November 22, 2009
UTNE READER

For Their Eyes Only

(Page 2 of 2)

Utne Reader January / February 2007
Bennett Gordon Utne Reader 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

It wasn't until an independent researcher named Mathew Aid began producing years-old photocopies of certain documents, along with evidence of improper reclassification, that the policy was made public. With the help of the National Security Archive, a government watchdog organization, Aid blew the lid off the clandestine program. In February 2006, the New York Times reported that 55,000 records had been improperly taken from the National Archives and made secret by the CIA and other government agencies.

RELATED CONTENT

'What may be most significant,' according to Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists, 'is the way in which [the NARA reclassification effort] exemplifies a much larger trend of restricting information for the general public.' Aftergood publishes the online newsletter Secrecy News, which covers issues of government secrecy and information suppression. While recent public scrutiny seems to have put an end to the improper NARA reclassifications, Aftergood insists that the incident was simply a 'small subset of a much larger problem.'

Meredith Fuchs, general counsel to the National Security Archive, agrees. 'It's our position,' Fuchs explains, 'that there are all sorts of efforts, not just this one, to close down access to information.' The improper classifications in the National Archives simply represent one of the clearest abuses of U.S. government secrecy in recent memory.

Aftergood and Fuchs agree that some documents must remain classified, but the disorganized nature of the National Archives incident is a clear indication of the need for more government openness. The National Security Archive and the Federation of American Scientists, along with independent researchers like Russ Kick of the TheMemoryHole.org and organizations like OpenTheGovernment.org, have been working to restore public access to government documents, and to ensure the accountability set out in documents like the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!