The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today finally released the final two reports of its investigation into pre-war intelligence on Iraq. “Before taking the country to war, this Administration owed it to the American people to give them a 100 percent accurate picture of the threat we faced,” said Senator Jay Rockefeller in a news […]
The Pentagon should “monitor enemy activities in sleep research” says a newly disclosed report (pdf) from the elite defense science advisory panel known as JASON. The JASONs were investigating the potential for U.S. adversaries “to exploit advances in Human Performance Modification, and thus create a threat to national security.” Their report examined “the present state […]
Steven Aftergood at Secrecy News, just released a report produced for the intelligence community on pox virus research around the world. The report was written by Dr Alfred D. Steinberg, working for MITRE Corporation and published last January. While not classified, the report was also not approved for public release. From the report “It is […]
On the same day that he became the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, Sen. Barack Obama introduced new legislation to expand public access to information about government spending. The bill (pdf), known as “The Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008,” was crafted on a bi-partisan basis with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK). […]
Dozens of countries are conducting research involving animal pox viruses, according to a descriptive survey (pdf) performed for the U.S. intelligence community’s Open Source Center. There are various potential public health and security concerns associated with pox viruses (such as smallpox), the OSC report says in a background discussion. “Naturally occurring smallpox disease was eliminated […]
Not even a valid intelligence requirement can be used to justify cruel treatment of a detained enemy combatant, according to Defense Department doctrine on “detainee operations” (pdf). The Joint Chiefs of Staff last week issued a slightly revised version of that DoD doctrine on detainees (the second revision this year). The document reaffirms that all […]
Fusion centers are collaborative law enforcement and intelligence organizations that were established all over the country after 9/11 to share intelligence and counterterrorism information. But in the absence of a widespread domestic terrorist threat, they have not consistently demonstrated their value, according to a recent study. “Fusion centers emerged almost spontaneously in response to a […]
The U.S. Air Force last week issued revised procedures (pdf) for nuclear weapons maintenance and accounting. Meanwhile, the Air Force continues to suffer serious lapses in nuclear weapons security. The new procedures include increased supervision and auditing requirements for weapon storage, handling and transport. “Nuclear weapons require special consideration because of their political and military […]
The National Security Agency has released some additional declassified passages from its major historical study of Vietnam-era signals intelligence, “Spartans in Darkness: American SIGINT and the Indochina War, 1945-1975.” The large bulk of the 500-page report was declassified last December. But in response to a mandatory declassification review appeal from researcher Michael Ravnitzky, further declassifications […]
While U.S. intelligence operations are more controversial than ever, routine oversight of the Department of Defense’s massive and far-flung intelligence apparatus has been significantly reduced, according to a recent report to Congress from the DoD Inspector General. Due to resource limitations, “We have not been able to perform planned audits and evaluations in key intelligence […]
The textbooks that are used in Iranian elementary, middle and high schools “reveal a clear emphasis on Islam, as it has been interpreted by the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to a recent contractor study (pdf) performed for U.S. intelligence. That rather banal observation is among “the most important conclusions” of the […]
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “National Security Strategy: Legislative Mandates, Execution to Date, and Considerations for Congress,” May 28, 2008. “Science, Technology, and American Diplomacy: Background and Issues for Congress,” May 22, 2008. “Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for […]