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Secrecy and Security News

Newer News: June 2001

May 2001

• Washington Whispers: Spy vs. Spy, US News and World Report, June 4. "The secretive U.S. court that approves wiretaps and search warrants aimed at suspected spies is doing a land-office business."
• Government Holds Back Scientist's Book by Richard Benke, Associated Press, May 29. "A retired Los Alamos scientist who spent the past decade gathering firsthand information on China's nuclear weapons programs is fighting U.S. efforts to block publication of his book."
• Senate Committee Chair Changes Likely to Alter Priorities, Washington Post, May 27. "One key difference between Graham and Shelby ... is that Graham favors public disclosure of the intelligence community's overall budget."
• Rep. Christopher Cox Letter on DOE Security, press release, May 26. Rep. Cox today released a letter to Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham regarding selective, "senseless and often offensive 'security' measures" and the mistreatment of Rep. Wu of during a recent visit to the Department.
• Report Downplays Echelon Effect by Declan McCullagh, Wired News, May 24. "The Federation of American Scientists received a leaked copy of the report and published it on its website this week."
• DOE Puts Declassification Into Reverse by George Lardner, Jr., Washington Post, May 19. "The problem is that Congress has said we don't want classified information disclosed without looking at how much nonsense is classified."
• First PRC Lawyer Jailed for Leaking State Secrets by Pamela Pun, Hong Kong iMail, May 15. "A mainland lawyer who gave court documents to a client's family has been jailed for leaking state secrets, according to an official report."
• Cameras Are Being Turned On a Once-Shy Spy Agency by Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, May 6. "Critics of the CIA's unwillingness to be more open scoff at the collaboration with Hollywood."
• Sorchini v. City of Covina: Concerning Unpublished Judicial Opinions, from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The citation of unpublished rulings is prohibited in almost all circumstances. authority to engage in surveillance and physical searches that might arguably be unconstitutional," says FAS's Steven Aftergood.
• Annual Report to Congress on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act from Attorney General John Ashcroft, April 27. "The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved 1012 applications in calendar year 2000."
• Panelists Explore Lessons of Wen Ho Lee Case by Sarah H. Wright, Tech Talk (MIT), May 2. Mr. Aftergood, summarizing the educational lessons of the case, said, "The government can get it very badly wrong. We need to strengthen the corrective mechanisms for when the government goes astray."
• U.S. Air Interdiction Efforts in South America After the Peru Incident (excerpts on CIA and secrecy) hearing before a subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee, May 1. "A plane was shot down. Americans were killed. It was a plane that was a civilian aircraft. Why is that classified? I don't understand that. This is not a national security issue. Why is that classified?"

Older News: April 2001

https://sgp.fas.org/news/2001/05/index.html
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