A newly reissued Department of Defense directive (pdf) explicitly prohibits several of the more controversial interrogation techniques that have previously been practiced against suspected enemy combatants. So, for example, the new directive states that “Use of SERE [Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape] techniques against a person in the custody or effective control of the Department […]
At first glance, several provisions in a newly reissued Defense Department Instruction seem to offer a surprisingly forthcoming public disclosure policy to curb the steadily increasing secrecy of recent years. But on closer inspection, that is probably not the case. “Declassification of information shall receive equal attention with classification so that information remains classified only […]
DNA samples of thousands of suspected terrorists from Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere have been collected and preserved in a little-known U.S. government database that is intended for forensic intelligence and counterterrorism purposes. As of 2005, seven thousand detainee samples had been processed into the Joint Federal Agencies Antiterrorism DNA Database. Ten thousand more were “inbound” […]
Kidnapping and other forms of terrorist violence have developed into a significant form of asymmetric conflict, according to a new U.S. Army manual (pdf) that describes the theory and practice of kidnapping with numerous case studies from recent years. “This document promotes an improved understanding of terrorist objectives, motivation, and behaviors in the conduct of […]
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence today released a series of policy documents governing security clearances and access to classified information for intelligence community employees. Intelligence Community Directive 704 (pdf) and five accompanying policy guidance documents set forth policy on security clearance background investigations, adjudicative guidelines, clearance revocation and appeal processes, reciprocal acceptance […]
Kutztown University, midway between Reading and Allentown, Pennsylvania, has never looked so good. Or at least not like this. The University campus was featured in the first publicly released half-meter, color satellite image produced by the GeoEye-1 satellite, launched on September 6. “We do find the initial target selection amusing,” the author of the intelligence […]
A new policy seeks to promote sharing of terrorism-related information throughout the government by making information sharing an explicit factor in employee performance appraisals. “We have taken a critical step toward ensuring that information sharing becomes ingrained in the way the federal government operates,” said Amb. Thomas McNamara, the ODNI Information Security Environment program manager, […]
In an extraordinary rebuff to Bush Administration detention policy, a federal court yesterday ordered (pdf) that 17 Chinese Uighur detainees held in Guantanamo Bay shall be released into the United States because there is no lawful basis for their continued detention. The government immediately filed a motion to stay the ruling [update: the stay was […]
The House Intelligence Committee critically reviewed the U.S. intelligence satellite program in a rare unclassified report on the subject. See “Report on Challenges and Recommendations for United States Overhead Architecture,” House Intelligence Committee, House Report 110-914, October 3, 2008. “All counterterrorism programs that collect and mine data should be evaluated for their effectiveness and privacy […]
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made available online until now include the following (all pdf). “Supreme Court Appellate Jurisdiction Over Military Court Cases,” October 6, 2008. “Presidential Succession: Perspectives, Contemporary Analysis, and 110th Congress Proposed Legislation,” October 3, 2008. “Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations,” updated September 29, 2008. […]
By Hans M. Kristensen A report from an advisory board to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has recommended that the United States beefs up its nuclear, conventional, and space-based posture in the Pacific to counter China. The report, which was first described in the Washington Times, portrays China’s military modernization and intentions in highly dramatic […]
In Israel, “newspaper headlines are often about future events rather than past events.” That peculiar assertion is presented by the DNI Open Source Center (OSC) in a new report on Israeli news media (pdf). The new report provides descriptive accounts of many major and minor Israeli news outlets, noting their ownership, circulation, political orientation and […]