U.S. Air Force policy on “information operations” — which includes electronic warfare, psychological operations, military deception, counter-propaganda and more — is described in a recently updated Air Force Policy Document. See “Information Operations” (pdf), AFPD 10-7, 6 September 2006 (revised 8 Oct 06). The apparent involvement of the North Korean government in drug trafficking and […]
An incipient nuclear arms race is emerging between China and the United States, according to a new report published today by the Federation of American Scientists and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The 250-page report, Chinese Nuclear Forces and U.S. Nuclear War Planning, outlines the status and possible future development of China’s nuclear weapons, describes […]
A federal court this month denied a motion that would have eased the government’s prosecution of two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee who are charged with mishandling classified information. Prosecutors had argued that they should not be obliged to prove that the defendants “actually knew the disclosure of the information was […]
Thousands of sensitive Nuclear Regulatory Commission documents regarding nuclear power plant security and vulnerability are publicly available in public document rooms across the country, NBC News reported on November 27 in a rather breathless “hidden camera” investigation that illustrates the difficulty that some people have in thinking clearly about secrecy and security. “Many of the […]
When new leadership takes control in the 110th Congress, the public may finally gain routine online access to finished products of the Congressional Research Service. The prospects for adopting this simple change in disclosure policy are enhanced by the fact that such a move would not require Bush Administration concurrence. For the time being, however, […]
The proliferation of new restrictions on the disclosure of information that is designated “sensitive but unclassified” (SBU) has been the subject of much churning within the national security policy apparatus this year. Last December, President Bush ordered the development of recommendations to standardize procedures for marking information as SBU. By some counts, there are more […]
A new assessment of the “state secrets privilege” disputes the claim presented in several other recent critiques that government reliance on the privilege to curtail or terminate sensitive litigation has increased in recent years. “I find that the Bush Administration does not differ qualitatively or quantitatively from its predecessors in its use of the privilege,” […]
The annual report published Monday by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission is different – kind of toned-down – compared with the report published in 2005. The Commission hasn’t gone soft on China, and the report continues the strong critique of China that has characterized the Commission since it was established in 2000. But […]
The latest report from the UN group that monitors the arms embargo on Somalia has caused quite a stir, generating extensive news coverage and eliciting vehement denials from governments accused of violating the embargo. But, as underscored by declassified US intelligence documents from the 1990s, such disregard for the embargo is nothing new. The documents, […]
The U.S. Supreme Court should reject the idea of a secret law or directive that purports to regulate public behavior yet cannot be disclosed, several public interest groups argued yesterday. The groups filed amicus curiae briefs in support of a petition by John Gilmore, who challenged a government requirement that he produce official identification in […]
Openness in government is a prerequisite to democratic self-rule and is the best available antidote to official corruption. Yet greater transparency, particularly on the international level, “is not an unmitigated good,” argues Kristin M. Lord in a new, somewhat contrarian book. “In all likelihood, the trend toward greater transparency will be at once positive and […]
The conduct of military operations in urban areas is the subject of a new Army doctrinal manual (pdf). “Of all the environments in which to conduct operations, the urban environment confronts Army commanders with a combination of difficulties rarely found elsewhere [due to its] intricate topography and high population density.” The hazards and threats posed […]