Department of Defense (DOD) – Page 2 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Releasing Drone Program Memos Is Fundamental to Government Transparency

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On May 13, the Center for Effective Government joined other open government organizations in urging Attorney General Eric Holder not to appeal the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York Times Co. v. Department of Justice. In April, the Second Circuit ruled that the government must disclose the legal analysis justifying the government's drone-based targeted killing program, in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the Times.

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Failed Pentagon fax machine blocks FOIA requests

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From ars technica: The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) will not be faxing any orders to Five Guys or receiving journalists’ Freedom Of Information Act requests anytime soon. According to a report from the FOIA request service MuckRock, the OSD’s sole fax machine—the only effective electronic conduit for sending FOIA requests to the Pentagon—is down for the count and won’t be replaced until October at the earliest. […]

Talks behind ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ will stay secret

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From Courthouse News Service: Though makers of the film "Zero Dark Thirty" were given access to the officers who helped take out Osama bin Laden, a government watchdog cannot get the same treatment, a federal judge ruled.

A few months after a team of Navy Seals killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, Judicial Watch learned that the Defense Department and CIA had been communicating with director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal.

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The 95 media-worthy FOIA requests flagged for Pentagon approval

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From Jason Leopold at The Public Record: A few weeks ago, the nonpartisan organization Cause of Action posted a story on its website about a secret Pentagon policy that calls for certain Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that may generate media attention to first be approved by the Pentagon.

Naturally, I was eager to find out what FOIA requests analysts believed would be of interest to the Pentagon. So, I filed a FOIA for a copy of the list of those FOIAs.

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U.S. files on Bin Laden raid purged from Pentagon computers for secrecy

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From NY Daily News: The nation's top special operations commander ordered military files about the Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden's hideout to be purged from Defense Department computers and sent to the CIA, where they could be more easily shielded from ever being made public.

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DoD: Media must request drone strike data

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From Air Force Times:

Information on weapon releases from remotely piloted aircraft — previously made open to the public — is now only available through official Freedom of Information Act requests.

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Pentagon agrees to publish Manning rulings

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From Salon:

Following multiple FOIA requests from journalists and pressure from human rights group, the Pentagon Wednesday published 84 judicial orders and rulings from the court-martial proceedings for Bradley Manning.

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NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for February 1, 2013

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Penn State faculty member battles Pentagon over interrogation secrecy

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From KansasCity.com:

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Summary judgment in Guantanamo FOIA case

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From Lawfare:

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates has granted summary judgment to the Pentagon in a Freedom of Information Act cast brought by the International Counsel Bureau and the law firm of Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw Pittman. From the decision:

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