[net-gold] Secrecy News -- 03/16/11
- From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Net-Gold -- Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Net-Gold <Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K-12ADMINLIFE <K12ADMIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K12AdminLIFE <K12AdminLIFE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, MediaMentor <mediamentor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Digital Divide Diversity MLS <mls-digitaldivide@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Platinum <net-platinum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Sean Grigsby <myarchives1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <NetGold_general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple Gold Discussion Group <TEMPLE-GOLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple University Net-Gold Archive <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:43:24 -0400 (EDT)
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Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:15:56 -0400
From: Steven Aftergood <saftergood@xxxxxxx>
To: Steven Aftergood <saftergood@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Secrecy News -- 03/16/11
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SECRECY NEWS
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from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2011, Issue No. 25
March 16, 2011
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Secrecy News Blog:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
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** TOTAL INTELLIGENCE BUDGET FOR 2007-2009 DISCLOSED
** INSTANCES OF USE OF US FORCES ABROAD, MORE FROM CRS
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TOTAL INTELLIGENCE BUDGET FOR 2007-2009 DISCLOSED
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Military intelligence budget figures that were disclosed last week document
the steady rise of the total U.S. intelligence budget from $63.5 billion in
FY2007 up to last year's total of $80.1 billion.
The total intelligence budget is composed of two separate budget constructs:
the National Intelligence Program and the Military Intelligence Program.
Last October, the DNI revealed that the FY2010 budget for the National
Intelligence Program (NIP) was $53.1 billion. And the Secretary of Defense
revealed that the FY2010 budget for the Military Intelligence Program (MIP)
was $27.0 billion, the first time the MIP budget had been disclosed, for an
aggregate total intelligence budget of $80.1 billion for FY 2010. But prior
year aggregate figures were unavailable.
Previous year budget figures for the NIP had been released since 2007.
($43.5 billion in FY2007, $47.5 billion in FY 2008, $49.8 billion in
FY2009). But those numbers provided an incomplete picture, officials
admitted.
"I thought, frankly, we were being a bit disingenuous by only releasing or
revealing the National Intelligence Program, which is only part of the
story," said DNI James R. Clapper at his July 20, 2010 confirmation hearing.
"And so Secretary Gates has agreed that we could also publicize that [the
MIP budget]. I think the American people are entitled to know the totality
of the investment we make each year in intelligence."
Last week, the Pentagon quietly disclosed the budget figures for the
Military Intelligence Program for FY 2007 to 2009 ($20.0 billion in FY2007,
$22.9 billion in FY2008, $49.8 billion in FY 2009).
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2011/03/mip.html
The latest disclosure finally makes it possible to report the total U.S.
budget (NIP plus MIP) for the last four years: $63.5 billion in FY2007,
$70.4 billion in FY2008, $76.2 billion in FY2009, and $80.1 billion in
FY2010.
Collectively, these figures -- for the NIP, the MIP and the total --
represent the most sustained and detailed disclosure of U.S. intelligence
spending that has been achieved to date.
Public release of the FY2007-2009 MIP budget figures was requested by the
Federation of American Scientists under the Freedom of Information Act on
October 2, 2009.
Why does intelligence budget disclosure matter? There are several reasons.
As a general principle, nothing should be secret without a compelling
reason. Unnecessary secrecy needs to be challenged and overcome at every
turn.
More particularly, the sharp rise in intelligence spending prompts the
question whether it is justified by a valid requirement and a satisfactory
record of performance. The question deserves an answer, if only indirectly
by means of competent congressional oversight.
Furthermore, budget disclosure is unique in that it is the only category of
executive branch information whose periodic publication is specifically
required by the U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7): "No
Money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in Consequence of Appropriations
made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and
Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time."
"Publication of the aggregate figure for national intelligence would begin
to satisfy the constitutional requirement," the Church Committee concluded
in its monumental 1976 report on U.S. intelligence activities (Book 1,
Chapter XVI), "and would not damage the national security."
http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/intelbud.pdf
Therefore, "the Committee recommends the annual publication of the aggregate
figure." That 35 year old recommendation languished for decades but has now
been realized to an unprecedented degree. (Aggregate budget figures were
previously disclosed for the years 1997-1998.)
"The Committee also recommends that any successor committees study the
effects of publishing more detailed information on the budgets of the
intelligence agencies," the Church Committee report added. No such study
has been performed.
"No other MIP budget figures or program details will be released, as they
remain classified for national security reasons," the Pentagon said upon
release of the new data on March 11. However, it said precisely the same
thing upon release of the 2010 budget figure last October, which
nevertheless were followed by the latest disclosures.
Despite the preemptive warning, we have asked the Pentagon to release the
MIP budget request for the coming year, in light of the fact that the FY2012
NIP budget request has already been released.
INSTANCES OF USE OF US FORCES ABROAD, MORE FROM CRS
U.S. military forces have been deployed in military conflicts abroad
hundreds of times over the past two centuries -- not including covert
actions or training exercises. An updated tabulation is given in "Instances
of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2010," Congressional
Research Service, March 10, 2011:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41677.pdf
Some other noteworthy new CRS reports include the following.
"Middle East and North Africa Unrest: Implications for Oil and Natural Gas
Markets," March 10, 2011:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R41683.pdf
"The Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Refined Product Reserves: Authorization
and Drawdown Policy," March 11, 2011:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41687.pdf
"Terrorist Use of the Internet: Information Operations in Cyberspace," March
8, 2011:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/R41674.pdf
"International Criminal Court and the Rome Statute: 2010 Review Conference,"
March 10, 2011:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41682.pdf
"International Criminal Court Cases in Africa: Status and Policy Issues,"
March 7, 2011:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34665.pdf
"Closing Yucca Mountain: Litigation Associated with Attempts to Abandon the
Planned Nuclear Waste Repository," March 4, 2011:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41675.pdf
"U.S. Tsunami Programs: A Brief Overview," March 14, 2011:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41686.pdf
Mary B. Mazanec has been appointed acting director of the Congressional
Research Service. Ms. Mazanec is the current CRS deputy director. She will
serve in an acting capacity until the selection of a new director is made by
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. The current director, Daniel P.
Mulhollan, will retire on April 2.
Public interest groups hope that the change in CRS leadership will coincide
with, or will help to promote, a change in CRS publication policy.
Currently, at congressional direction, CRS does not permit direct public
access to its reports.
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2011/03/crs_access.html
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Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation
of American Scientists.
The Secrecy News Blog is at:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
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Secrecy News is archived at:
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Support the FAS Project on Government Secrecy with a donation:
http://www.fas.org/member/donate_today.html
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_______________________
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Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
web: www.fas.org/sgp/index.html
email: saftergood@xxxxxxx
voice: (202) 454-4691
twitter: @saftergood
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