FAS Roundup May 31, 2016

FAS Roundup: May 31, 2016 View this email in your browser The FAS Roundup will return on Tuesday, June 14th. The blasted Chuguko Press building along Hiroshima's main street shortly after the blast. (far left). This building withstood the force of the bomb, but the interior was gutted. ca 1945. Source: Everett Historical, Shutterstick.

New Publication: 70th Anniversary Edition of the Public Interest Report Book Synopsis and Author Spotlight: Dr. David Hafemeister FAS Visiting Scientist, Dr. David Hafemeister, has just released his new book, Nuclear Proliferation and Terrorism in the Post-9/11 World (Springer 2016), a unique textbook tailored for undergraduate courses on nuclear proliferation and nuclear weapon issues and policy. Read a synopsis of the book, plus an exclusive interview with the author here. From the Blogs US Nuclear Stockpile Numbers Published Enroute To Hiroshima: In the wake of President Barack Obama's historic visit to Hiroshima, the first of two Japanese cities destroyed by U.S. nuclear bombs in 1945, the Pentagon has declassified and published updated numbers for the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and warhead dismantlements. Hans Kristensen, director of the FAS Nuclear Information Project, analyzes this data and discusses what it could mean for the Obama administration's nuclear legacy and the arms control community as a whole. Cyber “Emergency” Order Nets No Culprits: In April 2015, President Obama issued Executive Order 13694 declaring a national emergency to deal with the threat of hostile cyber activity against the United States. But six months later, the emergency powers that he invoked to punish offenders had still not been used because no qualifying targets were identified, according to a newly released Treasury Department report. Pre-Publication Review Must Be Timely & Fair, Says HPSCI: Current and former intelligence community employees (as well as some other government employees) are obliged to submit their writings for official review prior to publication in order to screen them for classified information. This is often an onerous, time-consuming and frustrating process. It sometimes appears to authors to be conducted in bad faith. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has instructed the Director of National Intelligence to prepare a new, IC-wide pre-publication review policy that will “yield timely, reasoned, and impartial decisions that are subject to appeal.” Federal Prison Population Buildup, and More from CRS: New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made publicly available online. Some State Secrets Cases May Stay Secret: A definitive accounting of the number of lawsuits in which the U.S. Government has invoked the state secrets privilege cannot be provided because some of those cases may be too sensitive to acknowledge or disclose, the Department of Justice told Congress in newly released correspondence from 2013. The RICO Statutes, and More from CRS: Last week, the House Appropriations Committee rejected two amendments to improve authorized public access to reports of the Congressional Research Service. However, unauthorized public access remains robust. FAS in the News May 27: Washington Post, Obama calls for end to nuclear weapons, but U.S. disarmament is slowest since 1980 May 26: New York Times, Reduction of Nuclear Arsenal Has Slowed Under Obama, Report Finds May 26: FCW.com, Obama's cyber 'state of emergency' yields no quick sanctions May 26: Defense News, LRSO Does Not Make Sense, Nor Do Its Proposed Numbers May 24: Chicago Tribune, The secret history of the Iran-deal 'echo chamber'