Obama's EO changes "top secret" policies

[redvand]

Today I have signed an executive order entitled, Classified National Security Information" (the "order"), which substantially advances my goals for reforming the security classification and declassification processes. I expect that the order will produce measurable progress towards greater openness and transparency in the Government's classification and declassification programs while protecting the Government's legitimate interests, and I will closely monitor the results. I also look forward to reviewing recommendations from the study that the National Security Advisor will undertake in cooperation with the Public Interest Declassification Board to design a more fundamental transformation of the security classification system. To further assist in fulfilling the goal of measurable progress toward greater openness and transparency, I hereby direct the following actions.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-original-classification-authority :bash: :fork:

[SoftLion]

More:

Obama Moves To Curb Federal Secrets
by The Associated Press

WASHINGTON December 30, 2009, 03:06 am ET
More than 400 million pages of Cold War-era documents could be declassified as the federal government responds to President Barack Obama's order to rethink the way it protects the nation's secrets.
Among the changes announced Tuesday by Obama is a requirement that every record be released eventually and that federal agencies review how and why they mark documents classified or deny the release of historical records. A National Declassification Center at the National Archives will be established to assist them and help clear a backlog of the Cold War records by Dec. 31, 2013.
Obama also reversed a decision by President George W. Bush that had allowed the intelligence community to block the release of a specific document, even if an interagency panel decided the information wouldn't harm national security.
Advocates for a more open government are cautiously cheering the move.
"Everything will depend on implementation," said Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists. But the order "has tremendous potential to reduce the level of secrecy throughout the government."
In a memo to agency heads, Obama said he expects that the order will produce "measurable progress" toward greater openness in government while also protecting the nation's most important secrets.
"I will closely monitor the results," he promised.
The still-classified Cold War records would provide a wealth of data on U.S.-Soviet relations, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the fall of the Berlin Wall, diplomacy and espionage. A Soviet spy ring in the Navy led by John Walker headlined 1985, which became known as "The Year of the Spy."
On his first day in office, Obama instructed federal agencies to be more responsive to requests for records under the Freedom of Information Act and he overturned an order by Bush that would have enabled former presidents and vice presidents to block release of sensitive records of their time in the White House.
The government spent more than $8.21 billion last year to create and safeguard classified information, and $43 million to declassify it, according to the Information Security Oversight Office, which oversees the government's security classification. The figures don't include data from the principal intelligence agencies, which is classified




http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121681403

[seraosha]

Is there something wrong with FOIA requests?

Well I guess if you work at ACORN, but still...

[redvand]

Is there something wrong with FOIA requests?

Well I guess if you work at ACORN, but still...

The problem with the FOIA requests is stuff is top secret so the liberals can't try and find something to go after Bush and Cheney with. :backhand:

[seraosha]

The problem with the FOIA requests is stuff is top secret so the liberals can't try and find something to go after Bush and Cheney with. :backhand:

Yeah, sorry man, that's a crock. Transparency in a democracy is important...sure, there is stuff that's secret and should remain secret, I remember my old clearences...but a "need to know" basis and time restraints will keep important data out of the hands of those that would misuse it.

I'm confident that the current administration isn't foolish enough to open that can of worms...because that door will swing both ways.

Unless you think that former President Bush and his Administration have something to hide from legitimate FOIA requests?

[AtomicAardvark]

Here in the UK we have the 30 year rule IIRC, which means that all government documents are released after 30 years unless deemed to still be of a sensitive nature - in which case there's a so-called 70 year rule. The idea being that by the time the document is released there isn't anyone around still who was responsible for it. Works well for paper documents, not quite sure how it'd get applied to soft copy documents which is what we're generally creating now.

I don't see what the problem is with releasing historical documents from the Cold War, as long as they're checked prior to release to ensure that anything which might have an impact on on-going policies or operations is withheld from release for a longer period.

Just my historical university education speaking...

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Hmm.

Well I may have a big problem with this. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have more to talk about at cocktail parties, but this seems quite ill-advised. The order references section 1.3 which I don't find on the White House link.

As far as I can tell, the change that the order is implementing is that the President is naming a bunch of department heads - and possibly their delegates - as declassification officials. That means Hillary may now declassify Top Secret info at her whim - and she may delegate that authority to others (I'm not certain about that part since I can't find the other section). The Secretary of Transportation can declas Secret.

I have to admit some ignorance here though and I'm trying to fill in the blanks before I chalk up another blunder to Obama's now famous naïveté. 1. what's the vetting process for these officials (i.e. rubber stamp or are they reviewed) and 2. which of these officials are required to even hold a security clearance? I mean...The Secretary of Agriculture? What intellectual process does that person use to declas information if they've got no knowledge of classified information to begin with?

This looks a lot like a political move designed to give the president's hand-picked minions the power to declassify information, whether or not they have the background or training to do so. Now why would that be?

[redvand]

As far as I can tell, the change that the order is implementing is that the President is naming a bunch of department heads - and possibly their delegates - as declassification officials. That means Hillary may now declassify Top Secret info at her whim - and she may delegate that authority to others (I'm not certain about that part since I can't find the other section). The Secretary of Transportation can declas Secret.


Here is list of who can make changes:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-original-classification-authority :roll:

[coltfan111]

The secretaries of agriculture and transport???

[SoftLion]

Here is list of who can make changes:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-original-classification-authority :roll:

That list appears to only address who may make original "Secret" and "Top Secret" classifications, as opposed to having the authority to declassify documents.

[Gordon]

Here's a link to the Executive Order referenced in the original post:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-classified-national-security-information

[Dominique]

From what I understand, there will be group of people selected to start declassifiying documents, but individual agencies don't necessarily have to comply, and info they want kept secret can be redacted for mspecific documents.

[Soldat_Américain]

After having read the executive order it is so vague I am yawning.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

This thing is a mess. It appears that link only contains half of the new EO - here's some of the rest of it (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-implementation-executive-order-classified-national-security). It doesn't seem to be numbered right so I can't tell if these two parts make a whole.


That list appears to only address who may make original "Secret" and "Top Secret" classifications, as opposed to having the authority to declassify documents.

You're right - but, you have to go back to Executive order 12958 (http://fas.org/sgp/clinton/eo12958.html) (signed by Clinton in 1995) - which is referenced in this new EO - and you'll find:

"Declassification authority" means:

(1) the official who authorized the original classification, if that official is still serving in the same position; (2) the originator's current successor in function;
(3) a supervisory official of either; or
(4) officials delegated declassification authority in writing by the agency head or the senior agency official.

So the list shows who can classify and declassify info. What he's basically done here is expand the list.

The new EO calls for training for "effective security education and training programs, self-inspection programs, and measures designed to hold personnel accountable." - since half of these fvckers wouldn't know how handle or maintain classified information if it hit them in the face.

[Marmot1]

Here in the UK we have the 30 year rule IIRC, which means that all government documents are released after 30 years unless deemed to still be of a sensitive nature - in which case there's a so-called 70 year rule. The idea being that by the time the document is released there isn't anyone around still who was responsible for it.


So now I understand why your government still do not want to declassify files about death of Polish Prime Minister Sikorski in "air crash" at Gibraltar in 1943... :fork:

[CantGetRight]

considering obama himself didnt know what the NGA was, I fear that the people hes appointing may not be much better, god help the intelligence community

[IMTT]

I'm all about transparancy, open and telling the truth, lets not hide behind such words as secerts. Ok now what about that birth certificate?

[wildcat]

so there are 2 type of transparency

1st is the release any top secret information that make my opposition and prior administration look bad so I can look better type, this way can create an illusion of transparency for the American people that fan boys( mostly media and die hards (polosi, reid, and other extreme power grabbing morons)) will blindly says I living up to my campaign pledge.

2nd is not transparent, will hide all my secrets.

All animals are equal, some are just more equal than others.

[SoftLion]

I'm all about transparancy, open and telling the truth, lets not hide behind such words as secerts. Ok now what about that birth certificate?

How dare you? You think just b/c the constitution requires the President be a US citizen means the President has to prove he is a US citizen?

[HellToupee]

So now I understand why your government still do not want to declassify files about death of Polish Prime Minister Sikorski in "air crash" at Gibraltar in 1943... :fork:


Theres probably an extra rule for stuff like that, the shredded rule.

[brainplay]

Short term thinking here. This is going to come back and bite him in the arse judging by the vagueness of the language in it's use.

Clinton's expansion was more for historical reasons. But some secrets need to stay secret. Granted, I would laugh if the released info includes Iraq chem warfare bombs having been trucked into Iran during the war.