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Secrecy and Security News

Newer News: December 2010

November 2010

• Remarks of Defense Secretary Gates on WikiLeaks, November 30. "Other nations will continue to deal with us. They will continue to work with us. We will continue to share sensitive information with one another. Is this embarrassing? Yes. Is it awkward? Yes. Consequences for U.S. foreign policy? I think fairly modest."
• Can the U.S. Prevent Future WikiLeaks Document Releases? by Larry Greenemeier, Scientific American, November 30. "One obvious way is to use the classified label more sparingly, according to one expert."
• Assange prosecution would be "extremely dangerous" by Justin Elliott, Salon, November 30. "Expert tells Salon that the Obama DOJ's legal theory for pursuing WikiLeaks could set a 'horrible precedent'."
• Stung by WikiLeaks Breach, Feds Look to Tighten Security Systems by Declan McCullagh, CBS News Tech Talk, November 30. "The possibility that a lowly Army private could have access to such a dizzying volume of classified files, and manage to spirit it away under the noses of his superiors until turned in by a hacker living in a Sacramento suburb, has left official Washington scrambling for explanations."
• How can the U.S. stop an insider with an agenda? by Ken Dilanian, Los Angeles Times, November 29. "The leaked diplomatic cables illustrate America's challenge in keeping tabs on its authorized users."
• With better sharing of data comes danger by Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, November 29. "The release of a huge tranche of U.S. diplomatic cables has laid bare the primary risk associated with the U.S. government's attempt to encourage better information-sharing: Someone is bound to leak."
• The WikiLeaks Dump: More Secrecy=Fewer Secrets by Massimo Calabresi, Time Swampland, November 29. "America's government is consumed by classification. Hundreds of thousands of government documents are marked confidential, secret, top secret or SCI (Sensitive Compartmented Information) every year, including everything from decades-old historical documents to ones other agencies have already declassified."
• WikiLeaks - Mishandling of Classified Information, memorandum from OMB Director Jacob J. Lew, November 28. "The recent irresponsible disclosure by WikiLeaks has resulted in significant damage to our national security. Any failure by agencies to safeguard classified information pursuant to relevant laws, including but not limited to Executive Order 13526, Classified National Security Information (December 29, 2009), is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
• DoD Public Affairs Statement on Wikileaks by Bryan Whitman, November 28. "As you may be aware, several news organizations are about to publish stories on hundreds of thousands of stolen classified State Department documents provided to them by Wilileaks. As we have in the past, we condemn this reckless disclosure of classified information illegally obtained. We also want to provide you with context and details regarding ongoing efforts to prevent further compromise of sensitive data."
• Letter from State Department Legal Advisor Harold H. Koh to Wikileaks, November 27. "Despite your stated desire to protect those lives, you have done the opposite and endangered the lives of countless individuals. You have undermined your stated objective by disseminating this material widely, without redaction, and without regard to the security and sanctity of the lives your actions endanger." (Wikileaks letter of November 26; Wikileaks reply of November 28).
• Remarks of Defense Secretary Gates on Transparency in Defense Spending, November 22. "The United States places great value on transparency. It is why our president disseminates a national security strategy, it is why the department of defense produces a quadrennial defense review, and it is why we partner so closely with the nations in the region."
• Intelligence budget agreement hints at more reform by Ben Iannotta, Federal Times, November 11. "A preliminary agreement to pull national intelligence spending out of the Defense budget could breathe fresh life into a long-dormant recommendation by the Sept. 11 Commission to simplify oversight of intelligence spending, intelligence experts said."
• Panetta reminds CIA workers to avoid unauthorized leaks of information by Jeff Stein, Washington Post, November 9. "Asserting that lives have been endangered and sources compromised by 'a damaging spate of media leaks on a wide range of national security issues' in recent months, CIA Director Leon Panetta reminded the spy agency's employees Monday that unauthorized disclosures of classified information 'cannot be tolerated'."
• Arctic melting sets international issues bubbling by Dan Vergano, USA Today, November 5. "Increased oil and gas exploration, as well as fisheries activity will likely result from the drop in polar ice cover, says the report first noted by the Federation of American Scientists' Secrecy News, which points to a need for increased international cooperation in responding to changes in the Arctic."
• Intel foiled al Qaeda plot, DNI chief says by Eli Lake, Washington Times, November 3. "Mr. Clapper also disclosed that he has reached agreement with the Pentagon to take control of some $50 billion worth of nonmilitary intelligence spending for annual budgets that are currently part of the defense budget. The money will be administered by the civilian Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) by 2013, he said."

Older News: October 2010

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Updated December 1, 2010