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Secrecy and Security News

November 2009

• An opaque transparency by Dana Milbank, Washington Post, November 20. "For those waiting for the new White House to make good on its vow to bring transparency to the executive branch, it was another disappointing brush with Obama opacity."
• Open Government Laboratories of Democracy by Beth Noveck, White House Open Government Initiative, November 19. "The Obama Administration is taking unprecedented strides toward creating the most open and accountable government in history. And in so doing, we’re learning from those states and municipalities, which are undertaking exciting experiments to bring transparency, participation, and collaboration to the way they work as well."
• Lawyers Allege Ongoing 'Dragnet' Surveillance by Daphne Eviatar, Washington Independent, November 13. "On October 30, the Justice Department for the first time applied its new 'state secrets' policy to a case charging the government with breaking the law. Open government advocates hoping for a significant change in the government’s stance toward secrecy in national security cases were sorely disappointed."
• Administration plans to punish leakers by Jen DiMascio and Josh Gerstein, Politico, November 12. "The Obama administration is increasingly exasperated by leaks of national-security-related information and is planning a major effort to root out and punish those responsible, top officials said Thursday."
• Defense Secretary Gates on Leaks of Classified Information, November 12. "I have been appalled by the amount of leaking that has been going on in this process. And I think a lot of different places are leaking. I'm confident that the Department of Defense is one of them."
• State Secret Protection Act Passes House Judiciary Committee, news release from Rep. Nadler, November 6. "The bill prohibits a court from dismissing a lawsuit simply because the Administration claims that the very consideration of the case would compromise state secrets. It also outlines procedures for courts to consider, in secret session, and grant or refuse an Administration’s demand to suppress evidence on national security grounds."
• 1,600 Are Suggested Daily for FBI's List by Walter Pincus, Washington Post, November 1. "During a 12-month period ended in March this year, the U.S. intelligence community suggested on a daily basis that 1,600 people qualified for the terrorist watchlist because they presented a 'reasonable suspicion,' according to data provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee by the FBI."

Older News: October 2009

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Maintained by Steven Aftergood
Updated November 20, 2009