The House of Representatives yesterday adopted a slate of open government bills by large, veto-proof majorities in the face of sharp opposition from the Bush White House. “Today, Congress took an important step towards restoring openness and transparency in government,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, who expeditiously moved the bills through his Committee on Oversight and […]
More than 1 million pages of historical government records have been removed from public access at the National Archives on asserted security grounds since September 2001, according to an Associated Press investigation. Some of the records are more than 100 years old. See “Government guards papers from public eye” by Frank Bass and Randy Herschaft, […]
A new U.S. Army regulation (PDF) “updates the definition of leadership and introduces the concept of the Pentathlete.” The regulation identifies various aspects and levels of leadership, describes the warrior ethos and its place in Army culture, and discusses the responsibility of leaders and how they are trained. Pentathletes in this context “are multi-skilled, innovative, […]
“It is not true,” British Defence Secretary Des Browne insisted during an interview with BBC radio, that a new fuze planned for British nuclear warheads and reported by the Guardian will increase their military capability. The plan to replace the fuze “was reported to the [Parliament’s] Select Committee in 2005 and is not an upgrading […]
The steps by which the Justice Department conducts investigations of unauthorized disclosures of classified information (“leaks”) were described by then-Attorney General Janet Reno in 2000 testimony before a closed hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee. At a moment when some, such as Senator Jon Kyl, are proposing to enact new statutory penalties against leaks, it […]
Some recent products of the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues,” updated January 31, 2007. “National Guard Personnel and Deployments: Fact Sheet,” updated January 10, 2007. and courtesy of U.S. News […]
The conduct of warfare today raises challenging new legal issues that require prompt and operationally sound responses, according to a new publication (pdf) from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Modern military operations take place in an increasingly complex geo-political environment. The classic scenario of defending against cross-border aggression represents only one of the challenges facing […]
The Federal Bureau of Investigation made numerous “improper and illegal” uses of the investigative tool known as “national security letters,” by which it gathers information in national security cases, a report (large pdf) by the Justice Department Inspector General found. The abuses identified by the Inspector General “did not involve criminal misconduct,” the report said. […]
Army policy on human resources — the mundane but vital identification, development, coordination and deployment of military personnel needed to accomplish Army objectives — is presented in a new Field Manual. See “Human Resources Support,” FM 1-0, February 2007 (223 pages, 6.0 MB PDF).
A new report (pdf) from a Dutch counterintelligence agency warns of the growing role of the Internet in Islamic extremist circles. “The Internet is an important platform for radicalisation and can even serve as a virtual [terrorist] training camp. Jihadis not only use the Internet as a resource, but can also attack the Internet itself […]
Some recent publications of the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “Conventional Warheads For Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues for Congress,” updated February 9, 2007. “The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center: Issues for Congress,” updated February 15, 2007. “National Security Surveillance […]
In a “shocking and inexcusable” action that may threaten the institution of congressional intelligence oversight, an anonymous Senator yesterday blocked Senate consideration of the pending Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2007. No intelligence authorization bill has been passed by Congress for the past two years. If Congress remains unable to legislate an intelligence authorization act, […]