SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2014, Issue No. 35
May 15, 2014

Secrecy News Blog: http://blogs.fas.org/secrecy/

CIA SEEKS MORE TIME TO DECLASSIFY INTERROGATION DOCS

The Central Intelligence Agency today asked a court to allow more time to declassify its response to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report on CIA rendition, detention and interrogation (RDI) activities, which itself is undergoing a time-consuming declassification review.

"This complex process requires the careful review of over 500 pages of highly classified material. In addition, sufficient time must be allowed not only for coordination with other agencies, but -- after completion of declassification review -- for implementation of security measures to ensure the safety of U.S. personnel and facilities overseas," according to a May 15 motion filed by the government in a FOIA lawsuit brought by the ACLU.

"Due to the fluid nature of this process, aspects of which are beyond the CIA's control, the Agency does not yet have a firm date by which it can complete the processing of the CIA Response [to the SSCI report] and the so-called Panetta Report, although it hopes the declassification review and accompanying processing of those documents can be completed this summer."

The CIA therefore requested an extension of time to respond, to which the ACLU plaintiffs did not consent.

With respect to the Senate Intelligence Committee report itself, the government promised an "expeditious" declassification review of the executive summary, findings, and conclusions.

"While all declassification decisions are guided by the need to protect national security interests, the President has expressed a clear intent to declassify as much of the executive summary, findings, and conclusions of the SSCI Report as possible, and intends the declassification process to be expeditious," the government motion said.

According to an April 18 letter from then-White House counsel Katherine Ruemmler, appended to the new motion, "The President supports making public the Committee's important review of the historical RDI program, as he believes that public scrutiny and debate will help to inform the public understanding of the program and to ensure that such a program will not be contemplated by a future administration.

ARMY VIEWS EMERGING INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGIES

"Emerging Intelligence Technologies" is the theme of the latest issue of the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin (MIPB), January-March 2014.

"Rapid technology developments in response to urgent wartime requirements have brought the intelligence community (IC) some tremendous new capabilities. Advancement in the areas of biometrics, battlefield forensics, miniaturization, SIGINT terminal guidance, DCGS-A, and distributed processing have been vital to the success of Military Intelligence (MI) and the Army," wrote Maj. Gen. Robert P. Ashley.

"This issue of MIPB looks at several of these capabilities and their integration into our formations."

The new Bulletin was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

AFGHANISTAN: DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND MORE FROM CRS

"Drug trafficking, a long-standing feature of Afghanistan's post-Taliban political economy, is linked to corruption and insecurity, and provides a source of illicit finance for non-state armed groups," says a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

"Based on recent production and trafficking trends, the drug problem in Afghanistan appears to be worsening," the CRS report found. See "Afghanistan: Drug Trafficking and the 2014 Transition," May 9, 2014:

Other new CRS reports that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following.

Navy LX(R) Amphibious Ship Program: Background and Issues for Congress, May 12, 2014:

How Social Security Benefits Are Computed: In Brief, May 12, 2014:

Airport Privatization: Issues and Options for Congress, May 12, 2014:

Body Armor for Law Enforcement Officers: In Brief, May 13, 2014:

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Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.

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