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The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com
Classified papers up in cost, number
By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published September 18, 2004
The federal government last year spent $6.5 billion to create 14 million
new classified documents, a 60 percent increase over 2001 that has alarmed
government watchdog groups, according to a report by openthegovernment.com.
"While some increase in classification is to be expected in wartime,
this dramatic rise runs counter to recommendations by the 911 Commission
and the congressional joint inquiry into 9/11, both of which recommended
reforms to reduce unnecessary secrets," says the report by the group of
journalists and consumer and government watchdogs.
Federal officials have used the September 11 terrorist attacks to turn
the public's right to know into the government's right not to tell, said
Steven Aftergood, director of the project on government secrecy at the
Federation of American Scientists, a national security watchdog group.
"This is what happens when you give government agencies unlimited
authority to control information; they are going to abuse it. That doesn't
mean though there should not be restrictions. Everyone agrees all kinds of
things need to be protected, but they are going overboard and no one seems
to be in a position to stop them," Mr. Aftergood said.
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
cited "overclassification" of documents as a barrier to information sharing
among agencies needed to fight terrorism, and legislators have discussed
the issue at hearings held in response to the commission's report.
Carol Haave, deputy undersecretary of defense for counterintelligence
and security, last month told a House subcommittee on national security and
emerging threats that as many as 50 percent of classified documents don't
warrant the classification. She said there is a tendency at the Defense
Department to "err on the side of caution."
A portion of the $6.5 billion also was used to secure existing
secrets, which typically are never unsealed for public consumption, even
when their information really doesn't need to be protected, experts agree.
Only 43,000 documents were declassified last year at a cost of nearly
$54,000 compared to more than 100,000 documents declassified in 2001 prior
to the September 11 terrorist attacks at a cost of $232,000, according to
openthegovernment.com, whose analysis focused on pre- and post-attack
numbers.
A Congressional Research Service report released in June recommends
placing time restrictions on the classification of documents, establishing
an oversight board to review such classifications and holding periodic
congressional briefings on them. It says that, historically, making
information public is a primary way to expose and eliminate fraud and abuse
in government.
As the number of classified documents continues to rise, so do public
requests to disclose government information under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). Such requests have tripled over the past six years.
There were more than 3 million FOIA requests from federal agencies last
year, up from 2.4 million in 2002.
There also is a proliferation of ad hoc policies to restrict public
access to information that is not classified, but still hidden from the
public, legislators and experts say.
For example, documents inside the Homeland Security Department are
increasingly being labeled "For Official Use Only," "Sensitive Security
Information," "Sensitive Homeland Security Information," and "Sensitive but
Unclassified," the congressional report said.
The report said the use of such terminology is dangerous because it
prevents the disclosure of information and questionable policy, which, if
seen by the public, could spur change.
"There recently has been a dramatic upturn in the number of documents
that have either been stamped SSI or 'Official Use Only,' including
examples of activities that apparently were of a social orientation, and
are clearly not of official nature, let alone of a classified matter," said
Bob Flamm, executive director of the Federal Air Marshal Association.
"It's being abused on a regular basis," Mr. Flamm said.
However, Dave Adams, spokesman for the U.S. Federal Air Marshal
Service, disputes that assertion and says that the SSI stamp is "not just
automatically" being stamped on every document unless it is "sensitive."
"Official Use Only" which is described by a Homeland Security
directive as unclassified but sensitive information, would include threat
assessment information, security plans, and financial information or
information that could threaten security operations.
Federal air marshals (FAM) say e-mail from management is automatically
being stamped "Official Use Only" stating that "no portion of any document
can be released to the media, the general public ... release of any FAM
Service document, correspondence or law enforcement sensitive material
could adversely affect our mission or jeopardize investigative activities."
E-mail with the stamps describe medical checkup procedures, vacancy
announcements that are also posted on the Internet, and one announced a
going-away party for a colleague inviting co-workers "for Krispy Kremes and
coffee" for the employee's farewell.
"That sounds amazing," Mr. Aftergood said. "It is simply arbitrary.
They make it up as they go along, and it's hard to take seriously."
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R. A. Hettinga