One new feature of the intelligence budgeting process is the mandatory public disclosure of “earmarks” — funds that are specifically requested by an individual member of Congress and designated for a particular program. The disclosures shed at least a few photons worth of new light on the deliberately obscure intelligence budget. More than two dozen […]
“Arms Control and Nonproliferation Technologies” (ACNT) was the name of a now-defunct Department of Energy journal that sought to inform policy makers about the capacities and limitations of arms control-related technologies. At its best, ACNT provided a foundation for clear thinking about arms control and an intelligible introduction to the technologies involved. It has been […]
In reporting on our unauthorized reproduction of Army publications, as noted yesterday, Gabriel Schoenfeld wrote an article entitled “Put Steven Aftergood in the Brig.” He was way out of line, wrote Robert S. Norris of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Let’s get our prisons straight. A Brig is a ship’s or Navy/Marine prison and to […]
U.S. intelligence recently undertook a “significant” covert action without notifying Congress, as required by law, the House Intelligence Committee disclosed in a new report on the 2008 intelligence authorization bill. “The Committee was dismayed at a recent incident wherein the Intelligence Community failed to inform the Congress of a significant covert action activity. This failure […]
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is sponsoring a public conference on open source intelligence in Washington, DC on July 16-17. “The conference will raise awareness about open source and encourage information sharing among the Intelligence Community and its partners in academia, think tanks, private industry, and with federal, state, local and tribal […]
In an interview with the Associated Press, the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency warned that under certain circumstances the government might seek to restrict the dissemination of commercial satellite imagery. See “Curbs on satellite photos may be needed” by Katherine Shrader, Associated Press, May 8. A 2005 satellite image shows what appear to be […]
A new publication from the Joint Chiefs of Staff presents military doctrine on joint interdiction operations (pdf). “Interdiction operations are actions to divert, disrupt, delay, or destroy an enemy’s surface capabilities before they can be used effectively against friendly forces, or to otherwise achieve objectives.” “In support of law enforcement, interdiction includes activities conducted to […]
Some recently updated reports from the Congressional Research Service now available on the Federation of American Scientists web site include the following (all pdf). “Stem Cell Research: Federal Research Funding and Oversight,” updated April 18, 2007. “Israeli-Arab Negotiations: Background, Conflicts, and U.S. Policy,” updated April 10, 2007. “Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,” updated April […]
U.S. Army intelligence has published a new field manual (pdf) on how to structure an opposing force (OPFOR) for U.S. military training purposes. “As a training tool, the OPFOR must be a challenging, uncooperative sparring partner capable of stressing any or all warfighting functions and mission-essential tasks of the U.S. force,” the manual states. See […]
Shaheen 2 launch By Hans M. Kristensen Pakistan is preparing its next-generation of nuclear-capable ballistic missile for deployment. A satellite image taken on June 5, 2005, shows what appears to be 15 Transporter Erector Launchers (TELs) for the medium-range Shaheen 2 fitting out at the National Defense Complex near Fatehjang approximately 30 kilometers southwest of […]
The Federation of American Scientists has added a fifth Case Study to our Dual-Use Research education series. This new case study focuses on the work of Dr. Stuart Levy of Tufts University School of Medicine in antibiotic resistance. Dr. Levy is also a member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB). Dr. Levy’s […]
A U.S. Army official told the Federation of American Scientists that Army documents on the FAS web site had been published by FAS “illegally” and must be removed. “There are only 5 Official Army Publications Sites,” wrote Cheryl Clark of the U.S. Army Publications Directorate in a May 4 email message. “You are not one […]