Latest Snowden Leaks Detail The 'Black Budget' And How Much The Gov't Wastes On Useless Surveillance [View all]

[dkf]

from the i-could-use-me-a-black-budget-too dept

Barton Gellman and Greg Miller over at the Washington Post have the latest scoops from the Ed Snowden leaks, in which it appears they've been able to go through the details of the infamous "black budget," detailing the money that is spent on intelligence operations. Apparently, the total budget is around $52.6 billion this year (which actually is a bit lower than I would have expected, but is apparently twice what the budget was back in 2001). There's also another $23 billion spent on "intelligence programs that more directly support the U.S. military."

Not surprisingly, the Post agreed to leave most of the document unpublished and is careful not to reveal anything really damaging (i.e., sources and methods), but the results are still quite revealing. Of course, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is still angry, arguing that any info from the budget "could provide insight for foreign intelligence services to discern our top national priorities, capabilities and sources and methods." Blah, blah, blah. Someone doesn't like being held accountable. Others point out that discussing the budget seems quite reasonable. The post quotes Lee Hamilton, the former chair of the 9/11 commission (and former chair of the House Intelligence Committee), who argues that having this info public is important to having an informed public debate on the surveillance state. That's the only way that the intelligence community can be held accountable.

And, actually, what the budget reveals is a rather stunning lack of accountability for the budget -- much of it going to the CIA. While many people had assumed that the CIA had been diminishing in power and authority within the intelligence community (especially in relation to the NSA), it turns out that its budget has been growing and growing, and is much more than the NSA's. Furthermore, the CIA has basically been transformed from an "intelligence" agency into a "paramilitary force."

And for all this funding, with so little accountability, it should come as no surprise to find out that much of this money appears to be wasted, and not particularly effective.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130829/10405424350/latest-snowden-leaks-detail-black-budget-how-much-govt-wastes-useless-surveillance.shtml