An Iranian religious leader reiterated last week that not only is Iran not pursuing nuclear weapons, but that to do so would be a violation of Islamic law. “Production of nuclear bomb and even thinking on its production are forbidden from Islamic point of view,” said Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani in his Friday sermon at […]
The declaration of emergency rule in Pakistan has focused new concern on the status of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. It may also bring renewed attention to the case of Richard Barlow, the former intelligence officer who attempted to warn Congress two decades ago about Pakistan’s clandestine acquisition of U.S. nuclear technology and who was punished for […]
National Special Security Events (NSSEs) are public events that are deemed to require national-level security planning. They include Presidential inaugurations and nominating conventions, major sporting events like the Super Bowl, and international summits. Between September 1998 and February 2007, there have been 27 designated NSSEs, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service, […]
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power,” November 1, 2007. “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background, Status, and Issues,” updated October 25, 2007. “Navy […]
Prosecutors will be permitted to secretly present certain recorded surveillance data to a jury in the forthcoming trial of two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) who are accused of unauthorized receipt and disclosure of classified information, a federal judge ruled (pdf) last week. Although the closely watched AIPAC case will […]
A recently revised Defense Department regulation (pdf) provides new detail on the preparation of the annual intelligence budget request, and on the documentation needed to support it. The U.S. intelligence budget is comprised of two spending “aggregations”: the National Intelligence Program (NIP) and the Military Intelligence Program (MIP). (This configuration replaced the former National Foreign […]
Notable new reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf). “Renditions: Constraints Imposed by Laws on Torture,” updated October 12, 2007. “Director of National Intelligence Statutory Authorities: Status and Proposals,” November 2, 2007. “Burma and Transnational Crime,” October 25, 2007. “The Army’s Future Combat System (FCS): Background and Issues for Congress,” updated […]
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The U.S. nuclear war plan that entered into effect in March 2003 included new executable strike options against regional states seeking weapons of mass destruction. (click on image to download PDF-version) By Hans M. Kristensen The 2001 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and White House guidance issued in response to the terrorist attacks against the United […]
A federal court authorized issuance of subpoenas to more than a dozen current and former government officials to testify in the case of two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee who are accused of unauthorized receipt, transmission and disclosure of classified information. According to the defense, the testimony of the subpoenaed officials […]
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf). “Nuclear Weapons in U.S. National Security Policy: Past, Present, and Prospects,” October 29, 2007. “National Strategy for Combating Terrorism: Background and Issues for Congress,” November 1, 2007. “China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress,” updated […]
Broad classification restrictions on the disclosure of historical intelligence information are making it difficult or impossible to accurately represent the record of U.S. foreign policy, an official advisory committee warned in a report (pdf) to the Secretary of State last summer. By law, the Department of State is obliged to publish “a thorough, accurate and […]