FAS | Secrecy | 2005 News || Search | Join FAS

Secrecy and Security News

June 2005

Newer News: July 2005

• Web Site Makes Gov't. Reports Available by Ted Bridis, Associated Press, June 27. "A new Web site aims to make widely available to the public certain government reports about topics from terrorism to Social Security that congressional researchers prepare and distribute now only to lawmakers."
• Publication heeds U.S., pulls terror article by Rebecca Carr, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 26. "For the first time in the journal's 90-year history, a federal agency requested that it not publish one of its papers."
• Draft Law on Ensuring Access to Information about the Activity of State prepared by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, June 2005 (in Russian).
• Billions in States’ Homeland Purchases Kept in the Dark by Eileen Sullivan, CQ Homeland Security, June 22. "About $8 billion in homeland security funds has been doled out to states since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but the public has little chance of knowing how all of that money is being spent."
• Toxic Scenario, NPR On The Media, June 17. Bob Garfield talks to open-government advocate Steve Aftergood about the media's complicity in fear-mongering.
• Science And Security: Eminent panel calls for continued openness on basic research by Lois Ember, Chemical and Engineering News, June 13. "A white paper considering the benefits of an open scientific enterprise versus the risks to national security in a post-9/11 environment concludes, on balance, that the U.S. would be better served if the government avoids needless incursions on openness."
• Who Loves the Sun? by George Smith, Village Voice, June 10. Interview with Steven Aftergood, activist against government secrecy.
• Western intelligence `failed to uncover Nazi preparations' by Amir Oren, Ha'aretz, June 10. "Western communications intelligence failed to uncover Nazi Germany's preparations before World War II, or its efforts during the war to annihilate European Jewry, claims a new study of the American National Security Agency (NSA), published this week in Washington."
• Pentagon seeks to share intelligence with allies, Reuters, June 3. "Cambone's memo, which was first reported by the Federation of American Scientists' e-mail newsletter, 'Secrecy News,' would allow combatant commanders to more easily include foreign liaison officers in strategy sessions and other meetings, officials said."
• Pentagon chief orders staff to give allies better access to classified data by Peter Spiegel, Financial Times, June 3. "The head of Pentagon intelligence has ordered all US military officials to be more forthcoming in sharing classified information with allies, saying overly restrictive caveats on intelligence reports have hindered America's ability to work with coalition partners."
• In Defense Of Narco News Journalist Bill Conroy by Dan Feder, Narco News Bulletin, June 3. "In the early evening of May 23, two customs agents from the Department showed up at Conroy's home in San Antonio, Texas, looking for him."
• White House Memo on Strengthening Information Sharing, June 2. "It is of particular importance to ensure that Federal agencies have appropriate access to the information they need to perform their homeland security, diplomatic, defense, foreign intelligence, and law enforcement functions, and that State, local, and tribal authorities have appropriate access to the information they need to perform their homeland security functions."
• Tangle Over US Bases Overseas by David Isenberg, Asia Times, June 1. "The forced removal of the report, however, did not accomplish much as the full report was subsequently posted online by the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy."
• Reply from MIT President Susan Hockfield Regarding Ted Postol, June 14. "I can assure you that MIT has consistently pursued, and continues to seek, an investigation of these allegations, including review of both the relevant classified and unclassified record."
• Scientists Speak Up for Ted Postol, letter to MIT President Susan Hockfield from Frank von Hippel, Richard Garwin, and John Ahearne, May 31. "We are senior members of the small community of independent physicists who work in the area of science and security."

Older News: May 2005

FAS | Secrecy | 2005 News || Search | Join FAS

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2005/06/index.html
Maintained by Steven Aftergood