Recent publications of the Congressional Research Service on defense policy and related topics include these (all pdf). “Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress,” September 20, 2007. “The FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Policy Issues,” updated September 17, 2007. “Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and Office of […]
If you have a bold new idea for improving the production and delivery of news and information, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation wants to hear about it. The Knight Foundation, a backbone of American philanthropy in journalism and First Amendment causes (and a supporter of Secrecy News), has millions of dollars to […]
Updated below After a congressional committee requested a copy of an unclassified internal State Department report on corruption in the Iraqi government (pdf), the Department classified the report and declined to provide it. But the document is in the public domain and widely accessible. “The State Department initially informed Committee staff that the reports were […]
In his new book “Enemies of Intelligence,” Columbia University political scientist Richard K. Betts warns that ambitious attempts to correct failures in U.S. intelligence may cause more damage than they repair. “The awful truth is that the best of intelligence systems will have big failures,” he writes. Eliminating failure altogether is therefore not a reasonable […]
A newly updated bibliography (pdf) of published Syrian research in nuclear science and technology shows that country’s limited but persistent activity in various aspects of the field. Along with reactor technology, nuclear physics and nuclear safety studies, the open literature also shows traces of Syrian interest in the use of lasers for isotope separation. The […]
Noteworthy new products of the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations,” updated September 17, 2007. “Presidential Claims of Executive Privilege: History, Law, Practice and Recent Developments,” updated September 17, 2007. “Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process,” updated September 12, […]
They are tearing down our building, so we’re moving. Effective Monday, September 24, 2007, the Federation of American Scientists’ new address is: 1725 DeSales St. NW, 6th Floor, Washington, D.C., 20036 (same phone/fax: 202-546-3300/202-675-1010) No more noisy K Street, around the block to quiet DeSales – a small side street to Connecticut Avenue, one block […]
“Currently, Iraq is not capable of even rudimentary enforcement of anticorruption laws,” according to a confidential draft assessment prepared by the United States Embassy in Baghdad. As a result, corruption has become “the norm in many [Iraqi government] ministries.” “All indications point to corruption as undermining the support of the population for Iraq’s government.” The […]
Late last year the Attorney General approved revised guidelines for the use of confidential informants by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (pdf). The guidelines require that confidential human sources be subjected to a new validation process to help ensure that their information is reliable. The guidelines also generally require that the FBI and prosecutors inform […]
Effective Monday, September 24, the new mailing address for the Federation of American Scientists (and Secrecy News) will be: Federation of American Scientists 1725 DeSales St NW, 6th floor Washington, DC 20036 Telephone numbers and email addresses will be unchanged.
Recently updated reports of the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues,” updated September 5, 2007. “U.S.-China Nuclear Cooperation Agreement,” updated September 6, 2007. “Venezuela: Political Conditions and U.S. Policy,” updated September 4, 2007. “Liberia’s Post-War […]
Psychological operations (PSYOP) — military programs that seek to influence the attitudes and shape the behavior of a target audience — have the potential to increase the effectiveness of the armed forces they support while minimizing violent conflict. But the U.S. military is not notably good at conducting such programs. To achieve their objective, PSYOP […]