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Classified Spending Still High, Report Says

August 01, 2007 1:05 PM

Classifiedspen_mn

The U.S. government continues to spend money in secret at record levels, according to a new analysis.

Total spending on classified programs -- secret weapons, spying operations, eavesdropping satellites and the like -- is expected to be around $31.9 billion next year, roughly on par with spending from the past two years, according to the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), a Washington, D.C.-based defense think tank.

That "black budget," as it's known, covers the expenses for agencies like the CIA, the eavesdropping National Security Agency (NSA), the satellite-making National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

It also pays for some of the controversial intelligence operations that have come to light over the past few years, said Steven Aftergood, an expert in government secrecy and classification with the Federation of American Scientists.

"The CIA's black prison sites, the NSA's Terrorist Surveillance Program -- all of those are concealed within the Department of Defense's classified budget," Aftergood said.  Although the CIA is not a Defense Department agency, its classified budget is included within the Pentagon's request to Congress, Aftergood explained.

The Defense Department does not release information on most of its black budget, so the nonpartisan CSBA compared budget totals in the Pentagon's 2008 spending request to the sum of the individual expenses it listed.  The difference between the two figures, when totaled with the costs of secret programs identified in the request by code name only, made up the total, the group said.

The task may become easier, however: the recently-passed Sept. 11 security bill, awaiting President Bush's signature, mandates the disclosure of the current year's National Intelligence Program budget, which would provide more accurate figures for the nation's total classified spending.

Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?

August 1, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (31)

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Wake up Americans! Our money being used on things we don't even know about! and what they do spend it on should make all of us ANGRY!...let's take back this country!!!

Posted by: stephen | Aug 1, 2007 2:04:04 PM

oh yeah thats real smart take back the country! If it was not for the secret spending we would have lost World War II, and you would be saying hale hitler. Of course if you dont have blonde hair and blue eyes you would not be saying anything

Posted by: joe | Aug 1, 2007 2:17:41 PM

If the United States ever actually spent the money it has on hand to actually nurture this nation, there would be no more hunger or poverty within our borders. The kind of spending reported in this report is appalling and the closest thing I can think of to an actual assault upon our nation (minus buildings falling on the morning news).

Posted by: GreedRulesUS | Aug 1, 2007 2:17:51 PM

Hold on! Black project budgeting dates back to WWII. It got it's name from black felt tip pens used to black-out specific projects, contractors and project locations. They are important to protect the contractor's identify and not make them a target for attack from both the enemy or vengeful Congress. Let our Commanders command and stop the micro-management.

On the other hand, the fact that black project budgets are in-line with past eyar budgets is not news! Why in the hell is the ABC blotter even reporting this?

God bless our Troops!
tmblweed

Posted by: tmblweedtx | Aug 1, 2007 2:36:25 PM

Many secret programs are simply experimental or research which is fine but the problem is that the majority of these are vacuums for money that defense contractors suck up. And they do it big time. Imagine what a couple billion of that $32 billion could do for port and border security. It would be a nearly overnight change but enforcing our border laws has never been on the agenda of Bush. And "Joe", calm down and I'll try to get a little of that $32 billion to by you a beer. But being critical of this huge amount of secret spending DOES NOT mean that we do not understand that some secret programs have helped us fight tyranny like the Nazi's.

Posted by: Brent | Aug 1, 2007 2:52:23 PM

We have the capability today of feeding, clothing, and housing all mankind. There are always hidden agendas for those of wealth to keep the little guy down. These secret budgets are a means to take our hard earned tax dollars and reward the wealthy business men who lobby for government support. The government no longer works for the good of the public which is its definition but rather to those who can best improve their wallets.

Posted by: BIGBARRYW | Aug 1, 2007 2:57:17 PM

BUSH MUST BE IMPEECHED AND THEN ARRESTED

Posted by: BD | Aug 1, 2007 3:26:54 PM

hale Hitler ??? Try hail... the point that it is OUR money is well made. The government should fully account for all of the money we give them. That doesn't mean they need to reveal the specifics of clandestine operations. It's a dangerous world and we need covert ops, however that doesn't mean that billions go into secret funds that no one can account for. Don't be naive in believing that all the money goes toward protecting us from unknown enemies. Governments must be held to account, or history shows they will abuse the privilege.

Posted by: Ian | Aug 1, 2007 3:34:18 PM

GreedRulesUS, there will always be hunger and poverty. No amount of government aid will erase that issue. Our government must focus on protecting the rest of us.

Posted by: Brad | Aug 1, 2007 3:45:28 PM

I am actually pretty liberal and I think that as long as these programs have oversite, I am fine with them. There are some things/people/ops that we can’t know about. If we knew about them then they would not be effective. That is simply reality.

Posted by: Stacy | Aug 1, 2007 4:16:33 PM

AWESOME-

We should likely be spending a lot more as there are some some technologies that could use a big push - like solid state lasers, battlefield robotics, and High impact non-lethal weapons to be used against terrorists.

BRAVO Bush Admin!!

Posted by: duhize | Aug 1, 2007 4:22:49 PM

For 6 1/2 years the Bush Administration has been stealing money with the help of the GOP. Must was for pay offs and pipe lines to steal Iraq oil. When the American people find out how much has been stolen by the White House and GOP it will be in the Trillions. Now deals were made and the US has to pay. The Weapons that the Saudis and Israel are getting were pay offs. Bush/Cheney has made deals to give away US money and Weapons. Remember how Iraq got their US Weapons. Remember when the Saudi's called Cheney to come to meet them right before Thanksgiving? That was for Cheney to make sure the deal was going to happen even with a new Senate and Congress. We are paying these countries off so Cheney can build the pipe lines to steal Iraq oil. No media station has said a word about the Israel involvement. Yes Israel will be given more weapons to attack the Palestinians to make sure Israel steals the land. If only the American people would read they would see that Israel with the help of the UK/US stole the land back in the 1940's with the help of the UN. It's been down hill from then.

Posted by: Jackie | Aug 1, 2007 4:25:57 PM

Hey Greed Rules -

We have spent over $12 TRILLION to end poverty since 1964' "Great Society" debacle. Few in this country are hungry - in fact many homless in the big cities (Chicago, DC, LA, NY, SF) are making $200 per day cash begging in the streets.

You need to wake up to the real world my friend - you are being duped to feel guilty about what you have. It is a form of brainwashing that liberals love and that leads to you having a miserable life. DONT DO IT!!

Posted by: duhize | Aug 1, 2007 4:26:51 PM

Bush should be locked up in Guantanamo, he doesn't deserve to be on American soil. He doesn't care about this Country and its welfare or he woulda gotten off his tail instead of sitting in that classroom on 9.11 for SEVEN MINUTES!! No excuse in an excuse for that treason. It's the same as hearing a window shatter at your home, sitting and not reacting to it. The American people are a means to his ends. If you defend him, I bet youre also in a pew every Sunday. The correlation is predictable and tragic.

Posted by: samiam | Aug 1, 2007 4:38:29 PM

I do not trust our administration. I want them out of power.

Posted by: Marilyn | Aug 1, 2007 4:59:57 PM

Get a clue!!!

Not many understand the world they live in. There is a lot of people that live to hurt others.

Posted by: Dave Otten | Aug 1, 2007 5:13:50 PM

I do believe it's "Heil" Oddly enough a German word. Go figure. Homer Simpson is alive and well in the US.

Posted by: Emmett | Aug 1, 2007 5:26:23 PM

I live in a city where about half of the homeless are disabled, either mentally or physically. A lot of them are war Veterans. Most of them have simply lost hope. I live in Virginia Beach, and in the cold months you can see them all over our oceanfront, huddled in corners of alleyways, or in overpasses. Don't tell me that these people make 200 dollars a day panhandling. These people are homeless because they are unable to work, and no one cares.

We should be spending our tax dollars here, taking care of those that cannot help themselves. What is the point of protecting our society from those outside who would harm us, if we allow our culture to become dispicable.

Posted by: Dawn | Aug 1, 2007 5:51:32 PM

With any other president, I don't think this spending would be an issue, but, like his father, this one has too many black-ops things going on. And the assumption that all of this spending was going to increase our security or even benefit the U.S., would be wrong. This president is a criminal who cannot be trusted.

Posted by: DaveM | Aug 1, 2007 6:06:34 PM

What is GAO's function? Let them audit these black projects. It's taxpayers money. Go to court & force them to disclose it better, stop all of this nonsense of black project and no accountability. Seems like Bush is very famous for it. one of his many corrupt legacies.

Posted by: marc | Aug 1, 2007 6:18:38 PM

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