FAS Roundup: June 23, 2014 Funds for IC whistleblower support, new CRS reports and more.

FAS Roundup: June 23, 2014 Funds for IC whistleblower support, new CRS reports and more.

From the Blogs Rep. Holt Adds Funds for IC Whistleblower Support: Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) devised an amendment to the 2015 Defense Appropriations bill that would earmark $2 million for investigation of intelligence community whistleblower complaints.  The amendment was approved by the House of Representatives on June 18. The money was taken from the intelligence community management account and allocated to the IC whistleblowing and source protection directorate within the IC Office of the Inspector General. Unaccompanied Alien Children and More from CRS: Secrecy News has obtained recently released CRS reports on topics such as Iraq, the evolution of the Cooperative Threat Reduction and access to broadband networks. IC Media Policy Shouold Be Revised, Sen. Wyden Says: An Intelligence Community Directive that prohibited unauthorized contacts with the news media is overbroad and needs to be corrected, said Sen. Ron Wyden last week on the Senate floor.“I will tell you, I am troubled by how sweeping in nature this is,” Senator Wyden said about the Directive, ICD 119, issued last March. FAS's Steven Aftergood discussed the new IC media policy on NPR's On the Media on June 13.

Short Course on CBRN Weapons, Science and Policy FAS and George Mason University will host a short course from July 7-9, 2014 as part of GMU’s 2014 summer program in International Security. This three day, non-credit short course is designed to introduce participants to the science, security, and policy dimensions of the threats of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons as well as ballistic and cruise missile. This course is aimed at professionals in energy policy, nuclear policy, nuclear industry, public health, life sciences, law enforcement, emergency management and national security who have responsibilities for preventing, preparing for, or responding to acts by states, criminals, or terrorists using chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. Click here for course information and registration.

Petition the White House to Ensure a Secure Nuclear Future FAS and the arms control community urge you to sign a petition asking the White House to reverse cuts to programs that prevent nuclear terrorism. The petition is as follows: Dear Mr. President: Your budget request makes deep cuts to vital nuclear security programs. These cuts increase the risk that terrorists could obtain materials to construct a crude nuclear weapon or a dirty bomb. Your request for the National Nuclear Security Administration reduces funding for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative by 25% and International Materials Protection and Cooperation by 27%. It also slashes the Pentagon’s Cooperative Threat Reduction program by 27%. We applaud your leadership on initiating the Nuclear Security Summit process. Still, as you said at the 2014 summit, significant work remains to be done. Please work with Congress to ensure that these programs have resources to build a secure nuclear future where no American fears the threat of nuclear terrorism. Click here to sign the petition.

FAS in the News Jun 22: New York Daily News, “Miracles, Secrecy And Obama” Jun 20: Business Insider, “Fifty Years Of Nuclear Development In One Chart” Jun 19: Politico, “Snail Mail Snooping Safeguards Not Followed” Jun 18: East Hampton Star, “Connections: Dark Thoughts” Jun 18: MSNBC.com, “Obama Embraces Special Operations Forces” Jun 17: The Hill, “Conservatives Turn To NSA For Help Getting White House Records” Jun 13: NPR On The Media, “Intelligence Community Directive 119″

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