Vice Presidential Chief of Staff David Addington defended Dick Cheney’s refusal to submit to oversight by the Information Security Oversight Office in a June 26 letter (pdf) to Sen. John Kerry. “The executive order on classified national security information — Executive Order 12958 as amended in 2003 — makes it clear that the Vice President […]
The Director of National Intelligence has issued policy guidance (pdf) that encourages and directs temporary assignments for intelligence officials in more than one element of the intelligence bureaucracy as a prerequisite for promotion to senior leadership positions. The idea is that such rotations would increase cohesion within the intelligence community, improve cooperation, and enhance a […]
The Transportation Security Agency last week circulated a notice to Federal Air Marshals regarding protection of sensitive data (pdf). A copy was obtained by Secrecy News. The notice focuses on Sensitive Security Information (SSI) and so-called Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII). SSI is transportation security-related information that is exempt from disclosure. Sensitive PII includes social […]
A new publication (pdf) from the Joint Chiefs of Staff presents “fundamental principles and guidance for intelligence support to joint operations.” The document provides an overview of the various intelligence-related disciplines, from imagery to interrogation, and their employment in support of military operations. See “Joint Intelligence,” Joint Publication 2-0, 22 June 2007.
The arcane details of national security classification policy became the stuff of late night comedy as White House officials struggled to justify the peculiar refusal of Vice President Dick Cheney to comply with the oversight requirements established by President Bush’s executive order on classification. For two successive days, the White House press briefing was dominated […]
Some recent reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available in the public domain include the following (all pdf). “Long-Range Ballistic Missile Defense in Europe,” June 22, 2007. “Foreign Science and Engineering Presence in U.S. Institutions and the Labor Force,” updated June 21, 2007. “Russian Political, Economic, and Security Issues […]
The Office of Vice President Dick Cheney proposed to abolish the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), the executive branch organization that oversees the national security classification system, after its Director insisted that the Vice President comply with reporting requirements that apply to all executive branch entities. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the chairman of the House […]
The recent inadvertent disclosure of intelligence spending figures concealed in an official PowerPoint briefing does not reveal the size of the intelligence budget, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said this week (pdf). Close scrutiny of a PowerPoint slide presented by ODNI official Terri Everett (.ppt) at a conference last month turned […]
The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing last April on the policy of “extraordinary rendition,” referring to the seizure of suspected terrorists and their transfer to a foreign country for detention and interrogation. The record of the hearing, which has just been published (pdf), features the volatile Michael Scheuer, a former CIA official involved […]
Each U.S. military service now has “combat camera” (COMCAM) units that provide a unique visual record of military operations, according to a new manual on COMCAM tactics and procedures (pdf). The photographic and motion imagery produced by military photographers “enhances the commander’s situational awareness and establishes a historical operations record.” If and when such imagery […]
Military doctrine for the planning and execution of U.S. counterdrug operations, including detection, monitoring, disruption and interdiction of illegal drug trafficking, is presented in a new publication from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. See “Joint Counterdrug Operations” (pdf), Joint Publication JP 3-07.4, 13 June 2007. The “capstone” publication for all joint military doctrine was also […]
Noteworthy new reports of the Congressional Research Service on national security, foreign policy and other topics include the following (all pdf). “Venezuela: Political Conditions and U.S. Policy,” updated June 8, 2007. “Navy Role in Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) — Background and Issues for Congress,” updated April 16, 2007. “Turkey’s 2007 Elections: Crisis of Identity […]