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Secrecy and Security News

Newer News: March 2013

February 2013

• FAA Proposed Rule on Selection of Unmanned Aerial System Test Sites, Federal Register, February 22. "This proposed rule announces the process by which the FAA will select the test sites for the program and also solicits comments on the FAA's proposed approach for addressing the privacy questions raised by the public and Congress with regard to the operation of unmanned aircraft systems within the test site program."
• OSTP Invites Comments on US Policy on Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern, Federal Register, February 22. "The proposed Policy establishes institutional review and oversight requirements for certain categories of life sciences research at institutions that accept Federal funding for such research." (The proposed Policy).
• Obama Drones Memo Disclosure Could Change FOIA Cases by Ryan J. Reilly, Huffington Post, February 12. "Until last week, the Obama administration's official position was that it had never technically acknowledged the existence of a memo from the Office of Legal Counsel laying out the legal framework for the targeted killing of an American citizen."
• Stage Set For Battle Over Domestic Drones by Dan Verton, Homeland Security Today, February 11. "A growing list of state and local officials are buckling under extreme pressure from their constituents and privacy advocates who argue that police departments are moving too far, too fast, on drone deployments without concrete policies and procedures to safeguard the privacy of law-abiding citizens."
• Has Obama Kept His Open-Government Pledge? by Jennifer LaFleur, ProPublica, February 11. "After eight years of tightened access to government records under the Bush administration, open-government advocates were hopeful when Barack Obama promised greater transparency. Four years later, did the president keep his promise?"
• Bipartisan Letter Seeks Answers on Open-Government Failures by James Rowley, Bloomberg News, February 8. "A U.S. House panel has asked the Justice Department to explain why agencies have not implemented President Barack Obama's 2009 pledge to make government more transparent by releasing records requested under the Freedom of Information Act."
• Justice Department Approves Discretionary Release of White Paper on Targeted Killing, letter from Office of Information Policy, February 8. "The Department has determined that the document responsive to your request is appropriate for release as a matter of agency discretion, and a copy is enclosed (here)."
• White House Press Gaggle: Excerpts on Drone Policy, February 7. "The President believes that scrutiny and debate about these issues is healthy, and he has said previously that he wants Congress to be a part of our efforts to build a durable legal framework for our counterterrorism efforts."
• Unmanned Oversight: How Congress whiffed on drones by Tim Starks, New Republic, February 7. "Ironically, then, by the time Brennan comes before the Intelligence Committee to discuss drone strikes, he might not be the best person to talk to about it anymore."
• Viewpoint: US media lax on drones by Tara McKelvey, BBC News, February 6. "The media has been slow to fully report on the US drone programme. Is the truth finally starting to come out?"
• White House News Briefing: Excerpts on Drone Policy, February 6. "Does the President owe the American people a clearer explanation about the standard or the threshold for killing Americans overseas?"
• Walton appointed presiding judge of special court that oversees secret government surveillance, Associated Press, February 6. "U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton has been appointed presiding judge of a secretive special court that oversees warrants for government surveillance in spy and terrorism cases."
• White House News Briefing: Excerpts on Leaked White Paper on Targeted Killing, February 5. "Under the authorization of Congress in the war against al Qaeda, the authorization to use military force, it is entirely appropriate for the United States to target senior operational leaders of al Qaeda."
• White House: Killing U.S. citizen with terrorist ties 'legal' and 'wise' by Brian Hughes, Washington Examiner, February 5. "The White House was on the defensive Tuesday trying to justify its once-secret plan to kill U.S. citizens with ties to terrorist groups after a leaked Justice Department memo made the blueprint public."
• Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a U.S. Citizen Who Is a Senior Operational Leader of Al-Qa'ida or An Associated Force, Department of Justice White Paper (via NBC News)

Older News: January 2013

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Updated March 5, 2013