SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2016, Issue No. 29
March 31, 2016

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

REDACTED INTELLIGENCE BUDGET DOCUMENTS RELEASED

For the coming decade, the Department of Defense Military Intelligence Program (MIP) will focus its new investments "on space protection, enhancing capabilities that provide intelligence in Anti-Access / Area Denial environments, improving intelligence support to Cyber operations, and improving Security."

So says the FY 2016 Congressional Budget Justification Book for the MIP, which was released this week in heavily redacted form under the Freedom of Information Act.

Though the majority of the document has been withheld, the released portions nevertheless contain fragmentary observations of interest.

For example, "budget uncertainty impeded efforts to develop and maintain language professionals at the highest levels of proficiency to meet the challenges posed by our adversaries."

"DoD fell two points short of meeting its FY 2014 target to fill 52% of Defense Intelligence Enterprise government authorized language-required positions with individuals possessing the required language proficiency, with a total fill rate of 49.4%."

Earlier this month, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also released minimal unclassified portions of its FY2015 Congressional Budget Justification Book.

FOREIGN HOLDINGS OF FEDERAL DEBT, AND MORE FROM CRS

Luxembourg owns $200 billion worth of U.S. federal debt, making it one of the top ten foreign holders of U.S. debt. China is the leader, with $1.2 trillion in U.S. debt holdings, or 20% of the total.

That information, and its possible significance, is discussed in a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service on Foreign Holdings of Federal Debt, March 28, 2016.

Other new or newly updated CRS reports this week include the following.

Additional U.S. Ground Troops to Counter the Islamic State? Five Questions, CRS Insight, updated March 29, 2016:

The Article V Convention to Propose Constitutional Amendments: Current Developments, March 29, 2016:

The Article V Convention to Propose Constitutional Amendments: Contemporary Issues for Congress, updated March 29, 2016:

Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): History and Overview, March 28, 2016:

Abortion and Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, updated March 28, 2016:

Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas and Crude Oil: Federal and State Regulatory Authority, March 28, 2016:

Congressional Efforts to Amend Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), CRS Insight, March 30, 2016:

Nigeria's Boko Haram: Frequently Asked Questions, updated March 29, 2016:

The Pacific Alliance: A Trade Integration Initiative in Latin America, updated March 29, 2016:

Burma's 2015 Parliamentary Elections: Issues for Congress, March 28, 2016:

U.S.-South Korea Relations, updated March 28, 2016:

Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy, updated March 29, 2016:

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

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