Keeping secrets from the press and the public may be frustrating and occasionally illegal. But executive branch secrecy directed at Congress is actually subversive to the extent that it undermines the performance of legislative oversight. Such secrecy was on vivid display at an April 6, 2006 hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on the Department […]
Secrecy in science is the subject of a series of papers in the latest issue of the Duke University Law School journal Law and Contemporary Problems. The authors consider the consequences of secret science and “propose solutions to help balance the costs and benefits of such secrecy.” See a descriptive news release here. The full […]
The Congressional Research Service has produced its latest annual report on U.S. arms sales abroad (pdf). The CRS report, authored by Richard F. Grimmett, has become a standard reference in the field since it is based on closely held official data. “This report is prepared annually to provide Congress with official, unclassified, quantitative data on […]
The Defense Industry is laying the groundwork for yet another attempt to “reform” the US arms export control system. At a briefing held at the Heritage Foundation last week, Mark Esper of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) announced that the AIA is “fine tuning” Phase two of its campaign, which will, according to AIA’s newsletter, […]
In a report to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission last year, Department of Defense officials selectively withheld data showing that demand for certain DoD research laboratory facilities was likely to increase, not decrease, in coming years. The suppression of this information on “future excess capacity” appears to have significantly distorted the decision-making process […]
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has produced a revised edition of its “basic doctrine” which generally “explains what geospatial intelligence–or GEOINT–is, how it has evolved and how it contributes to our nation’s security.” See “Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Basic Doctrine,” Publication 1-0, September 2006 (6.2 MB PDF). The U.S. Air Force watches the skies by means of […]
Some recent reports of the Congressional Research Service which have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “The War Crimes Act: Current Issues,” updated October 2, 2006. “Honduras: Political and Economic Situation and U.S. Relations,” updated October 13, 2006. “Argentina: Political Conditions and U.S. Relations,” updated October 12, 2006. […]
In condemning the North Korean nuclear test and repeating its call for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula, one of the Bush administration’s first acts ironically has been to reaffirm the importance of nuclear weapons in the region. “The United States will meet the full range of our deterrent and security commitments,” President Bush told Japan and […]
A new U.S. Army Field Manual (pdf) presents a vision of excellence in military leadership and articulates principles by which such excellence may be achieved. “It is critical that Army leaders be agile, multiskilled pentathletes who have strong moral character, broad knowledge, and keen intellect.” But in America, the “warrior ethos” is not an independent […]
Several recently updated reports from the Congressional Research Service, not readily available to the public, provide an introduction to the subject of conventional arms sales and the proliferation of weapons technology (all pdf). “International Small Arms and Light Weapons Transfers: U.S. Policy,” updated October 2, 2006. “Military Technology and Conventional Weapons Export Controls: The Wassenaar […]
Some more reports from the Congressional Research Service on diverse topics include the following (all pdf). “Freedom of Information Act Amendments: 109th Congress,” updated September 22, 2006. “The Endangered Species Act and ‘Sound Science’,” updated October 5, 2006. “Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2007,” updated October 10, 2006. “Globalizing Cooperative Threat Reduction: A Survey of […]
The U.S. intelligence community can and should form a more integrated whole without its member agencies sacrificing their individual character, according to a Five Year Strategic Human Capital Plan (pdf) from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). “A truly integrated IC is the only answer to the myriad threats that we face,” […]