Admin Made SECRET AGREEMENT To HIDE Reclassification Program From Public!

[kpete]

Administration Made Secret Agreement to Hide Reclassification Program from Public


In February, the New York Times revealed that “thousands of declassified documents had been reclassified by executive branch agencies and removed from public access in questionable circumstances.” The Federation of American Scientists called the reclassification efforts “a threat to the integrity of the entire national security classification and declassification program,” and warned they would reduce the National Archives to a “mere repository of officially-sanctioned history.”

Now, thanks to the National Security Archive (a nonprofit based at George Washington University), we know how the reclassification scheme came about:

The National Archives and Records Administration secretly agreed to a covert effort, led by the Air Force, the CIA, and other still-hidden intelligence entities, to remove open-shelf archival records and reclassify them while disguising the results so that researchers would not complain, according to a previously secret Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

As part of the secret agreement, the National Archives “agreed that the existence of the program was to be kept secret as long as possible” and that “the withdrawal sheets indicating the removal of documents would conceal any reference to the program and ‘any reason for the withholding of documents.’” Read more about the secret agreement HERE: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20060411/index.htm
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/11/administration-made-secret-agreement-to-hide-reclassification-program-from-public/

[radfringe]

1. can we impeach now?

or do we have to wait for a leaker to show up in a blue dress with stains?

[rodeodance]

2. and yet another (Reclassification) " PROGRAM"

[fooj]

3. These treasonous rat bastards need to be thrown out of the fucking country

Jeez.............

[alfredo]

4. They want to keep them classified long enough to

allow for rewriting history to make the Republicans look good and the Democrats look bad.

[enlightenment]

5. It is embarrassing to think that this program got its start under

Clinton. Completely understandable that it ratcheted up after 2001 (not because of 9/11, but because * was willing to do so), but still frustrating that all the blame can't be laid at *'s feet.

As an historian, this elicits more than mild disgust -- it is a travesty. A friend has had her research severely restricted since 2001, trying to get materials on the nuclear testing program in the 50s and 60s. We're not talking about instructions, for pete's sake, just political memoranda discussing the program. Sheesh.

There is an interesting background article on this project at the GWU site, here:
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB179/index.htm

BTW, if you haven't browsed the National Security Archive, take a moment and do so -- it is fascinating. You can also sign up for their e-mail digest.

on edit: clarified a statement -- I think!