SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2018, Issue No. 17
March 13, 2018

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

US AIR FORCE LIMITS MEDIA ACCESS, INTERVIEWS

The US Air Force is suspending media embeds, base visits and interviews "until further notice" and it "will temporarily limit the number and type of public engagements" by public affairs officers and others while they are retrained to protect sensitive information, according to guidance obtained by Defense News.

"In line with the new National Defense Strategy, the Air Force must hone its culture of engagement to include a heightened focus on practicing sound operational security," the new guidance memo said.

"As we engage the public, we must avoid giving insights to our adversaries which could erode our military advantage. We must now adapt to the reemergence of great power competition and the reality that our adversaries are learning from what we say in public."

Notably, the new Air Force guidance does not distinguish between classified and unclassified information. Nor does it define the scope of "sensitive operational information" which must be protected.

The March 1, 2018 memo was reported (and posted) in "Air Force orders freeze on public outreach" by Valerie Insinna, David B. Larter, and Aaron Mehta, Defense News, March 12.

As it happens, a counter-argument in favor of enhanced Air Force release of information was made just last week by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.

"The Air Force has an obligation to communicate with the American public, including Airmen and families, and it is in the national interest to communicate with the international public," the Secretary stated in a March 8 directive.

"Through the responsive release of accurate information and imagery to domestic and international audiences, public affairs puts operational actions in context, informs perceptions about Air Force operations, helps undermine adversarial propaganda efforts and contributes to the achievement of national, strategic and operational objectives."

"The Air Force shall respond to requests for releasable information and material. To maintain the service's credibility, commanders shall ensure a timely and responsive flow of such information," she wrote.

But by the same token, unwarranted delays or interruptions in the public flow of Air Force information threaten to undermine the service's credibility. See Public Affairs Management, Air Force Policy Directive 35-1, March 8, 2018.

CENSURING THE PRESIDENT, AND MORE FROM CRS

House Democrats have introduced two resolutions in the current Congress to censure the President. Neither resolution is expected to advance.

But a new memo from the Congressional Research Service considers whether such resolutions are permissible in practice, and concludes: "It would appear that Congress may censure the President through a simple (one chamber) or concurrent (two chamber) resolution, or other non-binding measure, so long as the censure does not carry with it any legal consequence."

See The Constitutionality of Censuring the President, CRS Legal Sidebar, March 12, 2018:

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

Threats to National Security Foiled? A Wrap Up of New Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum, CRS Legal Sidebar, March 12, 2018:

Cybersecurity: Selected Issues for the 115th Congress, March 9, 2018:

Defense Primer: U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), CRS In Focus, March 6, 2018:

Does Executive Privilege Apply to the Communications of a President-elect?, CRS Legal Sidebar, March 8, 2018:

The United Kingdom: Background, Brexit, and Relations with the United States, updated March 12, 2018:

Northern Ireland: Current Issues and Ongoing Challenges in the Peace Process, updated March 12, 2018:

TPP Countries Sign New CPTPP Agreement without U.S. Participation, CRS Insight, March 9, 2018:

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

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