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Secrecy and Security News

Newer News: October 2002

September 2002

• Bush Grants Original Classification Authority to Secretary of Agriculture, Federal Register, September 30.
• 9/11 inquiry's success surprises skeptics, by Mary Jacoby, St. Petersburg Times, September 29. "Despite an array of obstacles, the joint House-Senate inquiry into pre-Sept. 11 intelligence failures is having significantly more effect than anticipated."
• Agencies Fall Behind on Information Requests, by Christopher Lee, Washington Post, September 28. "Federal agencies are falling further behind in meeting the public's requests for information about what's happening in the government, according to a new GAO report."
• Senate Seeks Terror Database, by Ken Guggenheim, Associated Press, September 27. "The Senate wants to create a national database of known and suspected terrorists in an attempt to fix some of the communications problems that became evident after the Sept. 11 attacks."
• Russian government ready to declassify 90% of defense budget, Interfax, September 25. "He said that first of all, the government plans to declassify spending on the current maintenance of the armed forces."
• Shelby changes mind, now backs independent 9/11 probe, by Sean Reilly, Mobile Register, September 25. "When Alabama Republican made his move, other senators fell in line to vote for panel, observer says."
• OMB Weighs Info Classification by William Matthews, Federal Computer Week, September 16. Efforts to protect some public data from misuse are generating a mix of reactions.
• A Policy of Secrecy in War on Terror by Tom Brune, Newsday, September 15. "Secrecy has become a central policy of the Bush administration in nearly all aspects of the war on terrorism, from the battlefield in Afghanistan to the nationwide investigation of terror at home."
• Lab Critic Acts from the Inside by Andrea Widener, Contra Costa Times, September 15. "Hugh DeWitt has argued against excessive secrecy and nuclear testing at the Livermore weapons facility."
• Proposed FERC Rule on Critical Energy Infrastructure Information, Federal Register, September 13. "The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is proposing to revise its regulations to restrict public availability of critical energy infrastructure information."
• The War on Terror on Earth, in Orbit and in the Future, by Leonard David, Space.com, September 11. "In the aftermath of September 11, U.S. officials are in the midst of a major reappraisal of how space can help thwart future attacks at home, as well as fight the enemy on distant battlefields."
• Has Terrorism Curtailed E-Government? by Stephen Chiger, PC World, September 11. "You'll find fewer government resources online in the post-9/11 security crunch."
• Post-9/11, 'sanitized' sites aim to shield data, by Daniel Sieberg, CNN.com, September 10. "Agencies, groups remove information deemed too sensitive."
• Closing the Books: Open government after 9/11, by Jeffrey Benner, Reason, October 2002. "The Bush administration’s sustained assault on transparency in government dates from the second month of Bush’s term."
• Patriot Act's scope, secrecy ensnare innocent, critics say, by Seth Rosenfeld, San Francisco Chronicle, September 8. "Attorney General Ashcroft has said the measures are needed to prevent terrorism and that criticism of them aids terrorists. Civil libertarians say the measures go too far and undermine constitutional principles."
• How Safe Are We?: Competing Visions, by Thomas Frank, Newsday, September 8. "The White House and Congress are moving to create a new agency that would oversee intelligence by analyzing terrorism-related reports from any agency that produces one."
• Secret Satellite Photos to be Unveiled, by Leonard David, Space.com, September 6. "Later this month, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency is set to declassify Keyhole imagery from the KH-7 and KH-9 satellites, two highly hush-hush intelligence-gathering spacecraft of Cold War vintage."
• Bush Expands Government Secrecy, Arouses Critics, by Alan Elsner, Reuters, September 3. "As part of its 'war on terrorism,' the Bush administration has vastly expanded government secrecy, removing information from the public domain, limiting its disclosures to Congress and allowing law enforcement agencies to operate in the shadows."

Older News: August 2002

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