Secrecy News from FAS Project on Government Secrecy

1) SEN. BOND'S ANTI-LEAK BILL DRAWS FIRE AT HOME. 2) INFORMATION OPERATIONS IN IRAQ - WHAT WENT WRONG?. SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2006, Issue No. 87
August 4, 2006

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

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SEN. BOND'S ANTI-LEAK BILL DRAWS FIRE AT HOME
INFORMATION OPERATIONS IN IRAQ - WHAT WENT WRONG?

SEN. BOND'S ANTI-LEAK BILL DRAWS FIRE AT HOME

"Sen. Kit Bond has gone way too far in an effort to curtail the public's right to information on government operations," according to one of the leading newspapers in his home state of Missouri.

The Kansas City Star objected to a bill introduced this week by Senator Bond that would outlaw "leaks" or unauthorized disclosures of classified information. A similar provision was vetoed by President Clinton in 2000.

Opponents of such measures argue that the ability of the press to uncover and report on misconduct in classified programs often depends on leaks of classified information, and that reporting on such leaks serves a larger national interest.

So, for example, the fact that "numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted" on detainees at Abu Ghraib prison was classified "Secret" when it was first reported by the press. The unauthorized disclosure of these findings, from a classified report by Army General Antonio Taguba, triggered a series of investigations and continuing public controversy.

"Bond should withdraw his proposal immediately," the Kansas City Star editorialized today. "It obviously is not well thought out."

See "Law Would Go Against Ideals of Free Society," Kansas City Star, August 4 (free but intrusive registration required):

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/15192641.htm

"Over the past few years, we have seen unauthorized disclosures of classified information at an alarming rate," said Senator Bond on the Senate floor on August 2.

"Each one of the leaks gravely increases the threat to our national security and makes it easier for our enemies to achieve their murderous and destructive plans. Each leak is a window of opportunity for terrorists to discover our sources and methods. Each violation of trust guarantees chaos and violence in the world."

See the introduction of his bill to prohibit unauthorized disclosures as well as the text of the bill (S. 3774) here:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2006_cr/s3774.html

The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

INFORMATION OPERATIONS IN IRAQ - WHAT WENT WRONG?

Information operations that are designed to influence the perceptions and conduct of enemy combatants and non-combatants can be a highly effective adjunct to military force, but they were not effectively executed by the U.S. military in Iraq, a new U.S. Army monograph reports.

Information operations can include military deception, psychological operations, operations security, and electronic warfare.

The Army monograph investigates the role of information operations in Iraq and presents recommendations for changes in doctrine, training, resources and intelligence support.

See "Information Operations in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom -- What Went Wrong?" by Major Joseph L. Cox, US Army School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, May 2006 (134 pages, 3.6 MB PDF):

http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/cox.pdf

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SECRECY NEWS is a email publication of the FAS Project on Government Secrecy. It provides informal coverage of new developments in secrecy, security and intelligence policies, as well as links to new acquisitions on our web site. It is published 2 to 3 times a week, or as events warrant.

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(03.08.2006)

1) SEN. BOND'S ANTI-LEAK BILL DRAWS FIRE AT HOME. 2) INFORMATION OPERATIONS IN IRAQ - WHAT WENT WRONG?.
[04-Aug-2006] (03.08.2006)

1) AIRCRAFT ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEMS NEED MORE WORK, DHS SAYS. 2) SELECTED CRS REPORTS. SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2006, Issue No. 86
August 3, 2006

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

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AIRCRAFT ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEMS NEED MORE WORK, DHS SAYS
SELECTED CRS REPORTS

AIRCRAFT ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEMS NEED MORE WORK, DHS SAYS

The potential threat to commercial aircraft from hostile use of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles (Man Portable Air Defense Systems, or MANPADS) still does not have a satisfactory technological solution, the Department of Homeland Security said in a new report to Congress.

"It is feasible to transition selected military [defense] technology to the commercial aviation environment, but it is challenging from a logistics, cost, export control, and, to some extent, from a liability perspective," the DHS report said.

"Additional design, development, test, and actual operation [of counter-MANPADS technology] in the commercial environment is needed to improve reliability, reduce drag and weight, incorporate technology protection, [and] enhance producibility...."

See "Department of Homeland Security Counter-MANPADS Program Summary, Report to Congress Detailing Phases I and II Findings of the Counter-MANPADS Program," DHS Science and Technology Directorate, July 31, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dhs/manpads.pdf

The new DHS assessment, which has not previously been made available to the public, was first reported by the Associated Press.

See "Airline Anti-Missile System Years Away" by Leslie Miller, Associated Press, July 31:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-5985901,00.html

Extensive background on MANPADS proliferation prepared by Matthew Schroeder of the FAS Arms Sales Monitoring Project is available here:

http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/MANPADS/MANPADS.html

"Congress needs to keep in mind that onboard anti-missile systems are not a panacea; they only protect planes from a small sub-category of threats, and provide no protection for Americans flying on foreign airliners that aren't equipped with the systems," Mr. Schroeder said. "If Congress goes this route, they need to redouble non- and counter-proliferation efforts."

SELECTED CRS REPORTS

Numerous new reports of the Congressional Research Service on subjects of public interest and concern have been issued lately. Yet by design, they are not made readily available to the public. They include the following.

"The Department of Defense Rules for Military Commissions: Analysis of Procedural Rules and Comparison with Proposed Legislation and the Uniform Code of Military Justice," updated July 25, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL31600.pdf

"Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: Military Commissions in the 'Global War on Terrorism'," July 6, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22466.pdf

"Military Tribunals: Historical Patterns and Lessons," July 9, 2004:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32458.pdf

"Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses," updated July 31, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL32048.pdf

"Israeli-Arab Negotiations: Background, Conflicts, and U.S. Policy," updated July 25, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33530.pdf

"Lebanon," updated July 24, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33509.pdf

"European Approaches to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism," July 24, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL33573.pdf

"China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues," updated July 17, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL31555.pdf

"Banning Fissile Material Production for Nuclear Weapons: Prospects for a Treaty (FMCT)," July 14, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RS22474.pdf

"North Korean Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States," updated July 6, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RS21473.pdf

"International Small Arms and Light Weapons Transfers: U.S. Policy," updated June 27, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RS20958.pdf

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(02.08.2006)

1) AIRCRAFT ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEMS NEED MORE WORK, DHS SAYS. 2) SELECTED CRS REPORTS.
[03-Aug-2006] (02.08.2006)

1) OF LEAKS AND WHISTLEBLOWERS. 2) MISSILE DEFENSE DEPLOYMENTS "SECRET FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES". 3) HOUSE BILL WOULD OPEN UP INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT. 4) SOME RECENT CONGRESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS. 5) DOD ANNUAL REPORT ON COUNTERPROLIFERATION. 6) STEALTH SATELLITE SOURCEBOOK. 7) CRS ON INDIA AND PAKISTAN. SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2006, Issue No. 85
August 2, 2006

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

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OF LEAKS AND WHISTLEBLOWERS
MISSILE DEFENSE DEPLOYMENTS "SECRET FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES"
HOUSE BILL WOULD OPEN UP INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT
SOME RECENT CONGRESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS
DOD ANNUAL REPORT ON COUNTERPROLIFERATION
STEALTH SATELLITE SOURCEBOOK
CRS ON INDIA AND PAKISTAN

OF LEAKS AND WHISTLEBLOWERS

Senator Christopher Bond (R-Missouri) introduced legislation today to criminalize the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.

"We need to send a message that leaks will not be tolerated and give prosecutors a modern and appropriate tool to go after those who do leak," he said.

The new Bond bill is identical to the controversial anti-leak legislation sponsored by Senator Richard Shelby in the FY 2001 Intelligence Authorization Act that was vetoed by President Clinton in November 2000.

See "Bond Legislation Targets Intelligence Leaks," August 2:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2006/08/bond080206.html

Meanwhile, a new U.S. intelligence policy on unauthorized disclosures of classified information is pending, the Director of National Intelligence said last week in a progress report.

"The DOJ and ODNI are ... working closely on leaks issues," he wrote. "In March 2006 the ODNI issued policies to consolidate IC reporting of leaks and is now preparing to issue a Community-wide directive on [unauthorized] disclosures." See (at page 8):

http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/prog072706.pdf

The National Security Whistleblowers Coalition disclosed last week that former NSA employee Russell Tice had been summoned to appear before a grand jury investigating the unauthorized disclosure of classified information. See related background, including a copy of the grand jury summons, on the Coalition web site here:

http://www.nswbc.org/

Mr. Tice and other national security whistleblowers testified before the House Committee on Government Reform last February, and the record of that hearing has just been published.

See "National Security Whistleblowers in the post-9/11 Era: Lost in a Labyrinth and Facing Subtle Retaliation," February 14, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2006_hr/whistle.html

MISSILE DEFENSE DEPLOYMENTS "SECRET FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES"

The names of foreign countries that are being considered for deployment of U.S. missile defense systems are unclassified but nevertheless should be kept secret, the Missile Defense Agency ordered last year.

"There are many operational and political sensitivities that require varying levels of protection as we consider possible deployments," wrote MDA Deputy Director Gen. Marvin K. McNamara.

"Therefore, I am requiring that potential host nations being studied or considered by MDA for operational deployments not be identified by country or city name in any form on Unclassified computer systems....."

The November 22, 2005 MDA memorandum on "Protection of Information Regarding Operational Deployments" was obtained by Nick Schwellenbach of the Project on Government Oversight and is available here:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/dod/mda112205.pdf

In an email message also obtained by POGO, an MDA security manager paraphrased the policy this way: "Information regarding operational deployments should be treated as 'Secret' for political purposes and, for that reason, the information is to be sent encrypted or by SIPRNET."

What is at issue here, explained Victoria Samson of the Center for Defense Information, is the location of the third site for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, which is still under conideration.

But not everyone got the word.

In a March 20, 2006 briefing by MDA Director Gen. Trey Obering, obtained by Ms. Samson, three countries are identified as possible candidates for the third ground-based site: the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Poland. See "Missile Defense Program Update" (at slide 35):

http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/dod/mda032006.pdf

Official controls on unclassified information have mushroomed in recent years. An interagency task force that conducted an inventory of so-called Sensitive But Unclassified control markings recently identified 164 distinct marking systems for controlling unclassified information, according to Grace Mastalli, who co-chaired the task force.

HOUSE BILL WOULD OPEN UP INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT

A bipartisan bill introduced in the House would require the House Intelligence Committee to disclose information on intelligence activities to other congressional committees, as long as such disclosure did not reveal sensitive intelligence sources or methods.

"In order to exercise proper oversight, House committees need all pertinent information and, unfortunately, that process isn't functioning as it was intended to," said Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who introduced the bill.

"We should not have to rely on the morning paper to learn about secret government programs, particularly when we sit on committees that are charged with overseeing such programs," said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a co-sponsor.

See the "Intelligence Oversight Act" (H.R. 5954) here:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2006_cr/hr5954.html

In a move that may enhance its legislative prospects, the bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee rather than to the House Intelligence Committee, UPI's Shaun Waterman reported.

SOME RECENT CONGRESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS

Some noteworthy congressional documents that have recently been published include the following.

"The Need to Know: Information Sharing Lessons for Disaster Response," House Committee on Government Reform, March 30, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2006/infoshare.html

"Plane Clothes: Lack of Anonymity at the Federal Air Marshal Service Compromises Aviation and National Security," House Judiciary Committee investigative report, May 25, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2006/plane.pdf

"The Terrorist Threat from Shoulder-Fired Missiles," House Committee on International Relations, March 30, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2006_hr/manpads.pdf

DOD ANNUAL REPORT ON COUNTERPROLIFERATION

The Department of Defense recently published its annual report on counterproliferation, an overview of U.S. government programs to detect, prevent and counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

See "Report on Activities and Programs for Countering Proliferation and NBC Terrorism, Counterproliferation Program Review Committee," Volume I, Executive Summary, May 2006:

http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/nbcterror2006.pdf

See also the related "Department of Defense Chemical and Biological Defense Program, Annual Report to Congress," March 2006 (8.5 MB PDF):

http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/cbdp2006.pdf

STEALTH SATELLITE SOURCEBOOK

Published sources on stealthy satellites were compiled in "A Stealth Satellite Sourcebook" by independent researcher Allen Thomson, available here:

http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/track/stealth.pdf

An earlier compilation on the French GRAVES space surveillance system, also by Mr. Thomson, may be found here:

http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/track/graves.pdf

CRS ON INDIA AND PAKISTAN

New reports of the Congressional Research Service, not readily available to the public, include the following:

"India-U.S. Relations," updated July 31, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33529.pdf

"Pakistan-U.S. Relations," updated July 27, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33498.pdf

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(01.08.2006)

1) EVOLUTION OF THE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE ACT. 2) COURT DENIES STATE SECRETS CLAIM IN WIRETAPPING CASE. 3) SEEKING TRANSPARENCY IN FEDERAL FUNDING. 4) DOD DOCTRINE ON MILITARY DECEPTION. SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2006, Issue No. 82
July 21, 2006

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

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EVOLUTION OF THE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE ACT
COURT DENIES STATE SECRETS CLAIM IN WIRETAPPING CASE
SEEKING TRANSPARENCY IN FEDERAL FUNDING
DOD DOCTRINE ON MILITARY DECEPTION

EVOLUTION OF THE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE ACT

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the 1978 law that is supposed to govern surveillance of foreign intelligence targets within the U.S., has had an unusually dynamic legislative history. It has been modified in a hundred ways on at least a dozen occasions.

Despite the demonstrated adaptability of this statute, the Bush Administration chose to conduct its NSA Terrorist Surveillance Program outside of the legally binding FISA framework and has not sought to amend it.

"Abiding by FISA does not mean clinging to [an obsolete] 1978 structure," emphasized Rep. Jane Harman, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee at a hearing this week. "FISA has been modernized."

"Each time the Administration has come to Congress and asked to modernize FISA, Congress has said 'yes'," she recalled.

"Congress extended the time for obtaining emergency warrants so that surveillance can begin 72 hours before the government obtains a warrant. Congress expanded the authority to conduct 'trap and trace' surveillance on the Internet. Congress expanded the ability to get 'roving John Doe' wiretaps for terrorists who switch cell phones."

"The surveillance the President wants to do can and must be done completely under the current FISA system," Rep. Harman concluded.

She asked the Congressional Research Service to provide a listing of prior amendments to the FISA, which turned out to be a 29 page tabulation.

See "Amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), 1994-2006," Congressional Research Service, July 19:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/m071906.pdf

The prepared testimony from a July 18 House Intelligence Committee hearing on "Modernization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" is here:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2006_hr/index.html#fisa

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on "FISA for the 21st Century" on July 26.

COURT DENIES STATE SECRETS CLAIM IN WIRETAPPING CASE

In a rare judicial denial of an official "state secrets" claim, a federal court yesterday rejected a government assertion that a lawsuit against AT&T alleging illegal wiretapping should be dismissed because it would place state secrets at risk.

In May, Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte formally asserted the state secrets privilege in support of a motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

But instead of simply deferring to the executive branch, Judge Vaughn R. Walker did his own analysis of the matter.

"The first step in determining whether a piece of information constitutes a 'state secret' is determining whether that information actually is a 'secret'," he wrote.

He went on to conclude, based on public statements by the President and other officials, that the state secrets privilege was inapplicable in this case.

"Because of the public disclosures by the government and AT&T, the court cannot conclude that merely maintaining this action creates a 'reasonable danger' of harming national security."

"It is important to note that even the state secrets privilege has its limits. While the court recognizes and respects the executive's constitutional duty to protect the nation from threats, the court also takes seriously its constitutional duty to adjudicate the disputes that come before it.... To defer to a blanket assertion of secrecy here would be to abdicate that duty...."

http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/hepting072006.pdf

The court's rejection of unconditional judicial deference is noteworthy. Although the executive branch's assertion of the state secrets privilege has been denied on at least four occasions in the past, those denials seem to have been based on technical defects or procedural failings rather than a substantial judicial assessment of the merits of the claim.

SEEKING TRANSPARENCY IN FEDERAL FUNDING

A new legislative initiative would require the government to disclose and to publish online all federal contracts, grants, and other forms of spending.

"I like to think of this bill as 'Google for Government Spending'," said Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK).

"The concept behind the bill is really quite simple: Put information on government spending out there for all to see and greater accountability will follow. It will also change the expectations of those receiving funds that they will know in advance that the information will be public," he said.

The bill has neatly circumvented the usual partisan divisions and has won bipartisan support and co-sponsorship from the likes of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), and endorsements from Greenpeace and the Heritage Foundation.

A July 18 Senate hearing on the proposal (S. 2590) featured statements from Senators Coburn, Obama and McCain, and testimony from Gary D. Bass of OMB Watch and Mark Tapscott of the Washington Examiner and the blog Tapscott's Copy Desk. See their prepared statements here:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2006/index.html#ffa

The Los Angeles Times editorialized on the bill in "Googling the Feds," July 21:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-coburn21jul21,0,4134575.story

DOD DOCTRINE ON MILITARY DECEPTION

The role of deception in military operations is illuminated and elaborated in a new Department of Defense doctrinal publication.

Military deception refers to "those actions executed to deliberately mislead adversary decision makers as to friendly military capabilities, intentions, and operations, thereby causing the adversary to take specific actions (or inactions) that will contribute to the accomplishment of the friendly mission."

The principles of deception and their execution are described in some detail in the 79 page publication.

Some types of deception are "perfidious" and are prohibited by the laws of war.

"Acts of perfidy include, but are not limited to: feigning surrender or waving a white flag in order to lure the enemy into a trap; misuse of protective signs, signals, and symbols in order to injure, kill, or capture the enemy;" and so on.

Even when properly executed, a deception operation or cover story "may fail for many reasons. It is possible that the target will not receive the story, not believe the story, be unable to act, be indecisive even if the story is believed, act in unforeseen ways, or may discover the deception."

Furthermore, the document explains, one must assume that the enemy is also engaged in deception, creating the need for "counterdeception" programs, both defensive and offensive.

Offensive counterdeception "focuses on forcing an adversary to expend resources and continue deception operations that have been detected by reinforcing the perception that friendly forces are unaware of them."

The new publication concludes with a series of maxims summarizing central lessons of experience in the field, and a suggested reading list.

See "Military Deception," Joint Publication 3-13.4, July 13, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/jp3_13_4.pdf

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(20.07.2006)

1) U.S. COVERT ACTION IN JAPAN IN THE 1960S DISCLOSED. 2) U.S. ARMY ISSUES MANUAL ON POLICE INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS. 3) NAPA REPORT ON NIH ETHICS RELEASED. 4) A HISTORY OF SPACE NUCLEAR POWER. 5) SELECTED CRS REPORTS. SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2006, Issue No. 81
July 19, 2006

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

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U.S. COVERT ACTION IN JAPAN IN THE 1960S DISCLOSED
U.S. ARMY ISSUES MANUAL ON POLICE INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS
NAPA REPORT ON NIH ETHICS RELEASED
A HISTORY OF SPACE NUCLEAR POWER
SELECTED CRS REPORTS

U.S. COVERT ACTION IN JAPAN IN THE 1960S DISCLOSED

"In the 1958 1968 decade, the U.S. Government approved four covert programs to try to influence the direction of Japanese political life," the State Department revealed this week in the latest volume of Foreign Relations of the United States, the official history of U.S. foreign policy.

"Concerned that potential electoral success by leftist political forces would strengthen Japanese neutralism and eventually pave the way for a leftist government in Japan, the Eisenhower administration authorized the Central Intelligence Agency before the May 1958 elections for the Japanese House of Representatives to provide a few key pro-American and conservative politicians with covert limited financial support and electoral advice," according to an Editorial Note in the new volume (document 1).

"By 1964, key officials in the Lyndon Johnson administration were becoming convinced that because of the increased stability in Japanese politics, covert subsidies to Japanese politicians were no longer necessary."

"Furthermore, there was a consensus that the program of subsidies was not worth the risk of exposure. The subsidy program for Japanese political parties was phased out in early 1964."

"Meanwhile, a broader covert program, divided almost equally between propaganda and social action and designed to encourage key elements in Japanese society to reject the influence of the extreme left, continued to be funded at moderate levels -- $450,000 for 1964, for example -- throughout the Johnson administration."

See Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, Volume XXIX, Part 2, Japan:

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/johnsonlb/xxix2/index.htm

U.S. ARMY ISSUES MANUAL ON POLICE INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS

A new U.S. Army Field Manual introduces the concept of "police intelligence operations," an emerging hybrid of military intelligence and law enforcement.

"Police intelligence operations are a military police function that supports, enhances, and contributes to a commander's situational understanding and battlefield visualization and FP [force protection] programs by portraying the relevant criminal threat and friendly information, which may affect his operational and tactical environment."

The new manual presents doctrine that is broadly applicable to support military operations abroad as well as domestic military facility protection.

A copy of the new manual was obtained by Secrecy News.

See "Police Intelligence Operations," Field Manual 3-19.50, 21 July 2006 (3.8 MB PDF):

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-19-50.pdf

NAPA REPORT ON NIH ETHICS RELEASED

Last year the National Academy of Public Administration developed a proposal to perform an "ethics audit" of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The proposal was a response, at NIH's request, to persistent concerns from members of Congress and others that numerous NIH employees had conflicts of interest arising from their compensated activities outside of the agency.

Rumor had it that the resulting NAPA proposal contained in a January 2006 report was "not what NIH wanted, so they simply buried the paper after it was given to the Director."

"One of the ... people who felt it got deep-sixed thought it would be of interest to the NIH research community," a friendly tipster wrote.

Secrecy News requested the document under the Freedom of Information Act, and it was promptly released by NIH.

See "Enhancing Risk Management at the National Institutes of Health Through an Audit of the Ethics Program," prepared by a National Academy of Public Administration Staff Study Team, January 2006 (4 MB PDF file):

http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/napa-nih.pdf

A HISTORY OF SPACE NUCLEAR POWER

On January 19, 2006 NASA successfully launched the New Horizons spacecraft on a mission to Pluto. It will fly by the ninth planet on July 14, 2015 before proceeding into the Kuiper Belt.

New Horizons is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) fueled by plutonium-238. The natural heat of decay of the plutonium-238 fuel is converted to about 200 watts of electricity by means of thermoelectric cells.

"Since 1961, the United States has successfully flown 41 radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) and one reactor to provide power for 24 space systems," reported Gary L. Bennett in a newly updated history of space nuclear power.

"The development and use of nuclear power in space has enabled the human race to extend its vision into regions that would not have been possible with non-nuclear power sources," wrote Bennett, a former Energy Department and NASA official who devoted much of his career to the development of space nuclear power sources.

See "Space Nuclear Power: Opening the Final Frontier" by Gary L. Bennett, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics paper number AIAA-2006-4191, presented at the 4th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, June 2006 (posted with the author's permission):

http://www.fas.org/nuke/space/bennett0706.pdf

SELECTED CRS REPORTS

Some notable new reports of the Congressional Research Service that are not readily available to the general public include the following.

"Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress," updated June 8, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL30624.pdf

"Air Force Aerial Refueling Methods: Flying Boom versus Hose-and-Drogue," updated June 5, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL32910.pdf

"Project BioShield," updated June 5, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RS21507.pdf

"China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities -- Background and Issues for Congress," June 2, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33153.pdf

"Presidential Transitions," updated June 9, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL30736.pdf

"An Overview and Funding History of Select Department of Justice (DOJ) Grant Programs," June 23, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33489.pdf

"Changing Postal ZIP Code Boundaries," June 23, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33488.pdf

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(18.07.2006)