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Secrecy and Security News

Newer News: May 2005

April 2005

• Report: U.S. citizens can't be detained, United Press International, April 29. "A Congressional Research Service report says neither the president nor the U.S. military has the right to hold U.S. citizens indefinitely without charge."
• Paradise and Paranoia by Tim Vanderpool, Tucson Weekly, April 28. "The Border Patrol creates an Arivaca-area racket, and then keeps mum."
• In war's name, public loses information by Charlie Savage, Boston Globe, April 24. "Federal agencies under the Bush administration are sweeping vast amounts of public information behind a curtain of secrecy in the name of fighting terrorism, using 50 to 60 loosely defined security designations that can be imposed by officials as low-ranking as government clerks."
• Bush's War on the Press by Eric Alterman, The Nation, May 9. "The Bush Administration and its ideological allies are employing every means available to undermine journalists' ability to exercise their First Amendment function to hold power accountable."
• Court Of Appeals Abruptly Closes Hearing To The Public by Rebecca Carr, Cox News Service, April 21. "The D.C. Court of Appeals abruptly closed a hearing scheduled for Thursday for an FBI whistle-blower who was fired after reporting repeated security breaches, shoddy work and misconduct."
• Court Orders Closure of Hearing on Sibel Edmonds Case, denying motions from press and public interest organizations, April 21.
• In Advance of Court Battle Over State Secrets, Experts Discuss the Government’s Growing Use of Secrecy to Avoid Accountability, ACLU press briefing, April 20. "As a preview to the appellate argument in Sibel Edmonds’ case, secrecy and legal experts will hold a press briefing on Wednesday, April 20th to address the far-reaching impact of Edmonds’ case and the disturbing trend of excessive government secrecy aimed at avoiding accountability."
• WMD panel threatened resignations by Shaun Waterman, United Press International, April 15. "Members of the presidential commission that examined U.S. intelligence failures told White House officials they would resign en masse if President Bush did not ensure that the nation's spy agencies cooperated with their inquiry -- and had to repeat the threat more than once."
• Bush Says His Privacy Must Be Protected by Deb Riechmann, Associated Press, April 14. "President Bush said Thursday that the public should know as much as possible about government decision-making, but national security and personal privacy - including his - need to be protected."
• President Bush Addresses American Society of Newspaper Editors Convention, excerpts on FOIA, openness, April 14. "I believe in open government. I've always believed in open government."
• Counter-surveillance likely for papal deliberations by Will Knight, New Scientist News Service, April 12. "As cardinals gather in Vatican City to choose the successor to Pope John Paul II, the temptation to eavesdrop on their deliberations could prove too much for some."
• NASA’s nuclear power plans face higher hurdles by Leonard David, MSNBC.com, April 6. "Aftergood noted in a recent newsletter that, as a technology enterprise, space nuclear reactors have been 'subject to a remarkable cycle of boom and bust over the past 50 years'."
• U.S. government snaps up secure offices by David Dishneau, Associated Press, April 3. "Business is booming for buildings that can keep secrets. Offices designed to safeguard data, process classified information and keep conversations private are being leased by federal defense and intelligence contractors in the national capital region as fast as developers can build them, authorities say."
• Berger Is Planning To Plead Guilty In Documents Case by Josh Gerstein, New York Sun, April 1. "A two-page criminal information prosecutors filed in federal court yesterday alleges that on two occasions Mr. Berger 'knowingly removed' classified documents from the National Archives and stored the records in unauthorized locations, including at his consulting firm at the capital."
• Former National Security Advisor Samuel Berger Pleads Guilty to Knowingly Removing Classified Information from the National Archives, Justice Dept news release, April 1. "Berger entered a guilty plea this morning at federal court in Washington, D.C. to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 1924, a misdemeanor. As part of his plea agreement, Berger has agreed to cooperate with the government concerning his activities at the National Archives."
• The Pentagon's Secret Stash by Matt Welch, Reason, April. "Why we'll never see the second round of Abu Ghraib photos."

Older News: March 2005

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