SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2018, Issue No. 35
May 11, 2018

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

THE AFTERMATH OF US WITHDRAWAL FROM THE IRAN AGREEMENT

A new report from the Congressional Research Service begins to sort through the implications and the practical consequences of the Trump Administration decision to end US compliance with the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"The Trump Administration could have used provisions of the JCPOA itself to cease implementation of U.S. commitments under the agreement. It opted not to do so, but instead to cease implementing the JCPOA by reimposing U.S. sanctions," the CRS report noted.

See U.S. Decision to Cease Implementing the Iran Nuclear Agreement, May 9, 2018:

For related background from CRS, see also Iran: U.S. Economic Sanctions and the Authority to Lift Restrictions, updated May 10, 2018:

and Withdrawal from International Agreements: Legal Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the Iran Nuclear Agreement, updated May 4, 2018:

and Iran Nuclear Agreement, updated May 2, 2018:

The decision to unilaterally reimpose sanctions on Iran took the form of a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) on May 8. Although the NSPM posted on the White House website is unnumbered, the copy circulated to reporters was identified as NSPM-11.

It follows that the previous NSPM on conventional arms transfers, which was also unnumbered on the White House website, must have been NSPM 10.

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

Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements, updated May 8, 2018:

Military Suicide Prevention and Response, CRS In Focus, April 30, 2018:

Oil and Gas Activities Within the National Wildlife Refuge System, May 9, 2018:

Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal, updated May 9, 2018:

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, May 3, 2018:

U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During President Trump's First Year in Office: Comparative Analysis with Recent Presidents, May 2, 2018:

From Slip Law to United States Code: A Guide to Federal Statutes for Congressional Staff, May 2, 2018:

Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of the Intelligence Community: Selected Notification Requirements in Brief, May 7, 2018:

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI), CRS In Focus, May 1, 2018:

******************************

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

The Secrecy News blog is at:
      https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/

To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
     https://fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html

To UNSUBSCRIBE, go to:
      https://fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/unsubscribe.html

OR email your request to saftergood@fas.org

Secrecy News is archived at:
      https://fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/index.html

SUPPORT the FAS Project on Government Secrecy with a donation here:
      https://fas.org/donate/