The directive was signed and implemented by William H. Taft IV, who served as the Deputy Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan. Taft, a prominent figure in defense and legal circles, was known for his role in shaping U.S. military policy during the Cold War era. His tenure included significant contributions to the strategic doctrines that governed the use of weapons of mass destruction.

According to the document release, which took more than four years to get completed, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) initially had no objections to releasing the directive in full. However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff intervened, resulting in specific portions being redacted. The redactions were made under Executive Order 13526, 3.3(b)(5), which protects information that could potentially reveal active U.S. military war plans or operational elements of past plans that remain relevant.

The release of this document provides insight into U.S. chemical weapons policy during a critical period in the late 20th century. The directive explicitly details the U.S. strategy to deter the use of chemical, toxin, and biological weapons by maintaining military capabilities to retaliate effectively. It states, “The U.S. reservation to the Geneva Protocol of 1925… allows for retaliation with chemical weapons against a violator if chemical, toxin, or biological weapons are used against U.S. allies even if U.S. forces are not directly attacked.”

The directive also outlines the procedures for the deployment and employment of chemical weapons, emphasizing the importance of maintaining readiness and survivability of chemical-capable forces. For instance, it asserts that “Chemical weapons shall be employed only against suitable tactical targets of military value,” and underscores that the use of such weapons in response to enemy chemical attacks requires the approval of the President of the United States.

The redacted portions also would have seemed to have added more important context when it comes to the use of chemical weapons. For example:

In this particular portion above, you can see that the redacted portions outline the intended damage caused by a retaliatory chemical weapon strike. The paragraph later talks about the want to inflict “at least” but the next portion is redacted.

Another section talks about the “maximum effectiveness” of chemical capabilities, but the opening remarks are fully redacted.

The MDR process, which led to the release of this document, allows for the declassification of government records in response to a specific request. The Black Vault utilized this process to obtain the directive, shedding light on a piece of Cold War history that had remained hidden for decades.

The document is available below for download.

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Document Archive

 Release of the 1987 DoD Directive S-3145.2: Chemical Weapons Policy [10 Pages, 2MB]

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The post Release of the 1987 DoD Directive S-3145.2: Chemical Weapons Policy first appeared on The Black Vault.

In April of 2014, I filed a request to the Executive Office of the President – Office of Science and Technology Policy – for all emails/communications to/from Google.

It took more than two years to process, and eventually got an email stating that about 1,500 pages of material was released, and if I wanted that as responsive to my request. I agreed, and received the below package.

The document is scanned in the document order it was received. Eventually, there will be a planned indexing of the material, but for now, I wanted to add it to The Black Vault for archival purposes. It is a searchable .PDF document, so I recommend you download the file to your desktop, and search accordingly.

Documents

 Executive Office of the President – Office of Science and Technology Policy – Emails Regarding Google – 1/1/14 – 4/10/14 [1,503 Pages, 94.5MB]

About the Executive Office of the President – Office of Science and Technology Policy

Congress established the Office of Science and Technology Policy in 1976 with a broad mandate to advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The 1976 Act also authorizes OSTP to lead interagency efforts to develop and implement sound science and technology policies and budgets, and to work with the private sector, state and local governments, the science and higher education communities, and other nations toward this end.

OSTP’s Mission

The mission of the Office of Science and Technology Policy is threefold; first, to provide the President and his senior staff with accurate, relevant, and timely scientific and technical advice on all matters of consequence; second, to ensure that the policies of the Executive Branch are informed by sound science; and third, to ensure that the scientific and technical work of the Executive Branch is properly coordinated so as to provide the greatest benefit to society.

Strategic Goals and Objectives

• Ensure that Federal investments in science and technology are making the greatest possible contribution to economic prosperity, public health, environmental quality, and national security
• Energize and nurture the processes by which government programs in science and technology are resourced, evaluated, and coordinated
• Sustain the core professional and scientific relationships with government officials, academics, and industry representatives that are required to understand the depth and breadth of the Nation’s scientific and technical enterprise, evaluate scientific advances, and identify potential policy proposals
• Generate a core workforce of world-class expertise capable of providing policy-relevant advice, analysis, and judgment for the President and his senior staff regarding the scientific and technical aspects of the major policies, plans, and programs of the Federal government. (Source)

The post Executive Office of the President – Office of Science and Technology Policy – Emails Regarding Google – 1/1/14 – 4/10/14 first appeared on The Black Vault.