Department of Defense Spies Bend Rules to Keep Congress in the Dark

The Department of Defense has failed to report intelligence operations and covert actions conducted by special operations forces and DoD intelligence units to the House and Senate intelligence committees, according to the House report on the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. (Tip o' the hat to Federation of American Scientists Secrecy News)

Federal law requires the executive branch to report at all covert actions via the Gang of Eight, which consists of the ranking Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees, as well as majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate. Intelligence agencies like CIA, NRO, and NGA report their sensitive covert actions to the committees and Congressional leaders via an established briefing procedure.

DoD, however, is evading its obligation to report covert action to Congress by applying secrecy and congressional disclosure rules primarily intended for DoD's sensitive technology procurement programs, such as 80s-era programs that developed stealth technology for US warplanes and ships. The technology-oriented DoD policy requires only an annual briefing to Congress of general program information -- neither technology program managers nor legislators want or need to be bogged down in details of testing, development, or manufacturing.

In contrast, intelligence agencies are expected to report details of covert operations far more frequently, in far more detail.

In other words, if CIA captures and tortures a terrorist, it must be reported immediately to Congress. But if Navy SEALs capture and torture a terrorist, Congress may not learn about it for a year -- if at all.

The House intelligence committee told DoD it is considering legislation to force DoD covert activity and intelligence operations to conform with the more stringent intelligence reporting rules.

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Cross-posted from Examiner.com

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Comments

[DestinationsUnknown]

Remember when they moved the white house and called the texas ranch the 'Western' White House

Remember when Bush gave Cheney immunity to do what ever he wanted to do -

Dick will handle it - right Dick

and appoint his daughter to the state department

who knew that?

[DestinationsUnknown]

Does Leon know Cheney speaks to CIA daily

That was said on the msnbc am show and the host stated that to Ed Schultz

[Lilith33]

Was Pat Tillman Murdered? Absolutely Yes, According to a Nam Vet by Bill Perry www.opednews. This quest turned the official story 0n its head and Tillman's death was subsequently declared to have been a case of accidental "friendly fire." Persistence again exposed even more damning evidence as uncovered in an AP report on July 26, 2007: "Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. "The medical evidence did not match up with the, with the scenario as described," a doctor who examined Tillman's body after he was killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2004 told investigators. The doctors - whose names were blacked out - said that the bullet holes were so close together that it appeared the Army Ranger was cut down by an M-16 fired from a mere 10 yards or so away." A "Shot group" on Pat Tillman's forehead indicates ONE shot killed him, and then he was "double checked", then "triple checked" at POINT BLANK range, to make sure he was dead. ( 3 shots = "Shot Group" )

He was going to Tour against the war with Noam Chomsky when he got back.......