Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: lugsoul
I said cleared to receive it.

The President is cleared to receive any classified data for the obvious reason that he's the boss of those who put on the classified secret tag.

Since there is a mountain of classified data in government, no president can possibly read through, and his underlings have intentionally withheld classified data from him for numerous reasons, any of which could be that they believe that the president would not keep it secret, they can and do keep the president off the need to know list.

My point... is that the President or his VP can downgrade any classified information if they believe that the info does not warrant secret status, And that means they can 'disseminate it to those without security clearance.'

66 posted on 10/26/2005 10:22:07 AM PDT by demlosers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies ]


To: demlosers
My point... is that the President or his VP can downgrade any classified information if they believe that the info does not warrant secret status, And that means they can 'disseminate it to those without security clearance.'

No he can't. Usually, only the originator of the information who classified it initially can downgrade it. On FOIA requests, each agency has a clearance process for releasing information. It goes through a panel, which decides what can and cannot be released.

Some levels of classification downgrade automatically through the passage of time. The bottom line is that the Pres and VP don't have carte blanche authority to declassify information. They are subject to the same rules as other members of the USG.

71 posted on 10/26/2005 10:29:55 AM PDT by kabar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson