Family members of U.S. military intelligence personnel who are killed while engaged in clandestine intelligence operations may be eligible for special monetary gratuities, according to a recently updated Defense Department Instruction (pdf). “A gratuity shall be paid to the dependents of any member of the Armed Forces or of any employee of the Department of […]
After years of public controversy, the Department of Energy has adopted a new polygraph testing policy that it said “will significantly reduce the number of individuals who will undergo a polygraph examination.” In particular, “DOE has decided to alter the role of polygraph testing as a required element of the counterintelligence evaluation program by eliminating […]
With hundreds of millions of pages to be reviewed for declassification in the coming decade, the National Archives (NARA) faces an enormous logistical challenge if it is to discharge its responsibility to open up the historical record to the American public. A new “Report on Declassification Challenges” (pdf) suggests that the Archives, led by National […]
Some new products of the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News include the following (all pdf). “Enemy Combatant Detainees: Habeas Corpus Challenges in Federal Court,” updated September 26, 2006. “Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006: S. 3931 and Title II of S. 3929, the Terrorist Tracking, Identification, and Prosecution Act of 2006,” September 25, 2006. […]
The Bush Administration’s use of Presidential signing statements to assert objections to enacted legislation reflects an attempt to expand and consolidate Presidential authority at the expense of Congress, according to a new analysis (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service. “It seems evident that the Bush signing statements are an integral part of the Administration’s efforts […]
Instead of defending Congressional prerogatives, Congress appears eager to transfer new, unchecked authority to the President in the name of combating terrorism. A bill on military commissions for trial of enemy detainees that was approved in the House this week would permanently alter the complexion of the U.S. government by authorizing abuse of prisoners, curtailing […]
Classification is the predominant means of protecting national security information. But even when information is unclassified, there are a number of statutes that can be used to restrict its public availability on security-related grounds. Such statutory controls on unclassified security-related information are usefully cataloged in a new report from the Congressional Research Service. See “Protection […]
“We believe that the more we inform our American citizens, the better our government will be,” President Bush said Tuesday. The remark could be considered conventional wisdom. Yet it is unexpected from this President since by most objective measures — such as the record number of classification decisions, skyrocketing expenditures on classification-related activities, and growing […]
Some noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “Interrogation of Detainees: Overview of the McCain Amendment,” updated September 25, 2006. “The War Crimes Act: Current Issues,” September 25, 2006. “U.S. Policy Regarding the International Criminal Court,” updated August 29, […]
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says that it will no longer conceal the amounts of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel proposed for export to foreign research reactors. The announcement marks a step back from the heightened secrecy adopted by the NRC and other government agencies post-September 11. The revised policy had been sought by the […]
The Central Intelligence Agency requires current and former employees to submit all intelligence-related material that they intend to publish to the CIA for pre-publication review. Depending on the political climate, the subject matter and sometimes the personalities involved, the pre-publication review process can be routine and relatively painless, or it can be a bureaucratic nightmare […]
Some noteworthy military, intelligence and classification-related publications that have recently been issued include the following (all pdf). “Joint Operations,” JP 3-0 published on September 17, 2006 by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “reflects the current guidance for conducting joint and multinational activities across the range of military operations.” “The Iraqi Documents: A Glimpse Into the […]