Limiting state secrets

When the Obama administration came to office, it was expected that it would not
endorse or follow the Bush policy, and that of administrations over the past
half-century, on state secrets. But almost immediately, the Obama Justice
Department took the position that while it would be careful and scrutinize its
state-secrets claims, it did not change that policy substantively. The attorney
general argued that open litigation would threaten intelligence work.

The state secrets claim by executive officials has been arbitrarily followed
since the Supreme Court adopted it in mid-20th century, and in effect waived
the fundamental power of judicial review by doing so. The current case will be
appealed, presumably; but it would be preferable if the Obama administration,
through its Justice Department, rejected the policy of demanding the exclusive
right to determine state secrets claims. In cases warranting true state
secrecy, there are preferable ways for protecting genuine executive concerns.
Congress has had legislation pending for several years (stalled for the past
year) stating those exceptions as well as alternatives to the blanket executive
claim of state secrets.

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