Newly published hearing records and Pentagon directives concerning intelligence policy include the following. A House Intelligence Subcommittee examined intelligence community personnel security policy in “Security Clearance Reform,” February 27, 2008. “National Security Letters: The Need for Greater Accountability and Oversight” was the subject of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on April 23, 2008. The Senate […]
Recent reports from the Congressional Research Service include these (all pdf): “Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments,” updated May 28, 2008. “Coast Guard Deepwater Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress,” updated June 5, 2008. “The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: History, Perspectives, and Issues,” updated June 6, 2008.
Stewart R. Mott, the political activist and philanthropist who died last week, was a consistent supporter of the FAS Project on Government Secrecy. A man of many appetites, he seemed to derive pleasure from giving away money to support causes he believed in. Luckily for us, open and accountable government was one of those causes. […]
Today the American Association for Advancement in Science (AAAS) Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy sponsored a briefing on Capitol Hill entitled “Understanding President Bush’s FY2009 Biodefense Budget Request.” Dr. Alan Pearson of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation was the featured speaker at the event and his presentation was followed up by […]
Secrecy News was removed from the distribution list for the U.S. State Department history publication “Foreign Relations of the United States” (FRUS) after we reported on errors in several FRUS volumes on March 24 and 26, 2008. A spokesman for the State Department Historian’s Office confirmed that officials had ordered the removal of Secrecy News […]
The Director of National Intelligence this week issued a new Intelligence Community Directive (pdf) that defines the structure and mission of the National Intelligence Council (NIC). “The NIC consists of the senior-most intelligence analysts supporting the DNI in carrying out responsibilities as head of the IC and as the principal adviser to the President, the […]
Some new reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “Tsunami Detection and Warnings for the United States,” May 28, 2008. “Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer,” May 20, 2008. “Nanotechnology and U.S. Competitiveness: Issues and Options,” May 15, 2008. […]
The principle is simple. The products, information and techniques of some life sciences research could be misused for nefarious purposes, such as bioterrorism, and the scientific community should do everything it can to prevent such misuse without impeding research progress. What is unclear is what steps scientists should take when they have concerns about such […]
Washington Times reporter Bill Gertz was subpoenaed by a federal court last month to testify regarding his sources for a 2006 story relating to alleged Chinese espionage. While Mr. Gertz has been a prolific reporter of classified information for two decades and has even republished classified documents in his books, his current legal entanglement arises […]
“Leak investigations do not focus on the receiving journalist for a variety of reasons,” according to a 1982 government report (pdf) on unauthorized disclosures of classified information. One of those reasons is that “journalists are unlikely to divulge their sources in response to a subpoena for documents or testimony before a grand jury, and contempt […]
“In too many cases, claims of state secrets have succeeded in keeping important cases out of court entirely or preventing courts from considering evidence vital to the outcome of a case,” said Rep. John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, at a January 29 hearing on “Reform of the State Secrets Privilege.” The record […]
In a report to the National Archives (pdf) released last week, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said it could not locate a recording of the final interrogation of Jose Padilla, the American citizen who was designated an enemy combatant and later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. The missing Padilla interrogation video was first reported […]