Want To Tell The CIA What You Think Of Its Secrecy Process?

Until May 19th, you can do just that. Want To Tell the CIA What You Think Of Its Secrecy Process?By Cliff Montgomery – May 8th, 2008 has produced a number of articles tracking the “Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National (OPEN) Government Act of 2007,” because we think it’s a particularly important piece of legislation. We’ve followed it from bill to law.The OPEN Government Act makes a number of much-needed, long-overdue changes to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) procedures.The law finally enables FOIA requesters to track the current status of a disclosure request, and will empower a requester to expand processing fee waiver proposals. It also will create a number of other new procedures designed to hold government agencies accountable for processing FOIA requests in a timely manner.Now the CIA is looking for American citizens to give their two cents about its application of the new law.Those willing to directly contact the Agency and offer a comment on how it may best adhere to the OPEN Government Act are invited to do so by snail mail, fax or telephone.But make it fast; the submission process will only last for eleven more days. Comments will not be accepted by the CIA after May 19th. 2008.Below we offer parts of the Agency offer as it was printed in the April 17th, 2008 edition of the Federal Register:“Consistent with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as amended by the ‘Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National  Government Act of 2007,’ and Executive Order 13392, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has undertaken and completed a review of its public FOIA regulations that govern certain aspects of its processing of FOIA requests.”As a result of this review, the Agency proposes to revise its FOIA regulations to more clearly reflect the current CIA organizational structure, record system configuration, and FOIA  policies and practices and to eliminate ambiguous, redundant and obsolete regulatory provisions.”As required by the FOIA, the Agency is providing an opportunity for interested persons to submit comments on these proposed regulations. […]”[Among other changes,] the proposed regulations would eliminate current regulatory provisions that have had the potential to cause confusion and ambiguity, and would more clearly reflect the Agency’s current FOIA policies and practices.”The proposed regulations would clarify and confirm the Agency’s current FOIA practices of processing FOIA requests and appeals on a ‘first in, first out’ basis using two or more processing queues based on the amount of work or time–or both–involved, and of moving a FOIA request to the front of the processing queue when the Agency has granted that requester’s request for expedited processing.”The proposed regulations would eliminate current regulatory provisions that have had the potential to cause confusion and ambiguity regarding how a requester may appeal a denial of a fee waiver request, and how the Agency would adjudicate that appeal.”With this change, the Agency’s public FOIA regulations would contain clear guidance on how requesters may exercise their rights to appeal denials of fee waiver requests, and would remove any ambiguity concerning the responsibility of the Agency Release Panel to adjudicate such appeals.”DATES: Submit comments on or before May 19, 2008.ADDRESSES: Submit comments in writing to the Director of Information Management Services, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC 20505, or by fax to 703-613-3007.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph W. Lambert, Director of Information Management Services, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC 20505 or by telephone, 703-613-1352.Like what you’re reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of thee-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!