Comments on: Senate to Hold Hearing on GAO and Intelligence Oversight http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html Secrecy News from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:51:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Steven Aftergood http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html/comment-page-1#comment-1075 Steven Aftergood Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:59:04 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html#comment-1075 Thank you for this excellent observation, which I will incorporate in my testimony. Thank you for this excellent observation, which I will incorporate in my testimony.

]]> By: Allen Thomson http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html/comment-page-1#comment-1074 Allen Thomson Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:49:52 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html#comment-1074 <p>The GAO has conducted some fairly high-level oversight of intelligence subjects in the past; those might serve as a useful precedent when making proposals for more such activity in the future. I recently became aware of one such study and submitted a pseudo-FOIA request for it to GAO last month. (Not being in the Executive Branch, GAO isn't actually subject to FOIA but does entertain such requests.) No word back as yet.</p> <p>First paragraph of the request:</p> <p>According to a declassified National Reconnaissance Office memorandum of 3 February 1978, GAO produced a report titled "Review of DoD's Reconnaissance Intelligence Assets (GAO Code 951357)" which was under review as of the date of the memorandum. The main body of the report was classified SECRET, with a supplement in the TALENT-KEYHOLE channel.</p> The GAO has conducted some fairly high-level oversight of intelligence subjects in the past; those might serve as a useful precedent when making proposals for more such activity in the future. I recently became aware of one such study and submitted a pseudo-FOIA request for it to GAO last month. (Not being in the Executive Branch, GAO isn’t actually subject to FOIA but does entertain such requests.) No word back as yet.

First paragraph of the request:

According to a declassified National Reconnaissance Office memorandum of 3 February 1978, GAO produced a report titled “Review of DoD’s Reconnaissance Intelligence Assets (GAO Code 951357)” which was under review as of the date of the memorandum. The main body of the report was classified SECRET, with a supplement in the TALENT-KEYHOLE channel.

]]> By: Steven Aftergood http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html/comment-page-1#comment-1073 Steven Aftergood Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:45:41 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html#comment-1073 Thanks-- I hope to do just that in testimony for the hearing, which will be posted on Friday. Thanks– I hope to do just that in testimony for the hearing, which will be posted on Friday.

]]> By: Jeanne Herrick-Stare http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html/comment-page-1#comment-1071 Jeanne Herrick-Stare Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:15:39 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/02/senate_to_hold_hearing_on_gao_.html#comment-1071 It would be helpful to have you elaborate on your statement that "the simplest, most effective and most achievable way to improve congressional oversight of intelligence might be to utilize the Government Accountability Office to audit and evaluate intelligence programs"? It would be helpful to have you elaborate on your statement that “the simplest, most effective and most achievable way to improve congressional oversight of intelligence might be to utilize the Government Accountability Office to audit and evaluate intelligence programs”?

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