Signed secrecy oaths in the Buxh administration

[JohnnyRingo]

I believe it's an effort to prevent future leaks that embarass the "president".
At any rate, so much for transparency in government:

Homeland Security Employees Required to Sign Secrecy Pledge
Gag Order Raises Concern on Hill

The Department of Homeland Security is requiring thousands of employees and contractors to sign nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from sharing sensitive but unclassified information with the public.

The department was rebuffed, however, when it also tried to require congressional aides to sign the secrecy pledges as a condition for gaining access to certain materials, majority and minority spokesmen for the House Select Committee on Homeland Security said yesterday.

<snip>


"Its likely consequence will be to chill even the most mundane interactions between department employees and reporters or the general public," said Aftergood, who obtained a copy of the form under the Freedom of Information Act. "Employees will naturally fear that even the most trivial conversation could mean a violation of this draconian agreement, and so the result will be a new wall between the government and the public."

The form defines as "sensitive" any information that could "adversely affect the national interest or the conduct of federal programs" or violate a person's privacy, a much lower barrier than damaging national security.

<snip>

Scott Armstrong, representing U.S. newspapers and journalist groups, said the agreement imposes no limit on how long information can be restricted, and allows data to be declared sensitive or official "at the whim of any bureaucrat."


<more>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A52977-2004Nov15

[mhr]

1. Oaths Of Fealty - Welcome To Bush's Brave New World

eom

[DELUSIONAL]

5. Wow -- these are loyalty oaths

and I was just predicting that there would be more calls for loyalty oaths -- this was in regards to the remaining CIA personnel. But I was predicting that loyalty oaths would become widespread.

Meanwhile the bushies will become more secretive -- the public isn't going to have a clue about what the bushies are up to.

And at the same time -- all individual privacy rights will be eroded -- until perhaps brain scans can be preformed on anyone who is suspected of not holding bushie in high regard. So we get jail time for thinking (not even voicing our thoughts) that bush is a rotten son of a bitch.

The war on terror is simply an excuse to control the masses.

[Mojambo]

2. Bye Bye Whistleblowers.

Nice to know you!

[yellowcanine]

3. Are they also required to flagellate themselves and reveal their sexual

history?

[rodeodance]

4. Democratic staff also refused to sign nondisclosure agreements,

I feel for any Dem in this hostile enviroment!!!!

"Democratic staff also refused to sign nondisclosure agreements, minority committee spokeswoman Moira Whelan said.

"They're forgetting who's overseeing who," another panel official said."

Armstrong expressed concern that pending legislation to overhaul the intelligence agencies would give a new national intelligence director authority to remake the clearance classification system along the lines of the DHS plans.

Senate aides said the goal is to shift authority for classifying information to the new director, not to broaden that authority. ......