The National Archives is seeking a new Director of the Federal Register program, a position that requires a Top Secret security clearance. The Federal Register is sometimes described as the “daily newspaper” of the executive branch. Each weekday, it “provides citizens access to proposed and final regulations, rules, and other administrative actions of the Federal […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from public distribution include the following. Executive Discretion as to Immigration: Legal Overview, November 10, 2014 FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process: A Primer, November 12, 2014 A New Authorization for Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State: Comparison of Current Proposals in […]
Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of U.S. Army equipment and supplies in Afghanistan have been lost or are unaccounted for, a report from the Department of Defense Inspector General said. “Since 2010, 309 forward operating bases [in Afghanistan] have closed and only a fraction of lost items from previous [inventory loss investigations] have been […]
New and updated publications from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public access include the following. Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2009-2013, November 3, 2014 Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators’ Offices, FY2009-FY2013, November 3, 2014 Congressional Action on FY2015 Appropriations Measures, November 5, […]
The National Intelligence Program received a total appropriation of $50.5 billion in fiscal year 2014, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence disclosed yesterday, as required by law. The Military Intelligence Program was funded at $17.4 billion in FY 2014, the Department of Defense said. Current and past intelligence budget disclosures can be found […]
New publications from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Intelligence Whistleblower Protections: In Brief, October 23, 2014 Sexual Violence at Institutions of Higher Education, October 23, 2014 Cities Try, and Fail (So Far), to Prevent Federal Marijuana Enforcement, CRS Legal Sidebar, October 24, 2014 Bankruptcy for […]
Updated/corrected below A federal court yesterday denied a government motion to dismiss a pending lawsuit that the Obama Administration said involved state secrets. It appears to be the first time that such a motion for dismissal has ever been rejected in a state secrets case. [Update: Not so. There was a previous instance; see below.] […]
Unauthorized disclosures of classified information, leaks to the news media, acts of espionage, and certain other information security offenses are now to be collectively designated as “serious security incidents,” according to a Department of Defense directive that was published this week. The new terminology was adopted in order to standardize procedures for preventing, identifying, investigating […]
The U.S. Government overreached by intervening in a private defamation lawsuit to assert the state secrets privilege without providing a public explanation or even identifying which agency was asserting the privilege, the plaintiff in that lawsuit yesterday. That argument was bolstered by an amicus brief from civil liberties organizations concerning the proper use of the […]
On October 24, the Pentagon issued an updated version of DoD Directive 5143.01 defining the role of the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence), the Department’s principal intelligence advisor and manager of military intelligence programs. The new directive is about 30% longer than the 2005 version that it replaces. The differences between the two directives reflect changes in the global environment as […]
New and updated products from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Can the President Bar Foreign Travelers from Ebola-Stricken Countries from Entering the United States?, CRS Legal Sidebar, October 23, 2014 The Appointment Process for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Overview, October 22, 2014 […]
A newly disclosed Department of Defense doctrinal publication acknowledges the reality of offensive cyberspace operations, and provides a military perspective on their utility and their hazards. Attacks in cyberspace can be used “to degrade, disrupt, or destroy access to, operation of, or availability of a target by a specified level for a specified time.” Or […]