SECRECY & THE SECURITY STATE - page 19

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) accused the Department of Defense of continuing to neglect proper accounting techniques, casting further doubt on whether the agency will pass a long-awaited oversight test next fall. Grassley questioned if Pentagon Chief Financial Officer Mike McCord has “a handle on the core problem,” which he described as a lack of accurate information. “If [McCord] did, why would he continue throwing money at solutions that don’t produce what is needed most, and that is reliable transaction data?” Grassley asked Thursday, in a…

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The number of US soldiers who will remain in Afghanistan by the year’s end was upwardly revised, once again, by President Obama, who warned that gains by the Taliban and terrorist organizations continue to threaten the stability of the country. In a statement issued from the Roosevelt Room on Wednesday, the President said he would leave 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan “into next year through the end of [his] administration.”  Obama said he made the decision based on recommendations from top military brass and his national security…

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A congressman is calling on the Justice Department to investigate the fatal shooting by Baton Rouge, La. police of a black man who was on the ground, in the process of being arrested. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) made the request, after a video of the slaying went viral Tuesday night, sparking outrage on social media and protests in Baton Rouge. Alton Sterling, 37, was killed by two cops early Tuesday morning, after they were called to a convenience store, having received an anonymous report about…

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FBI Director James Comey stated on Tuesday his that agency is not recommending for any criminal charges to be brought against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server while Secretary of State. Though sparing Clinton of formal charges, Comey did put forward a scathing rebuke of her email practices as the nation’s top diplomat. “Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence…

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At a Senate hearing convened on Tuesday by former GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a witness accused two Members of Congress of having connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. The charges were leveled against Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Andre Carson (D-Ind.), the only two Muslims serving in the House. First reported by the Huffington Post, Chris Gaubatz—a so-called national security consultant—testified that the lawmakers had spoken at a convention in 2008 sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He claimed that…

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An annual intelligence policy bill is being held up in the Senate over a provision it contains that would allow the government to monitor more online interactions without a warrant. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) placed a hold on the intelligence authorization bill Monday evening, preventing the upper chamber from passing the legislation by unanimous consent. He suggested that Senators were exploiting the mass shooting in Orlando earlier this month to jam through an expansion of surveillance powers. “The American people want policies that protect their…

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While the debate over keeping firearms out of the hands of suspected terrorists rages within the halls of Congress, a new report reveals that the CIA allowed millions of dollars worth of weaponry to fall into the hands of weapons smugglers and criminal gangs in Jordan. Arms shipments brokered by the agency for Syrian rebels were pilfered by Jordanian intelligence operatives and sold on the black market, a joint investigation by The New York Times and Al Jazeera has found. Investigators believe that some of…

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Democratic lawmakers ended their more than 24-hour sit-in on the House floor Thursday, but promised that agitation for a gun control measure will continue. Seizing on the mass shooting in Orlando, which killed 49 patrons at a gay nightclub, Democrats are demanding votes on two bills to restrict firearms purchases—including one measure that would bolster Bush-era surveillance initiatives. “Let me be really clear about this. We cannot stop until we get a bill, until a law is passed,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters on…

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In a narrow vote on Wednesday, the upper chamber rejected a measure that would have allowed federal authorities to obtain online metadata using specialized national security state subpoenas. The amendment was introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to a Justice Department appropriations bill. Though it was supported by a bipartisan group of 58 senators,  it failed to attain the sixty votes it needed to advance. Heavily lobbied for by the FBI, the measure would have allowed the bureau to use National Security Letters (NSL) to…

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The House of Representatives passed a bill that would make it more difficult for executive agencies to thwart internal investigations. Legislation bolstering subpoena power for the federal governments’ inspectors general was approved by the House. It passed Tuesday in a voice vote with rules under suspension, meaning it required two-thirds majority for approval without amendment. The maneuver came roughly ten months after a top Justice Department lawyer issued a memo justifying the stonewalling of IGs. “Inspectors General are at the heart of keeping the federal…

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The President and his top lawyer are in disagreement over a proposal to tweak US criminal procedure to facilitate the closure of the military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has twice objected to attempts by the White House to allow Gitmo detainees to plead guilty in US courts via video conference, according to a Reuters report on Tuesday. President Obama ultimately decided not to overrule the Justice Department. Current law prohibits the 80 detainees remaining at the prison to step foot within the…

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