New START data, Syria’s chemical weapons, transparency on U.S. nuclear forces and much more. Why Assad Won’t Use His Chemical Weapons Syria likely has one of the largest and most sophisticated chemical weapon programs in the world, including hundreds of tons of sarin. There are reports this week that Syria is preparing to deploy [...]
B-61 12 bomb contract signed, new CRS reports, and much more. From the Blogs Classification Decisions are Reviewable by Courts, Gov’t Admits: Executive branch decisions to classify national security information are subject to judicial review in Freedom of Information Act cases, government attorneys acknowledged in a brief filed on November 27. That potentially explosive question [...]
The escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program has triggered much debate about what actions should be taken to ensure that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon. How might certain actions against Iran affect the global economy? FAS released the results of a study, “Sanctions, Military Strokes, and Other Potential Actions Against Iran” which assesses the global economic impact on [...]
New report on Iran, debate on defense spending, modernization of the B61, and much more. New Report: “Sanctions, Military Strikes and Other Potential Actions Against Iran: Anticipating Impacts on the Global Economy” The escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program has triggered much debate about what actions should be [...]
Intelligence spending drops, extreme weather and much more. From the Blogs Court Orders FBI to Release Withheld Information: A few years ago, the FBI invoked national security to justify withholding certain information from a Freedom of Information Act requester named Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler. But as rarely happens, a court last month critically assessed the FBI [...]
Syria’s chemical weapons, plea in Kiriakou case, Cuban Missile Crisis order of battle and much more. Up for Debate: Syria’s Chemical Weapons A 2011 unclassified report to Congress said Syria’s chemical weapons “can be delivered by aerial bombs, ballistic missiles, and artillery rockets.” The U.S. has monitored closely these stockpiles as the Syrian civil [...]
50th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, radioactive waste cleanup and much more. 50th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis October marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a time when the United States and the Soviet Union almost went to nuclear war. In 2012, with threats from North Korea, Iran, and terrorist [...]
NATO and nuclear transparency, Obama directive on intelligence whistleblowers and much more. From the Blogs Obama Issues Directive on Intelligence Community Whistleblowers: On October 10, President Obama issued Presidential Policy Directive 19 on “Protecting Whistleblowers with Access to Classified Information.” The directive generally prohibits official reprisals against an intelligence community employee who makes a “protected [...]
New START data, Supreme Court ruling on FISA, India’s SSBN and much more. From the Blogs Fusion Centers Flayed in Senate Report: Steven Aftergood writes that the state and local fusion centers supported by the Department of Homeland Security have produced little intelligence of value and have generated new concerns involving waste and abuse, according [...]
U.S.-NZ relations, new DNI directives, declassification at Department of Energy and much more. From the Blogs In 1962, Kennedy was Urged to Take “Drastic Action” Against Leakers: Fifty years ago, the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB) urged President John F. Kennedy to take “drastic action” against whoever had leaked classified intelligence information to a [...]