Newer News: March 2011

February 2011 Intelligence News

• Historical Imagery Digitization Data Project, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency solicitation, February 14. "The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is seeking to identify potential sources and conduct market research to help determine the most effective and efficient options to digitize large volumes of high resolution photographic imagery to specific criteria."
• NRO Achieves Second Consecutive "Clean" Audit on Its Annual Financial Statements, news release, February 18. "For the second consecutive year, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) received an unqualified audit opinion on its Annual Financial Statements, the first major Agency within the intelligence Community to accomplish this."
• Go Inside the $56 Billion 'Black' Budget by Adam Rawnsley, Wired Danger Room, February 18. "Finding the Pentagon's secret money in the budget involves a bit of document diving and some back-of-the-envelope calculations."
• DNI Releases Budget Figure for FY 2012 Request for National Intelligence Program, ODNI news release, February 14. "The aggregate amount of appropriations requested for the National Intelligence Program is $55 billion."
• Intelligence panels ignored CIA officer's pleas by Jeff Stein, Washington Post, February 14. "Reform of the state secrets privilege, which allows the CIA and similar agencies to seek the dismissal of lawsuits by claiming they would harm national security, can't come come soon enough for ex-CIA officer Kevin Shipp."
• CIA Has "No Records" Concerning Fundamental Classification Guidance Review, February 7. "We did not locate any records responsive to your request."
• US air force backtracks over WikiLeaks ban by Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian, February 8. "The US air force has backtracked after issuing guidance last week banning the families of staff from reading classified material released by WikiLeaks."
• No espionage charges for airmen on Wikileaks by Scott Fontaine, Air Force Times, February 8. "The Air Force is backing off the threat by one of its major commands to pursue espionage charges for airmen who access classified documents on WikiLeaks."
• Review of classification rules represents an opportunity, even for medicine by Steven Aftergood, Nature Medicine, February 2011. "The US system of classifying national security information is bloated and dysfunctional, shielding the government from the scrutiny it needs to avoid error and abusive practices."
• Air Force Materiel Command Offers Guidance on WikiLeaks, AFMC public affairs report, February 3. "To assist the Air Force Materiel Command workforce, the command's legal and communication experts identified the key guidelines: DO NOT access the WikiLeaks information on government or personal computers; DO treat the leaked material like any other content assumed to be classified."
• Department of Defense Personnel Security Program (PSP) - Proposed Rule, Federal Register, February 2. "This rule provides PSP policy fundamental to preventing unauthorized disclosure of sensitive and classified information that could cause irreparable damage to national security."
• Open Secrets by Charles S. Clark, Government Executive, February 1. "The nation's spy agency steps into the public eye, releasing documents and airing candid assessments of past operations."