Derivative Classification, SOCOM’s tech drive, and (Re)presenting Snowden

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1. 10 things to take with you into 2014. Editor Lindy Kyzer pulls together ClearanceJobs.Com’s tops for 2013: “The past year has been an exciting one in the world of government contracting and security clearance processing. From security clearance reform and congressional inquiry to government shutdowns and security clearance investigation scandals, there was a lot of news worth noting. Here are the articles that most captured reader interest in 2013.”

2. Boom and bust for Gulf War Vets. Contributor Charles Simmins reads Bureau of Labor Statistics’ tea leaves: “Gulf War I era veterans are at the peak of their careers . . . . Unemployment in this demographic suggests that businesses have reached the ‘bone’ with their cuts. . . . Employment of Gulf War I era veterans is a key indicator for economic health and recovery, and since June that indicator has been negative.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1. In Iraq, Shiite-Sunni battles rage on. Aljazeera.Com reports, “Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has reversed a decision to withdraw soldiers from Anbar cities and ordered reinforcements to the mainly Sunni Arab province to tackle attacks by armed groups. Clashes continued on Thursday morning in Anbar, west of Baghdad, between the military and Sunni tribesmen . . . . Pictures posted online and said to have been taken in Ramadi showed armed men driving a police Humvee decked with a black flag of the sort often flown by jihadists. The removal of the protest camp was seen as a victory for Maliki, who had long wanted it gone and had termed it a ‘headquarters for the leadership of al-Qaeda’”.

2. Pakistan discourages U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Khaama.Com reports, “Pakistan’s new ambassador to the United States, Jalil Abbas Jilani said Wednesday that the complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is not desirable. Jilani further added that Pakistan is witnessing to receive more Afghan refugees than before, as talks over US withdrawal from Afghanistan have begun. . . . ‘This shows that the people of Afghanistan too have fears.’”

3. Pyongyang’s mixed messages for 2014. Christian Science Monitor covers, “Kim Jong Un boasted Wednesday that North Korea enters the new year on a surge of strength because of the elimination of “factionalist filth” — a reference to the young leader’s once powerful uncle, whose execution last month raised questions about Kim’s grip on power. Kim’s comments in an annual New Year’s Day message, which included a call for improved ties with Seoul but also a warning of a possible “nuclear catastrophe,” will be scrutinized by outside analysts and governments for clues about the opaque country’s intentions and policy goals.”

4. Sexual assault – on the rise in the military. FederalNewsRadio.Com reports, “Heightened attention to the crime of sexual assault in the U.S. military may be causing more people to come forward and report problems. Defense officials cite the increased awareness as a possible reason the number of reported sexual assaults rose by more than 50 percent this year. . . . That increase, officials said, suggests that confidence in the system is growing and that victims are more willing to come forward. While cautious in their conclusions, officials said surveys, focus groups and repeated meetings with service members throughout the year suggest that the number of actual incidents — from unwanted sexual contact and harassment to violent assaults — remained largely steady.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1. Textron gobbling up Beechcraft. DoDBuzz.Com contributor Brendan McGarry reports, “Textron Inc., maker of Cessna airplanes and Bell helicopters, is buying Beechcraft Corp. in a deal that may signal the start of more consolidation within the U.S. defense industry. Providence, R.I.-based Textron, whose business segments include Cessna and Bell Helicopter, which helps make the military’s V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, announced the $1.4 billion acquisition last week. The Wichita, Kan.-based Beechcraft, owned by Beech Holdings LLC, manufactures Hawker business jets, King Air turboprops and the military’s T-6 trainer, among other aircraft.”

2. Boeing takes B-1 bid for $750 million. GovConWire.Com reports, “Boeing (NYSE: BA) has been awarded a $750 million contract to perform engineering work on weapon systems for the U.S. Air Force‘s fleet of B-1 Lancer supersonic bombers. The first delivery order under the firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, time and material, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is worth $21,377,960 and falls under fiscal year 2014 operations and maintenance funds.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1. Derivative classification and the cost of the secrecy business. Reuters contributor Jack Shafer explains, “Official secrets have been reproducing faster than a basket of mongooses thanks to the miracle of ‘derivative classification,’ and this rapid propagation has compounded the maintenance costs. Whenever information stamped as classified is folded into a new document — either verbatim or in paraphrased form — that new derivative document is born classified. . . . Just as excessive economic regulation blocks efficient transmission of the market’s supply and demand signals, the hoarding of secrets locks vital knowledge away from politicians, policymakers, and the public, who need the best information to conduct informed debates and make wise decisions.”

2. 2014 – The Year of the Hacker. VentureBeat.Com contributor Mike Horn predicts, “By the end of 2014, organizations will realize that post-detection security alerts are a fact of life, and that their incident response and containment teams need to catch up. Educators and chief security officers will embrace the fact that detected threats need rapid containment, even before full forensics can be completed. I am a bit conservative on these views, but forward-looking security teams are probably seeing these trends take shape now and are already preparing.”

3. SOCOM – pushing the limits of tech. American Forces Press Service’s Donna Miles reports, “U.S. Special Operations Command is using unprecedented outreach and collaboration to develop what its commander hopes will be revolutionary capabilities: a suit that’s been likened to the one worn by the ‘Iron Man’ movies superhero that offers operators better protection, enhanced performance and improved situational awareness. . . . ‘We are really looking at stretching the bounds of science and technology . . . .’”

4. If I only had a brain . . . . New York Times John Markoff reports, “Computers have entered the age when they are able to learn from their own mistakes, a development that is about to turn the digital world on its head. . . . The new computing approach, already in use by some large technology companies, is based on the biological nervous system, specifically on how neurons react to stimuli and connect with other neurons to interpret information. It allows computers to absorb new information while carrying out a task, and adjust what they do based on the changing signals. In coming years, the approach will make possible a new generation of artificial intelligence systems that will perform some functions that humans do with ease . . . .”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1. Congress could slow to a crawl: “Senate Republicans still smarting from a Democratic rules change that diminished their power to block President Obama’s appointees are vowing retribution against the majority when lawmakers return to work in January. The GOP in the final weeks of the 2013 session provided a glimpse into what that might mean in 2014. Unable to block most presidential nominees because of the Democratic rule change, Republicans are using their remaining authority to slow the Senate to a crawl, delaying action on routine matters that typically pass uncontested.”

2. Re-gifting goes awry on The Hill: “Both Republicans and Democrats are looking for fresh ways to pitch old arguments as they head into the final midterm election year of Barack Obama’s presidency. . . . Republicans are looking to hammer the clumsy implementation of Obama’s health care overhaul and bemoan an economy that, while improving, still grows too slowly. . . . Democrats say they’ll run as the party of average Americans and paint Republicans as out-of-touch allies of the wealthy, with a stubborn streak that forced a partial government shutdown and still prevents practical solutions for national problems.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1. “Edward Snowden, Whistle-Blower.” New York Times Editorial Board argues, “Considering the enormous value of the information he has revealed, and the abuses he has exposed, Mr. Snowden deserves better than a life of permanent exile, fear and flight. He may have committed a crime to do so, but he has done his country a great service. It is time for the United States to offer Mr. Snowden a plea bargain or some form of clemency that would allow him to return home . . . .”

2. “What Snowden really revealed.” Aljazeera.Com contributor Murtaza Hussain argues, “Snowden’s decision to leak the details of NSA spying has revealed the fundamental deceit that lies at the heart of governance in the ‘War on Terror’ era. By raising the constant spectre of terrorism to justify every governmental power grab – cynically manipulating the existential fear of every American citizen – the agencies empowered in the post-9/11 era have slowly been transforming themselves into the real holders of power in the US government.”

3. “In 2014, a chance to overcome our national despair.” WaPo’s David Ignatius argues, “To many Americans, this was a year when the nation’s declining global power perhaps seemed a reverse image of the confident, indomitable nation that, in the popular imagination, rolled to victory in World War II. ‘The Greatest Generation’ felt like a relic not just of another century but of another nation. But let’s be frank at year-end: This sort of relentless pessimism is destructive and, what’s more important, it is inaccurate.”