Secrecy News – Liberties Oversight Board invites Public Input

BERND PULCH, SECRECY NEWS 3 Minutes 

The long-dormant Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB)
announced that it will hold its first public meeting next week and it
invited members of the public to provide input to help shape the Board's
near-term agenda.

"In anticipation of setting the agenda of issues on which the Board will
focus its attention, the Board would welcome the views of nongovernmental
organizations and members of the public," stated a notice in the October 23
Federal Register.

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2012/10/pclob.html

The PCLOB was created in response to a recommendation of the 9/11
Commission that "there should be a board within the executive branch to
oversee... the commitment the government makes to defend our civil
liberties."

By statute, the PCLOB is mandated to "(1) analyze and review actions the
executive branch takes to protect the Nation from terrorism, ensuring that
the need for such actions is balanced with the need to protect privacy and
civil liberties; and (2) ensure that liberty concerns are appropriately
considered in the development and implementation of laws, regulations, and
policies related to efforts to protect the Nation against terrorism."

In response to the announcement of next week's meeting, we wrote in to
propose that the PCLOB should review the government's problematic use of
Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. "The use of Section 215, the so-called
'business records' provision, is the subject of intense and unresolved
controversy that warrants the Board's attention," we suggested.

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2012/10/pclob-let.pdf

Senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall have stated that "most Americans would
be stunned to learn the details of how these secret court opinions have
interpreted section 215 of the Patriot Act."  If so, the members of the
PCLOB can be stunned on behalf of most Americans by virtue of the security
clearances and right of access that they possess.

For background on the origins and development of the PCLOB, see "Privacy
and Civil Liberties Oversight Board: New Independent Agency Status,"
Congressional Research Service, August 27, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34385.pdf

FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH, AND MORE FROM CRS

Newly updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that
Congress has not made publicly available include the following.

Federal Support for Academic Research, October 18, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41895.pdf

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues, October 22,
2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40957.pdf

Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Foreign Policy Issues for Congress,
October 19, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/R41004.pdf

Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global
Access to Nuclear Power, October 19, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL34234.pdf

U.S. Sanctions on Burma, October 19, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41336.pdf

Burma's Political Prisoners and U.S. Sanctions, October 19, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42363.pdf

Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for
Congress, October 18, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL32109.pdf

Navy Ohio Replacement (SSBN[X]) Ballistic Missile Submarine Program:
Background and Issues for Congress, October 18, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R41129.pdf

Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background
and Issues for Congress, October 19, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R41526.pdf

Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and
Issues for Congress, October 18, 2012:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22373.pdf

_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the
Federation of American Scientists.

The Secrecy News Blog is at:
     http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
     http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html

To UNSUBSCRIBE, go to
     http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/unsubscribe.html

OR email your request to saftergood@fas.org

Secrecy News is archived at:
     http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/index.html

Support the FAS Project on Government Secrecy with a donation:
     http://www.fas.org/member/donate_today.html

_______________________
Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
web:    www.fas.org/sgp/index.html
email:  saftergood@fas.org
voice:  (202) 454-4691
twitter: @saftergood
Published