Here is the Executive Order, and the relevant statements about classification/de-classification authority:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/bush/eoamend.html Sec. 3.1. Authority for Declassification. (a) Information shall be declassified as soon as it no longer meets the standards for classification under this order. (b) It is presumed that information that continues to meet the classification requirements under this order requires continued protection. In some exceptional cases, however, the need to protect such information may be outweighed by the public interest in disclosure of the information, and in these cases the information should be declassified. When such questions arise, they shall be referred to the agency head or the senior agency official. That official will determine, as an exercise of discretion, whether the public interest in disclosure outweighs the damage to the national security that might reasonably be expected from disclosure. This provision does not: (1) amplify or modify the substantive criteria or procedures for classification; or (2) create any substantive or procedural rights subject to judicial review. The order also clearly states that the President and VP have classification authority: Sec. 1.3. Classification Authority. (a) The authority to classify information originally may be exercised only by: (1) the President and, in the performance of executive duties, the Vice President; (2) agency heads and officials designated by the President in the Federal Register; and (3) United States Government officials delegated this authority pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section. The Administration's argument is that the national security interest in protecting this information (again, we're not talking about Plame's identity, that isn't part of the authorized disclosure) was outweighed by the public interest in knowing about the Iraq-Niger yellowcake connection. Keeping in mind the information being disclosed was the National Intellegence Estimate about the yellowcake connection, not the identity of Valerie Plame. On 4/7/06, Loathe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > What he said, from what I read din the post today, was that they had the > right to share classified information as they saw fit. That's not the > same > thing as declassifying information. > > -- --------------- Robert Munn www.funkymojo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:203363 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
