Comments for Secrecy News http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy Secrecy News from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:24:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Comment on Leaks, National Security, and Freedom of the Press by Gary Ross http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/watchmen_ross.html/comment-page-1#comment-42500 Gary Ross Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:24:30 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6682#comment-42500 Diving one level down . . government employees who abuse their position of trust by disclosing appropriately classified information to unauthorized individuals (journalists) should be sanctioned (whether administratively through the revocation of their clearance or termination of employment . . or criminally through prosecution). Allowing every government employee to be a declassification authority is simply not an appropriate business model. Notwithstanding the role of the media and the first amendment, cleared government employees clearly violate the law when they circumvent approved channels for identifying items of concern (Intelligence Community Whistleblower Act) by "leaking" appropriately classified information to the media. We must recognize that both government employees and members of the media can have motivations beyond simply promoting informed public debate or exposing improper conduct. That being said, the current reality is that there are several significant obstacles to sanctioning these individuals . . including identifying the culpable party, DoJ policy related to media leak investigations and legal hurdles involved in criminal prosecutions. As long as these hurdles remain (and there's no reason to believe they won't), a new approach to reducing the harm to the Intelligence Community and National Security must be pursued. Proactive engagement with the media by the government is one way to attempt to reduce at least the most significant harm. Past avenues, such as the "Dialogue Group" and "SIGINT 101" should be seen as a model. Diving one level down . . government employees who abuse their position of trust by disclosing appropriately classified information to unauthorized individuals (journalists) should be sanctioned (whether administratively through the revocation of their clearance or termination of employment . . or criminally through prosecution). Allowing every government employee to be a declassification authority is simply not an appropriate business model.

Notwithstanding the role of the media and the first amendment, cleared government employees clearly violate the law when they circumvent approved channels for identifying items of concern (Intelligence Community Whistleblower Act) by “leaking” appropriately classified information to the media. We must recognize that both government employees and members of the media can have motivations beyond simply promoting informed public debate or exposing improper conduct.

That being said, the current reality is that there are several significant obstacles to sanctioning these individuals . . including identifying the culpable party, DoJ policy related to media leak investigations and legal hurdles involved in criminal prosecutions. As long as these hurdles remain (and there’s no reason to believe they won’t), a new approach to reducing the harm to the Intelligence Community and National Security must be pursued.

Proactive engagement with the media by the government is one way to attempt to reduce at least the most significant harm. Past avenues, such as the “Dialogue Group” and “SIGINT 101″ should be seen as a model.

]]> Comment on An Overview of Special Operations Forces, and More from CRS by Stephen Powell http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/sof_crs.html/comment-page-1#comment-42309 Stephen Powell Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:27:42 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6604#comment-42309 Special Forces units are force multipliers, they will be indispensable as we draw down in both Iraq, and Afghanistan. The utilization of Special Forces is the best economical solution to the asymmetric enemy's and threats the US will continue to have to endure and subdue from these regions in the future. The Special Forces doctrine has been honed to perfection by their use in these conflicts. They are the future of our force projection into unstable regions of the world where our enemy's continue to suddenly pop up and set up shop. God Bless them and I hope they get every nickel of their budget requests fulfilled. Special Forces units are force multipliers, they will be indispensable as we draw down in both Iraq, and Afghanistan. The utilization of Special Forces is the best economical solution to the asymmetric enemy’s and threats the US will continue to have to endure and subdue from these regions in the future. The Special Forces doctrine has been honed to perfection by their use in these conflicts. They are the future of our force projection into unstable regions of the world where our enemy’s continue to suddenly pop up and set up shop. God Bless them and I hope they get every nickel of their budget requests fulfilled.

]]> Comment on Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. by oldgringo http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html/comment-page-4#comment-42271 oldgringo Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:01:02 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6618#comment-42271 Some day soon Obama will pass a Bill taking all our Comments off the Blog.....Might even have you arrested for saying something unkind about his Presidency, The TSA, The Patriot Act, The National Denfense Authorization Act, Our Congress, The Democrats, The Republicans, The New World Order, The Global Governance Nations, The One World Government, The Bilderburgers, The Club of Rome, The Council of Foreign Relations, The Trilaterial Commission, and the List goes on and on.....The Internet will be Government controlled.....Then What?...."When will They ever Learn"?....Peter, Paul and Mary Some day soon Obama will pass a Bill taking all our Comments off the Blog…..Might even have you arrested for saying something unkind about his Presidency, The TSA, The Patriot Act, The National Denfense Authorization Act, Our Congress, The Democrats, The Republicans, The New World Order, The Global Governance Nations, The One World Government, The Bilderburgers, The Club of Rome, The Council of Foreign Relations, The Trilaterial Commission, and the List goes on and on…..The Internet will be Government controlled…..Then What?….”When will They ever Learn”?….Peter, Paul and Mary

]]> Comment on Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. by Rick http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html/comment-page-4#comment-42262 Rick Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:47:25 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6618#comment-42262 They will be hacked and sold for parts on Ebay. Very nice! They will be hacked and sold for parts on Ebay. Very nice!

]]> Comment on Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. by mameshki http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html/comment-page-4#comment-42255 mameshki Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:51:57 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6618#comment-42255 How can anybody not believe these drones will be used for and are about nothing less than 1. control of the public during revolt/rebellion, 2. used to kill Americans that revolt against the government, 3. the morons in DC know something is about to explode, public v. government 4. government is bidding its time to get out of dodge (like every other dictator does). Does anybody think Americans are any different than those that revolted in Russia, Egypt, Ukraine, etc, all against tyranny of government. America will have its second go soon. I will stick to my guns and bible. The Army will never turn against its citizens. You morons in congress, remember my last statement. How can anybody not believe these drones will be used for and are about nothing less than 1. control of the public during revolt/rebellion, 2. used to kill Americans that revolt against the government, 3. the morons in DC know something is about to explode, public v. government 4. government is bidding its time to get out of dodge (like every other dictator does). Does anybody think Americans are any different than those that revolted in Russia, Egypt, Ukraine, etc, all against tyranny of government. America will have its second go soon. I will stick to my guns and bible. The Army will never turn against its citizens. You morons in congress, remember my last statement.

]]> Comment on Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. by john l c savony jr http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html/comment-page-4#comment-42237 john l c savony jr Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:34:36 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6618#comment-42237 Big brother's eyes in the sky. Be ready. Big brother’s eyes in the sky. Be ready.

]]> Comment on Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. by grandmaliberty http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html/comment-page-4#comment-42236 grandmaliberty Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:15:10 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6618#comment-42236 and since they are computer controlled, what happens when some unfriendly hacks in and mixes them up w/commercial air traffic... too sci fi??? I don't think so and since they are computer controlled, what happens when some unfriendly hacks in and mixes them up w/commercial air traffic… too sci fi??? I don’t think so

]]> Comment on Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. by Ali http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html/comment-page-4#comment-42233 Ali Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:32:35 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6618#comment-42233 They're doing it for Google.. not to spy on us or to get ready for the death marches and prison camps, or anything.. They’re doing it for Google.. not to spy on us or to get ready for the death marches and prison camps, or anything..

]]> Comment on Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. by awake http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html/comment-page-4#comment-42226 awake Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:36:09 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6618#comment-42226 It may not be 1776, but its certainly looking like 1984, Obama, Newt, Mitt, they're all scumbags being controlled by the same NWO puppet master. I hate to bust everyones bubble, but no election is gonna fix this tyranny, we've been asleep to long, the rugs been pulled out from under us, another words it's to late. The robots in this country have been brainwashed by popular culture, the schools, the media, the goverment, that its wrong to fight back, just keep staring at your i- phone, and american idol, and what celebrity is dating who, We (the gov) set up random checkpoints, we have drones spying on you, we blast you with cancer causing radiation and molest your children in front of you just so you can get on a plane, we (the gov) kill you with fluoride in your water and cancer causing vaccines, and we THE PEOPLE take it, because everything the goverment does to us is for OUR safety!!!! I don't know what the future holds for us, but i know it's not good, All i can say is dig in your heels, and 'rage against the dying of the light'. It may not be 1776, but its certainly looking like 1984, Obama, Newt, Mitt, they’re all scumbags being controlled by the same NWO puppet master. I hate to bust everyones bubble, but no election is gonna fix this tyranny, we’ve been asleep to long, the rugs been pulled out from under us, another words it’s to late. The robots in this country have been brainwashed by popular culture, the schools, the media, the goverment, that its wrong to fight back, just keep staring at your i- phone, and american idol, and what celebrity is dating who, We (the gov) set up random checkpoints, we have drones spying on you, we blast you with cancer causing radiation and molest your children in front of you just so you can get on a plane, we (the gov) kill you with fluoride in your water and cancer causing vaccines, and we THE PEOPLE take it, because everything the goverment does to us is for OUR safety!!!! I don’t know what the future holds for us, but i know it’s not good, All i can say is dig in your heels, and ‘rage against the dying of the light’.

]]> Comment on Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. by Sunnie71 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html/comment-page-4#comment-42225 Sunnie71 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:29:31 +0000 http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=6618#comment-42225 When will people wake up and realize that you will never be safer by giving away your freedoms one at a time. The Bill of Rights is becoming riddled with holes. So now drones can spy on our own citizens to keep us "safer"? Are you people crazy? How about illegal search? The 4th Amendment? The Republic is in its death throes. God help us all. When will people wake up and realize that you will never be safer by giving away your freedoms one at a time. The Bill of Rights is becoming riddled with holes. So now drones can spy on our own citizens to keep us “safer”? Are you people crazy? How about illegal search? The 4th Amendment? The Republic is in its death throes. God help us all.

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