APFN
PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFO CURTAILED
Thu Oct 18 18:00:41 2001


PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFO CURTAILED
Mon Oct 15 15:32:03 2001


SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
October 12, 2001


** BUSH YIELDS TO CONGRESS ON ACCESS RESTRICTIONS
** HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE STRESSES SECRECY OATH
** PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFO CURTAILED
** REVISITING INTELLIGENCE REFORM


BUSH YIELDS TO CONGRESS ON ACCESS RESTRICTIONS

The White House on Wednesday abandoned its October 5 memo that limited
congressional briefings involving classified information to eight
members of Congress, following strong congressional criticism.

"It's important that members of Congress have information that they need
to do their proper oversight activities," explained newly enlightened
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer on October 10. See:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2001/10/wh101001.html

On Friday, the White House further eased restrictions so as to permit
classified briefings to all members of the Intelligence Committees, not
just the Committee leaders, according to an Associated Press report.


HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE STRESSES SECRECY OATH

The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct sent a memo today
to all Members reminding them to comply with their oath to protect
classified information.

"Violations of the Classified Information Oath ... are violations of the
Code of Official Conduct and are sanctionable as such," the memo stated.

"At all times and especially in this time of our country's war on
terrorism the Committee on Standards takes the obligations imposed by
the Classified Information Oath with the greatest seriousness."

See the October 12 memorandum here:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2001/oath.html


PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFO CURTAILED

"Several critics of secrecy in government complained that the Bush
administration was using the crisis created by the terror attacks to
clamp down inappropriately on the flow of information to the public,"
writes Ken Fireman in Newsday. See:

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/sns-worldtrade-secrecy-nyn.story

The National Imagery and Mapping Agency has purchased exclusive rights
to all of the commercial high-resolution satellite imagery of
Afghanistan offered by imagery vendor Space Imaging, thereby precluding
public access to this unclassified product, UPI reported on Friday.
See:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2001/011012-attack05.htm

The non-profit OMB Watch is compiling an inventory of government web
sites that have modified or removed information from public access
following September 11. See:

http://www.ombwatch.org/info/2001/access.html


REVISITING INTELLIGENCE REFORM

Senator Arlen Specter is circulating a new draft bill somewhat
grandiosely entitled "The Intelligence Reform Act of 2001."

Intelligence reform held out great promise in the mid-1990s, but
eventually came to naught. Some of the minor reforms that were adopted,
such as intelligence budget disclosure, were later reversed.

Senator Specter's bill focuses modestly on the recommendation of the
Aspin-Brown-Rudman Commission to strengthen the role of the Director of
Central Intelligence.

He presented the bill, along with companion legislation on homeland
security, on the Senate floor on October 10. See:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2001_cr/s101001.html



******************************
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the
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_______________________
Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
web: www.fas.org/sgp/index.html
email: saftergood@fas.org
voice: (202) 454-4691
=========================================================
What If I Suspect Surveillance?

Prudence is the best course, no matter what you suspect, or what the
basis is for your suspicion. When possible, confront the suspected
person in public, with at least one other person present. If the
suspect declines to answer, he or she at least now knows that you are
aware of the surveillance. A few years ago, religious supporters of a
nation-wide call to resist possible U.S. intervention in Central
America noticed unfamiliar people lurking around their offices at 6
a.m., but failed to ask what they wanted and who they were. If you
suspect surveillance, you should not hesitate to ask the suspected
agents' names and inquire about their business.

The events giving rise to suspicions of surveillance vary widely, but
a general principle remains constant: confront the suspected agents
politely and in public (never alone) and inquire about their business.
If the answer does not dispel your suspicion, share it with other who
may be affected and discuss a collective response. Do not let fears
generated by 'conspicuous' surveillance create unspoken tensions that
undermine your work and organization. Creating fear is often the
purpose of obvious surveillance. When in doubt, call a trusted lawyer
familiar with political surveillance, or call the Movement Support
Network hotline: (212) 614-6422.
GO HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://web.archive.org/web/20010813070720/http://www.cs.oberlin.edu/students/pjaques/etext/ifanagentknocks.html