Secrecy News Items

“Secrecy hinders info-sharing with allies, says Space Command deputy,” By Courtney Albon, C4ISRNET, January 25, 2023.
“Gen. Mark Milley’s Wrongful Jan. 6 Overclassification,” By Stewart Baker, Lawfare, January 23, 2023.
“Pentagon Ordered to Review Its New Practice of Concealing Documents from the Public,” By Travis Tritten, Military.com, January 4, 2023.
“Congress Orders Pentagon to Review ‘Controlled Unclassified’ Label,” By Anthony Capaccio, Bloomberg, January 3, 2023.
“Don’t dismiss Trump’s assertion of presidential power to declassify information,” By Gary Schmitt and Henry Sokolski, The Hill, December 23, 2022.
“How overclassification is undermining our security in space,” John Batchelor of CBS Eye on the World interviews NPEC’s Executive Director, Henry Sokolski, December 16, 2022.
“EXCLUSIVE: US Strategic Space Review signed out, but no unclassified version is coming,” by Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense, November 1, 2022.
“How Should the U.S. Military Share Secrets?,” by Andrew Radin, Lawfare, October 30, 2022.
“The Family That Mined the Pentagon’s Data for Profit,” by Mark Harris, Wired, August 18, 2022.
“When should U.S. research be stamped ‘top secret’? NSF asks for a new look at the issue,” by Jeffrey Mervis, Science, June 30, 2022.
“Biden Administration Weighs Changes to Classification of National Security Secrets,” by Dustin Volz, The Wall Street Journal, June 9, 2022.
“Iran announces production of new military drone in Tajikistan,” by AP and Toi Staff, The Times of Israel, May 17, 2022.
“Drones seized at UK nuclear bases after a ‘swarm’ and reports of ‘red lights’,” by Josh Layton, Metro UK, May 15, 2022.
“Keeping Secrets,” by Henry Sokolski, American Purpose, May 2, 2022.
“How the U.S. is using intelligence to fight information war with Russia,” by Ken Dilanian, Courtney Kube, Carol E. Lee and Dan De Luce, NBC News, April 6, 2022.
“US spy chief says over-classification harms national security,” by Paul Handley, Yahoo News, January 27, 2022.
“Vast Troves of Classified Info Undermine National Security, Spy Chief Says,” by Dustin Volz, The Wall Street Journal, January 27, 2022.
“Lawmakers: Declassification would help boost public support for U.S. space programs,” by Sandra Erwin, Space News, January 20, 2022.
“An epidemic of constitutional illiteracy threatens our nation,” by Bruce Fein, The Hill, January 20, 2022.
“Senators’ personal office staffers to get top security clearance: report,” by Lexi Lonas, The Hill, November 17, 2021.
“Cyber Concerns, Classification Disagreements Lead Space Survey Results,” by Aaron Mehta, Breaking Defense, October 27, 2021.
“How a former Trump aide is pressing Biden to loosen national security secrets,” by Bryan Bender, POLITICO, September 29, 2021.
“EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon loosens access rules to secret programs, raising security leak fears,” by Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, September 27, 2021.
U.S. Government Accountability Office High Risk List
“Space Discussions Still Hampered By Secrecy,” by Shaun Waterman, Air Force Magazine, September 22, 2021.
“Chorus Grows To Declassify Space Threat Info From Services, Congress,” by Colin Clark, Breaking Defense, August 27, 2021.
“The New WikiLeaks,” by Jacob Silverman, The New Republic, August 18, 2021.
“Updating Space Doctrine: How to Avoid World War III,” by Rep. Jim Cooper, War on the Rocks, July 23, 2021.
“Editorial: Declassify the Space Force,” By Tobias Naegele, Air Force Magazine, July 22, 2021.
“Spy agencies to release secrets in countering China, Russia info threats,” by Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, June 17, 2021.
“Challenges and Opportunities in National Security Space, AIA Recommendations for DOD Space Acquisition Reform,” by Aerospace Industries Association, June 2021.
“US military considered using nuclear weapons against China in 1958 Taiwan Strait crisis, leaked documents show,” by Ben Westcott, CNN, May 24, 2021.
“The British Bomb and the United States – Part One,” by William Burr, National Security Archive, The George Washington University, May 13, 2021.
“The Tension Between Secrecy and Innovation,” by Paul Bracken, The Foreign Policy Research Institute, National Security Program, May 10, 2021.
“And One More Thing: Further Thoughts on How the IC Can do Better,” by Carmen Medina, The Cipher Brief, March 17, 2021.

“Competing in Time: How DoD Is Losing The Innovation Race To China,” by Bill Greenwalt, Breaking Defense, March 9, 2021.
“Space Operations Chief Decries Over-classification and its Effect on Operations,” By Robert Fahs, U.S. National Archives, Public Interest Declassification Board, March 8, 2021.
Proposal for Declassification Regarding Information Classified Under the Atomic Energy Act, testimony by Steven Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists, March 3, 2021.
“High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas,” (GAO-21-119SP) by U.S. Government Accountability Office, March 2, 2021.
Secrecy News – Federation of American Scientists (Read at fas.org)
“Transforming Security Clearance Policy,” By Steven Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists, February 8, 2021.
“Donald Trump Wants To ‘Declassify Everything,’ Commentator Says,” by Tyler MacDonald, Inquisitr, January 6, 2021.
“Selective Disclosure: A Strategic Approach to Long-Term Competition,” by Thomas G. Mahnken, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), November 2, 2020.
“Stovepipes in space: How the US can overcome bureaucracy to improve capabilities” by Dennis Blair and Robert Work, Defense News, July 13, 2020.
“A Primer on Congressional Staff Clearances,” by Mandy Smithberger & Daniel Schuman, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), February 7, 2020.

“Leveraging the National Technology Industrial Base to Address Great-Power Competition: The Imperative to Integrate Industrial Capabilities of Close Allies,” April 2019, by William Greenwalt. Atlantic Council. (Download Report)
Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department, Protective Security Policy Framework Security Classification Reforms Fact Sheet (Download Fact Sheet)

A Vision for the Digital Age: Modernization of the U.S. National Security Classification and Declassification System (Download Report)

“Competing in Time: How DoD Is Losing The Innovation Race To China,” by Bill Greenwalt, Breaking Defense, March 9, 2021.

“Space Operations Chief Decries Over-classification and its Effect on Operations,” By Robert Fahs, U.S. National Archives, Public Interest Declassification Board, March 8, 2021.

Proposal for Declassification Regarding Information Classified Under the Atomic Energy Act, testimony by Steven Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists, March 3, 2021.

“High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas,” (GAO-21-119SP) by U.S. Government Accountability Office, March 2, 2021.

Secrecy News – Federation of American Scientists (Read at fas.org)

“Transforming Security Clearance Policy,” By Steven Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists, February 8, 2021.

“Donald Trump Wants To ‘Declassify Everything,’ Commentator Says,” by Tyler MacDonald, Inquisitr, January 6, 2021.

“Selective Disclosure: A Strategic Approach to Long-Term Competition,” by Thomas G. Mahnken, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), November 2, 2020.

“Stovepipes in space: How the US can overcome bureaucracy to improve capabilities” by Dennis Blair and Robert Work, Defense News, July 13, 2020.

“A Primer on Congressional Staff Clearances,” by Mandy Smithberger & Daniel Schuman, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), February 7, 2020.

“Leveraging the National Technology Industrial Base to Address Great-Power Competition: The Imperative to Integrate Industrial Capabilities of Close Allies,” April 2019, by William Greenwalt. Atlantic Council. (Download Report)

Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department, Protective Security Policy Framework Security Classification Reforms Fact Sheet (Download Fact Sheet)

A Vision for the Digital Age: Modernization of the U.S. National Security Classification and Declassification System (Download Report)