SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2018, Issue No. 1
January 2, 2018

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

IC "PORTFOLIOS" OVERCOME COMPARTMENTALIZATION

Excessive compartmentalization of intelligence can be counteracted by the use of "portfolios" of compartmented programs, according to new intelligence community guidance.

Undue secrecy in intelligence is not only a barrier to external oversight and public accountability. It can also be an obstacle to effective mission performance. That is fortunate in a way since it provides a reason for officials to reconsider classification policy and an incentive for them to curtail unnecessary secrecy.

Director of National Intelligence Daniel R. Coats, who has kept a comparatively low public profile lately, surfaced last month to issue new guidance that is intended in part as a way to curb internal IC secrecy.

The guidance discusses the creation and management of intelligence "portfolios." This term refers to a collection of classified programs that overlap in some way and that are bundled together to facilitate information sharing and collaboration.

"Establishment of a Portfolio may be required in order to achieve unity of effort and effect against the highest priority requirements or when compartmentalization hinders or prevents access to information necessary for intelligence integration," according to the new guidance. The practice has no bearing on public disclosure of intelligence information.

All portfolio personnel are to be "indoctrinated" (i.e. granted access) to all portfolio programs, in what amounts to a reversal of the compartmentalization process. See Intelligence Community Portfolio Management, Intelligence Community Policy Guidance 906.1, December 15, 2017:

The portfolio concept was previously defined in the 2015 Intelligence Community Directive 906.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence will convene a day-long "Intelligence Community Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency Summit" for IC employees on January 24.

US AID TO PAKISTAN, AND MORE FROM CRS

"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years," President Trump provocatively tweeted yesterday, adding falsely that "they have given us nothing but lies & deceit."

A breakdown of US aid to Pakistan (excluding covert assistance) was recently provided by the Congressional Research Service. See Direct Overt U.S. Aid Appropriations for and Military Reimbursements to Pakistan, FY2002-FY2018, November 28, 2017:

Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.

Qatar: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, updated December 27, 2017:

Tailoring Bank Regulations: Differences in Bank Size, Activities, and Capital Levels, December 21, 2017:

Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC): Structure and Activities, December 22, 2017:

The Federal Tax System for the 2017 Tax Year, December 26, 2017:

Five-Year Program for Federal Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing: Status and Issues in Brief, updated December 20, 2017:

Basic Concepts and Technical Considerations in Educational Assessment: A Primer, December 19, 2017:

CRS Products on North Korea, December 28, 2017:

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

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