The United States Special Operations Command has published a newly updated handbook for use by special operations forces medics in the field. “It emphasizes acute care in all its forms (including gynecology, general medicine, dentistry, poisonings, infestations, parasitic infections, acute infections, hyper and hypothermia, high altitude, aerospace, dive medicine, and sanitation.)” The document, which is […]
Newly published congressional reports and hearing volumes that caught our eye include the following (mostly pdf). “Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman and Lynch Episodes,” Report of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, September 16, 2008. “Restoring the Rule of Law,” hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Senate Judiciary Committee, September […]
Some more reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy,” November 18, 2008. “China and the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States,” updated November 17, 2008. “Reporting Requirements […]
Scattered details of a little-known U.S. government database containing the DNA of suspected terrorists were gathered and reported today in the Financial Times. See “Fears over Covert DNA Database” by Stephen Fidler. The Joint Federal Agencies [or more often: Antiterrorism] Intelligence DNA Database (JFAIDD) is described in a 2007 briefing slide (pdf) as “a searchable […]
There were 5,023 invention secrecy orders in effect at the end of FY 2008, up slightly from last year’s total of 5,002. Under the Invention Secrecy Act of 1951, secrecy orders are applied by government agencies to patent applications that may be “detrimental to national security.” The patent is withheld, and the invention described in […]
Expectations of significant changes in government information policy continue to grow as more and more groups and individuals offer their recommendations for reform to the next administration and its transition team. Proposals for change concerning classification, freedom of information, and presidential records were developed by a cross-section of interested organizations convened by the National Security […]
Under the Freedom of Information Act, one need not be a lawyer to file a lawsuit. A clever, committed advocate can sometimes defeat a team of government lawyers and win disclosure of denied documents. On the other hand, an inept, overzealous or unlucky litigant can leave a trail of legal wreckage that will make the […]
Ideally, the change of presidential administrations would be the occasion for a transformation in the relationship between government and the public, in which government information becomes easily and rapidly accessible to all interested parties. With that possibility in mind, dozens of public interest organizations concerned with access to government information (including FAS) have collaborated to […]
The conduct of unconventional warfare is explored in depth in a major new U.S. Army Field Manual on the subject (pdf). Unconventional warfare (UW) is defined as “Operations conducted by, with, or through irregular forces in support of a resistance movement, an insurgency, or conventional military operations… This definition reflects two essential criteria: UW must […]
The Congressional Research Service, which does not make its publications directly available to the public, has recently issued or updated several noteworthy reports. The following CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News have not previously been made available online (all pdf). “The President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy: Issues for Congress,” November 10, 2008 (40 […]
As the quality and availability of commercial satellite imagery continue to improve, the technology is adding a new dimension to public understanding of world events, while both enhancing and challenging national and global security. “Last month, the most powerful commercial satellite in history sent its first pictures back to Earth, and another with similar capabilities […]
Prof. James C. Warf, a Manhattan Project chemist, author and activist, died last week. An early member of the Federation of American Scientists, Dr. Warf held patents on the separation of plutonium from high-level nuclear waste. He taught chemistry at the University of Southern California for forty years, specializing in rare earth metals. He also […]