[Intelforum] Secrecy News -- 04/02/08

Wed Apr 2 17:00:01 EDT 2008

SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2008, Issue No. 32
April 2, 2008

Secrecy News Blog:  http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

**	DNI ISSUES NEW INFORMATION SHARING STRATEGY
**	2003 OLC MEMO ON INTERROGATION DECLASSIFIED
**	OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE SEEKS TRANSPARENCY PROGRAM DIRECTOR
**	THE NORTH KOREAN ECONOMY, AND MORE FROM CRS

DNI ISSUES NEW INFORMATION SHARING STRATEGY

A new "Information Sharing Strategy" from the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence warns that traditional security practices that
restrict disclosure of information have become counterproductive.

"The Intelligence Community's 'need to know' culture, a necessity
during the Cold War, is now a handicap that threatens our ability to
uncover, respond, and protect against terrorism and other asymmetric
threats," the document declares.

The new Strategy defines information sharing goals and as well as
near-term and long-term implementation objectives.  Goals include
uniform government-wide information policies, improved connectivity,
and increased inter-agency collaboration.

Notably absent from the document is any role for the public in
information sharing.  The DNI Strategy has no place for the notion of
an engaged citizenry that has intelligence information needs of its
own.

A copy of the new Strategy, which has not yet been released, was
obtained by Secrecy News.

See "U.S. Intelligence Community Information Sharing Strategy,"
February 22, 2008:

     http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/iss.pdf

In December 2007, DNI McConnell issued Intelligence Community Policy
Memorandum (ICPM) 2007-500-3 on "Intelligence Information Sharing."  A
copy of the document, which has not been publicly released, is here:

     http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/icpm/2007-500-3.pdf

Two related IC Policy Memoranda, which have been officially released,
are these:

"Preparing Intelligence to Meet the Intelligence Community's
'Responsibility to Provide'," ICPM 2007-200-2, December 11, 2007:

     http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/icpm/2007-200-2.pdf

"Unevaluated Domestic Threat Tearline Reports," ICPM 007-500-1,
November 19, 2007:

     http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/icpm/2007-500-1.pdf

2003 OLC MEMO ON INTERROGATION DECLASSIFIED

A 2003 memo from the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel that
appears to authorize abusive interrogation of suspected unlawful
combatants outside the United States was declassified this week.

The memo concludes that criminal statutes that would preclude torture
and other forms of physical abuse "do not apply to properly-authorized
interrogations of enemy combatants." The memo, authored by John Yoo,
was subsequently rescinded, amidst widespread criticism.

>From a secrecy policy point of view, the document itself exemplifies
the political abuse of classification authority.  Though it was
classified at the Secret level, nothing in the document could possibly
pose a threat to national security, particularly since it is presented
as an interpretation of law rather than an operational plan.  Instead,
it seems self-evident that the legal memorandum was classified not to
protect national security but to evade unwanted public controversy.

What is arguably worse is that for years there was no oversight
mechanism, in Congress or elsewhere, that was capable of identifying
and correcting this abuse of secrecy authority.  (Had the ACLU not
challenged the withholding of the document in court, it would
undoubtedly remain inaccessible.)  Consequently, one must assume
similar abuses of classification are prevalent.

A copy of the 81-page memorandum on "Military Interrogation of Alien
Unlawful Combatants Held Outside the United States," March 14, 2003, is
posted here:

     http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/olc-interrogation.pdf

OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE SEEKS TRANSPARENCY PROGRAM DIRECTOR

The Open Society Institute, a philanthropic foundation founded by
George Soros that works to promote democratic governance, is seeking to
hire a program director for its work on transparency in the U.S. 
(Secrecy News has received funding from OSI.)

The OSI transparency program "will use a combination of grantmaking
strategies and programmatic initiatives to ensure transparency and
effective oversight of government and to protect the integrity of
government institutions."

A description of the Program Director position and the desired skills
and qualifications may be found here:

     http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2008/04/osi.pdf

THE NORTH KOREAN ECONOMY, AND MORE FROM CRS

Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service which
have not been made readily available to the public include the
following.

"The REAL ID Act of 2005: Legal, Regulatory, and Implementation
Issues," April 1, 2008:

     http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34430.pdf

"The Social Security Number: Legal Developments Affecting Its
Collection, Disclosure, and Confidentiality," updated February 21,
2008:

     http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL30318.pdf

"Congressional Authority To Limit U.S. Military Operations in Iraq,"
updated February 27, 2008:

     http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL33837.pdf

"Taiwan's 2008 Presidential Election," April 2, 2008:

     http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS22853.pdf

"The North Korean Economy: Leverage and Policy Analysis," updated March
4, 2008:

     http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32493.pdf

_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the
Federation of American Scientists.

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_______________________
Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
web:    www.fas.org/sgp/index.html
email:  saftergood at fas.org
voice:  (202) 454-4691