[Infowarrior] - New WH Order on Classified Information

[Richard Forno]

Promoting Openness and Accountability by Making Classification a Two- 
Way Street
Posted by William H. Leary on December 29, 2009 at 02:38 PM EST
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/12/28/promoting-openness-and-accountability-making-classification-a-two-way-street

President Obama has issued a new executive order on “Classified  
National Security Information” (the Order) that addresses the problem  
of over-classification in numerous ways and will allow researchers to  
gain timelier access to formerly classified records.   Among the major  
changes are the following:

	• It establishes a National Declassification Center at the National  
Archives to enable agency reviewers to perform collaborative  
declassification in accordance with priorities developed by the  
Archivist with input from the general public.
	• For the first time, it establishes the principle that no records  
may remain classified indefinitely and provides enforceable deadlines  
for declassifying information exempted from automatic declassification  
at 25 years.
	• For the first time, it requires agencies to conduct fundamental  
classification guidance reviews to ensure that classification guides  
are up-to-date and that they do not require unnecessary classification.
	• It eliminates an Intelligence Community veto of certain decisions  
by the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel that was  
introduced in the Bush order.
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Here are some other changes in the executive order that advance the  
President’s agenda of greater openness and transparency:   (major  
cuts  --- check blog for details ---rf)

1.    Establish a National Declassification Center (NDC) – Section 3.7

2.    Take Effective Measures to Address the Problem of Over- 
Classification
3.    Facilitate Greater Sharing of Classified Information Among  
Appropriate Parties

4.    Appropriately Prohibit Reclassification of Information
5.    Enhance Appropriate Classification and Declassification of  
Electronic Information

6.    Take Other Steps Necessary to Provide Greater Openness and  
Transparency in the Government’s Classification and Declassification  
Programs