Schwartz on Bahraini and Bosnian Jewish Diplomats, Secrecy News (Washington), April 28, 2008

CIP In the News: Schwartz on Bahraini and Bosnian Jewish Diplomats, Secrecy News (Washington), April 28, 2008

SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2008, Issue No. 41
April 28, 2008

Secrecy News Blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

Support Secrecy News
http://www.fas.org/sgp/donate.html

** RESOURCES ON THE ISRAELI STRIKE IN SYRIA
** A NEW AMBASSADOR FROM BAHRAIN
** HEARING ON SECRET LAW
** PRESIDENTIAL CLAIMS OF EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, AND MORE FROM CRS

RESOURCES ON THE ISRAELI STRIKE IN SYRIA

The September 6, 2007 Israeli strike against a suspected Syrian nuclear
facility remains a puzzle despite the confident assertion by U.S.
intelligence officials last week that the target was a Syrian reactor
constructed for the production of plutonium with the assistance of
North Korea.

An extensive, frequently updated collection of open source materials on
the subject -- including foreign and domestic news reports, satellite
imagery and analysis -- has been compiled by Allen Thomson in "A
Sourcebook on the Israeli Strike in Syria, 6 September 2007" (currently
812 pages in a 15 MB PDF file):

http://www.fas.org/man/eprint/syria.pdf

An updated bibliography of Syrian nuclear science research, from
reactor safety to laser isotope separation, was prepared by researcher
Mark Gorwitz. See "Syrian Nuclear Science Bibliography: Open
Literature Citations," April 2008:

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/syria/biblio.pdf

A list of all cooperative agreements between the International Atomic
Energy Agency and the Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, also compiled
by Mr. Gorwitz, is here:

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/syria/iaea-syria.pdf

The web site of the Atomic Energy Commission of Syria is here:

http://www.aec.org.sy/index_e.php

A NEW AMBASSADOR FROM BAHRAIN

The next ambassador from Bahrain to the United States will be a Jewish
woman named Huda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, according to a report in
GulfNews.com last week.

"Huda is Bahrain's nominee for the post and this is of course very good
news for Bahrain's deep-rooted values of tolerance and openness," said
Faisal Fouladh of the Shura Council, the upper house of Bahrain's
legislature. The Shura Council currently includes 11 women, including
one Christian.

See "Bahrain set to name Jewish woman envoy" by Habib Toumi, GulfNews,
April 25:

http://archive.gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/10208344.html

Alone among Muslim countries, Bahrain and Bosnia have Jewish diplomats
in senior positions, said Stephen S. Schwartz of the Center for Islamic
Pluralism (www.islamicpluralism.org).

HEARING ON SECRET LAW

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing April 30 on the
subject of "secret law."

"It's been nearly forty years since Professor Kenneth Davis stated in
his seminal treatise on administrative law that 'Secret law is an
abomination'," according to a Committee announcement.

"The upcoming hearing will examine the extent to which this abomination
is gradually becoming a common state of affairs, and its effect on our
democracy."

The hearing will be chaired by Sen. Russ Feingold. I will be
testifying, along with J. William Leonard, the former director of the
Information Security Oversight Office, and a diverse group of others.
See "Secret Law and the Threat to Democratic and Accountable
Government":

http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=3305

PRESIDENTIAL CLAIMS OF EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, AND MORE FROM CRS

Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that
have not been made readily available to the public include the
following.

"Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S.
Military in Africa," updated March 10, 2008:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34003.pdf

"High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High Power Microwave
(HPM) Devices: Threat Assessments," updated March 26, 2008:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32544.pdf

"Second FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations for Military Operations,
International Affairs, and Other Purposes," April 15, 2008:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34451.pdf

"Iraq: Regional Perspectives and U.S. Policy," updated April 4, 2008:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33793.pdf

"Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues
for Congress," March 28, 2008:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL34387.pdf

"Major U.S. Arms Sales and Grants to Pakistan Since 2001" (fact sheet),
updated April 23, 2008:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/pakarms.pdf

"Pakistan-U.S. Relations," updated March 27, 2008:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33498.pdf

"Presidential Claims of Executive Privilege: History, Law, Practice and
Recent Developments," updated April 16, 2008:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/RL30319.pdf

Islam's past                                               Islam's present                             Islam's future

    Photos: Stephen Schwartz
Turkish mosque in Romania                            Wahhabi vandalism at mosque in Kosova                     New mosque in Kazakhstan

Center for Islamic Pluralism-Washington, DC

Islam's past Islam's present Islam's future Photos: Stephen Schwartz Turkish mosque in Romania Wahhabi vandalism at mosque in Kosova New mosque in Kazakhstan

Center for Islamic Pluralism-Washington, DC

Islam's past Islam's present Islam's future

Photos: Stephen Schwartz
Turkish mosque in Romania Wahhabi vandalism at mosque in Kosova New mosque in Kazakhstan