Comments on: New Executive Order Aims to Avoid Declass Deadline http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2009/11/eo_declass_deadline.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: Ron Carpenter http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2009/11/eo_declass_deadline.html/comment-page-1#comment-5805 Ron Carpenter Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:46:54 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=2935#comment-5805 I worked intel for 20 years, and never once saw a case of the government being justified throwing a wall of secrecy around public matters. Whenever they said something was being kept classified for reasons of national security, they really meant for reasons of avoiding a public outcry, hiding evidence of self-serving activities, preventing political embarrassment, or some other nefarious justification. If the public knew of all the incompetent, unethical, unconstitutional, and blundering activities that went on in previous administrations they would tear down the walls of secrecy. I worked intel for 20 years, and never once saw a case of the government being justified throwing a wall of secrecy around public matters. Whenever they said something was being kept classified for reasons of national security, they really meant for reasons of avoiding a public outcry, hiding evidence of self-serving activities, preventing political embarrassment, or some other nefarious justification. If the public knew of all the incompetent, unethical, unconstitutional, and blundering activities that went on in previous administrations they would tear down the walls of secrecy.

]]> By: Matt Carmody http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2009/11/eo_declass_deadline.html/comment-page-1#comment-5747 Matt Carmody Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:31:30 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=2935#comment-5747 Kind of makes you wonder just what it is they don't ever want us to see. Reminds me of Earl Warren's remark re: JFK's assassination that no one listening to him would know what happened "...in your lifetime." I'm sure there's plenty of stuff from circa 1984 Mr. Gates would like to see kept under lock and key as would Bush pere and various other criminals who have run amok in the executive branch over the past 25 years. Kind of makes you wonder just what it is they don’t ever want us to see. Reminds me of Earl Warren’s remark re: JFK’s assassination that no one listening to him would know what happened “…in your lifetime.”

I’m sure there’s plenty of stuff from circa 1984 Mr. Gates would like to see kept under lock and key as would Bush pere and various other criminals who have run amok in the executive branch over the past 25 years.

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