 2007. “China’s Economic Conditions,” updated July 13, 2007. “Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990,” updated July 12, 2007. “China-U.S. Trade Issues,” updated July 11, 2007. “China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for […]
The Congressional Research Service, at congressional direction, does not permit direct public access to its products. Members of the public must connive or contrive to gain such access. So we do. Some recent CRS reports that caught our eye include these (all pdf). “Presidential Claims of Executive Privilege: History, Law, Practice and Recent Developments,” updated […]
Does Congress have the constitutional authority to legislate limits on the conduct of the war in Iraq? The answer may seem obvious. But to resolve any lingering doubt, the Congressional Research Service gave the topic a thorough analytic treatment in a newly updated report (pdf) and concluded that Congress does have such authority. “It has […]