Intel Authorization Act....

From: Secrecy-News:

SSCI REPORT ON 2006 INTEL AUTHORIZATION ACT

The newly released Senate Intelligence Committee report on the 2006 intelligence authorization act presents several initiatives that would alter the landscape of both foreign and domestic intelligence collection. See Senate Report 109-142:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2005_rpt/srpt109-142.html

The Committee noted in passing that "Improper classification ofinformation -- the disclosure of which would not harm national security -- prevents the public from considering national issues in light of all publicly available facts." It did not provide any examples of such information.

The Committee further "strongly recommend[ed]" that the Director of National Intelligence "examine the guidelines and rules for classification, and, as necessary, propose standards for the modernization and simplification of the classification system."

Dissenting views appended to the report exposed some of the tensions that have divided the Committee.

Committee Democrats harshly criticized the failure to complete an investigation of pre-war intelligence on Iraq. "The Committee's delinquency in addressing an issue that it unanimously voted to address over a year and a half ago has diminished the Committee's credibility as an effective overseer of the Intelligence Community," they wrote.

They also noted the Committee's failure to examine the handling of detainees. "Despite repeated attempts to initiate a detailed review of fundamental legal and operational questions surrounding the detention, interrogation and rendition of individuals held inU.S. custody, the Committee majority has refused to conduct such an investigation."

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