Wal-Mart, the massive retail chain, has established its own “intelligence” unit to conduct threat assessments, and to perform intelligence collection and analysis. And it has been recruiting senior personnel from U.S. intelligence agencies to staff its operation. “I’ve had a number of people contact me who have purely law enforcement / security investigative backgrounds,” wrote […]
Having spent months assessing the role of contractors in U.S. intelligence agencies, U.S. intelligence officials say they cannot disclose how many contractors there are, because that’s classified. See “Government Keeps a Secret After Studying Spy Agencies” by Scott Shane, New York Times, April 26. Veteran female intelligence officers charge that the Central Intelligence Agency deals […]
With congressional concurrence, the Congressional Research Service refuses to make its products directly available to the public. Some noteworthy new CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News include the following (all pdf). “Presidential Advisers’ Testimony Before Congressional Committees: An Overview,” updated April 10, 2007. “Information Operations, Electronic Warfare, and Cyberwar: Capabilities and Related Policy Issues,” updated […]
Presidential secrecy is best understood not as an expression of executive strength but as a sign of weakness and insecurity, according to a provocative new book on the subject. “When the president lacks diplomatic or interpersonal skill, he is likely to compensate by shielding his activities — even shielding his very self — from the […]
The Department of Defense has asked Congress to enact two expansive new provisions in the FY 2008 defense authorization act to help it restrict public access to information. One of the provisions would create a new exemption to the Freedom of Information Act for certain unclassified information related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The […]
Some notable new or newly-acquired publications include these (all pdf): “Physical Security Program,” Department of Defense Regulation 5200.08-R, April 9, 2007. “National Defense Intelligence College,” Department of Defense Instruction 3305.01, December 22, 2006. “Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance: Preliminary Observations on DOD’s Approach to Managing Requirements for New Systems, Existing Assets, and Systems Development,” U.S. Government […]
The unprecedented trial of two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, who are charged under the Espionage Act with unlawful receipt and disclosure of national defense information, is likely to be postponed from its scheduled start date on June 4. The need to resolve disagreements between the parties over the handling of […]
In the latest issue of the Federation of American Scientists’ Public Interest Report, analysts from three continents provide new insights into arms trafficking in Africa, Venezuela’s small arms build-up, and the UN Small Arms Review Conference. Links to these articles, along with an issue overview by FAS analyst Matt Schroeder and a summary of the […]
The Federation of American Scientists Biosecurity Project has prepared a brief online survey to collect feedback on our “Case Studies in Dual-use Biological Research.” To thank participants for completing the survey, we will enter them into a drawing for an 8GB iPod nano. Click here to go to the case studies or here to go […]
(Updated Below) A federal court this week rejected a government proposal to restrict public access to evidence in the forthcoming trial of two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee who are charged under the Espionage Act with unauthorized receipt and transmission of classified information. Using a procedure called the Silent Witness Rule, […]
Independent press reporting of Army plans to extend soldiers’ tours of duty in Iraq by three months prompted outraged warnings (pdf) from the Army vice chief of staff about the need to improve control of Army information against unauthorized disclosure. See “General: Embarrassing = Secret” in the Danger Room blog, April 18. The government asserted […]
Some noteworthy new reports of the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf). “Environmental Impacts of Airport Operations, Maintenance, and Expansion,” April 5, 2007. “What’s the Difference? — Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data,” April 10, 2007. “Vulnerability of Concentrated Critical Infrastructure: Background and Policy Options,” updated January 26, 2007. “Polar Bears: Proposed Listing […]