Keeping Secrets: In Presidential Memo, A New Designation for Classifying Information

[maddezmom]

Source: WaPo

Sometime in the next few years, if a memorandum signed by President Bush this month ever goes into effect, one government official talking to another about information on terrorists will have to begin by saying: "What I am about to tell you is controlled unclassified information enhanced with specified dissemination."

That would mean, according to the memo, that the information requires safeguarding because "the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure would create risk of substantial harm."

Bush's memorandum, signed on the eve of his daughter Jenna's wedding, introduced "Controlled Unclassified Information" as a new government category that will replace "Sensitive but Unclassified."

Such information -- though it does not merit the well-known national security classifications "confidential," "secret" or "top secret" -- is nonetheless "pertinent" to U.S. "national interests" or to "important interests of entities outside the federal government," the memo says.

The information could be, for example, the steps taken to protect power plants from terrorists, or which pipelines are most vulnerable to attack.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051801806.html

[maseman]

1. Damn...does it ever end?

Bush needs to go to Crawford and clear his fucking brush ASAP.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "We republicons are totally into the occult. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

"So you Good Doo Bees who actually think you have a right to know what your American government is doing in your name with your tax money can just shut up and sit down. We Homelanders are Totally in Charge. Fascism wrapped in the American Flag (made in China). Smirk."

- Commander AWOL

[bluesmail]

3. fuck you n/t

[Hawkeye-X]

4. President Obama will sign a new executive law

revoking anything Chimp tries to keep secret. It's all about the open government, after all.

NO MORE FUCKING SECRETS!

[madamesilverspurs]

5. "...substantial harm?"

Hmmm. Didn't we hear from scotus way back when that continuing to count all the votes in Florida would cause "harm" to W? Is somebody getting nervous that the looming November elections are creating a "risk of substantial harm" to the PNAC agenda?

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

21. PNAC agenda

the PNAC web site is gone. I guess they forgot to pay their dues, or their plans are about to be realized and they wanted to wash the evidence, or just another informational web site bites the dust courtesy of the 43rd administration.

You can find
REBUILDING AMERICA’S DEFENSES
Strategy, Forces and Resources
For a New Century

here: http://cryptome.org/rad.htm

[paparush]

30. Google Is Your Friend

Most of that site has been cached.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=+site:www.newamericancentury.org+Project+for+the+New+American+Century

Click on the "Cached" link for each item returned in the search.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

32. yep

did that.

Wouldn't come out for me. That wasn't my point anyway. But thanks.

[PufPuf23]

34. I downloaded a hard copy in early 2005

and the document puts much of the last 8 years in perspective as far as goals as to global footprint.

Regarding the current situations in South America, Plan Colombia is a early and ongoing manifestaion of the PNAC plan implemented in the western hemisphere's most strategic area for oil, natural gas, coal, and transportation under the guise of a drug war.

[evilkumquat]

6. This Just Smacks of "Double SECRET Probation"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnVKkJFYkhg

[L. Coyote]

7. Like, his Dad's papers will do substantial harm to chances of being indicted for murder

Read this thread for details on Jr. covering up Dad's offenses in perpetuity by Executive order!

George Bush Sr. May Face Charges: Conspiring to Kidnap and Murder Political Activists
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2459135

[kristopher]

8. Not sure how it is different, but there used to be a classification for things like this...

It was "for Official Use Only". It was pretty common. I wonder what the distinction is?

[Shipwack]

9. Yeah, there are only a couple of reasons I can think of for a new category...

1) Want to feel important by making something new, thus leaving a "legacy".

2) The new classification includes stiffer penalties, so they can put their mark on incriminating/embarrassing memos. Then they can threaten to punish any who try to reveal them

[14thColony]

13. You're right

That's probably exactly how it will get used, even though there's a previous EO (can't remember which pres) specifically forbidding classification of anything strictly to cover up or hide embarrassing information. But hey, if he can unilaterally void the Geneva Conventions and other international treaties, what value is some old EO from some dead president?

[comtec]

10. Possibly a way to try to get around FOIA

because this new wording isn't covered by FOIA, they could claim anything under this "protection" could not be demanded by a Freedom of Information Act request.

more BS from the chimp in chief :(

[14thColony]

11. FOUO still exists

but according to the article it is being phased out by this one. The first distinction I see is that FOUO is not a classification in itself; it is usually described as akin to a 'government copyright.' I can take FOUO home with me, but I can't publish it as part of an original work without permission, for instance. This new one will be an actual classification.

[14thColony]

12. ...

To be honest, unlike most countries and NATO, we've never had an actual special-control classification level below Confidential, which has been a pain sometimes. The UK and NATO for instance have UK Restricted and NATO Restricted as a level below Confidential. So IF PROPERLY USED, this could add some flexibility to the current system, allowing people to drop down a level in classification.

But there's a problem with the wording - "substantial harm"? If I recall correctly the levels now are:

Confidential - release could cause "harm" to US security or interests
Secret - release could cause "significant harm"...
Top Secret - release could cause "grave harm"...

(might be 'damage' instead of 'harm' - I haven't had to go through a refresher in a while)

So it appears "substantial harm" must at least between Confidential and Secret, which is clearly not the intent. So I guess they'll be rewriting all the definitions now, or causing us yet more confusion than we have already.

[jmowreader]

20. We can't use the word "Restricted" for sub-Confidential national security information

This is because "Restricted Data" is the codeword for information about nuclear programs.

This goes along with Shrub's desire for a government that works completely in secrecy. If Bush could, he'd have everything the government produces stamped "Secret" or higher. Unfortunately for him, he can't do it because there's not enough money. They'd have to clear every government employee (and replace all those who couldn't be cleared), buy a lot of new safes, buy new computers that are approved for processing classified information...millions of things, none of which are inexpensive. He can't afford that, not the way he spends money, so he came up with the Next Best Thing: a totally new classification. It's just like Confidential but you don't need a security clearance to handle it and you can store it in any government filing cabinet. Perfect, except for the principle that government should be as open as possible. That we have to end--it's wartime (albeit one he started himself for no reason).

[14thColony]

28. Excellent Points

I forgot about Restricted Data and its weird step-brother "Formerly Restricted Data" (if it's NO LONGER restricted why have does anyone even care...?). Since I never handle them and they're Dept of Energy-controlled caveats, I never gave it a thought.

Your second paragraph is the really good part though. I had to slap my head and say 'of course!' when I read it. I think you've hit the nail on the head here. Plus it feeds on the natural tendency I've seen of "when in doubt, classify it" because "you won't get in trouble for overclassifying." Making something Confidential means all the things you said: clearances, controls, safes, class computers. But this new Unclassified but Sorta Kinda Like Confidential means you can CYA without the associated pain.

[DrDan]

14. this is funny - "confidential" was such a weak classification, anyway

I guess this is just something to offer as an excuse during press conferences - "Sorry - that information is controlled . . . ."

[pinkpops]

15. CUIESD for short

[Ian David]

16. CUIESD? Pronounced Cue-e-Esd? n/t

[Xipe Totec]

17. what's next, Sensitive Topic, Formerly Unclassified? nt

[santamargarita]

18. It may take decades to undo this fascist pig's damage

-

[ToughLuck]

19. It never fucking ends with this administration..this has Addington written all over it.

Fucking bastards...hey Pelosi, you ever even going to say you are sorry for taking impeachment off the table. Right up until the very last hour of his very last day in office, Bush will continue to screw our nation.

[Turner Ashby]

22. Impeachment should NEVER be off the table.

It is in the Constitution for a reason. Of course, these guys never read the Constitution, so...

God Bless America.

[Botany]

23. Anybody who thinks that this order is to keep us safe from terrorists is crazy

This is an effort to hide the criminal behavior of this unelected junta
from the public. The substantial harm here is putting Dick Cheney
and company in jail for lying to start a war in country that did not attack
us and was no threat to us.

[Vickers]

25. You are exactly right. I believe this is primarily an effort to keep

embarrassing emails and internal memos ("Can I go pee?") out of the public eye, at least until the November bloodletting.

[Viracocha711]

24. Obama will correct this...

YES WE CAN! Change is coming, can you feel it? I can!

IT'S ELECTRIFYING!

[Javaman]

26. more newspeak. nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. These people are so mired in graft. The only thing they can hope for

is to delayso that other current problems will appear more pressing than the scandal they're brewing with at the time.

[truthisfreedom]

29. It's not merely "Sensitive but unclassified." It's a "Republican secret."

Pure politicization. Nothing more.

[LeftHander]

31. No penalties when made public by Republicans...

Felony for everyone else.

[neverforget]

33. In other words, I just made this shit up so go tell the press