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

Skip to comments.

Pentagon To Take Over Security Clearance Checks
AP via Military.Com ^ | 06/01/18 | Lolita C. Baldor

Posted on 06/02/2018 4:55:10 PM PDT by Enlightened1

The Defense Department is poised to take over background investigations for the federal government, using increased automation and high-tech analysis to tighten controls and tackle an enormous backlog of workers waiting for security clearances, according to U.S. officials.

The change aims to fix a system whose weaknesses were exposed by the case of a Navy contractor who gunned down a dozen people at Washington's Navy Yard in 2013. He was able to maintain a security clearance despite concerns about his mental health and an arrest that investigators never reviewed.

Problems had earlier surfaced with former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who now lives in Russia to avoid charges for disclosing classified material, and Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning, who went to prison for leaking classified documents, triggering calls to update the antiquated system to include more frequent criminal and financial checks of workers who have security clearances.

Another problem has been delays: a backlog of about 700,000 people, including high-ranking federal officials waiting as much as a year to get clearances. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, for example, received his permanent clearance just a few weeks ago, more than 16 months after Trump took office. The delay, his lawyer said, was caused by the backlog in the new administration and Kushner's extensive financial wealth, which required lengthy review.

Pentagon officials said that over the next three years, the Defense Department will take responsibility for all background investigations involving its military and civilian employees and contractors. But according to a U.S. official, the White House is expected to soon give the department authority to conduct security reviews for nearly all other government agencies as well. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision before it was publicly announced.

(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: clearances; pentagon; security; take
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last

1 posted on 06/02/2018 4:55:10 PM PDT by Enlightened1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

sounds like a good idea, especially since the FBI is still using 20th century techniques for the security clearances ...


2 posted on 06/02/2018 5:09:34 PM PDT by catnipman ((Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Do Hillary and obama still have their security clearances?


3 posted on 06/02/2018 5:19:38 PM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: catnipman

And the FBI is infested with Obama cronies.

They know that slowing down back ground checks help them keep power.


4 posted on 06/02/2018 5:33:25 PM PDT by riverrunner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 2banana
The article seems to be focused on doing background investigations on people who are waiting for clearances. But there also seems to be a ray of hope here. It references Snowden and Manning.

"Problems had earlier surfaced with former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who now lives in Russia to avoid charges for disclosing classified material, and Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning, who went to prison for leaking classified documents, triggering calls to update the antiquated system to include more frequent criminal and financial checks of workers who have security clearances."

If the Pentagon conducts even a cursory investigation into Hillary Clinton and her emails which have already been determined to have had classified information in them, and has reasonable suspicion that Obama was involved in directing the CIA, DOJ, and the FBI to spy on President Trump, then hopefully, YES - their clearances will be terminated. And perhaps a few more bad actors yet to be determined!

5 posted on 06/02/2018 5:36:26 PM PDT by Enterprise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Enterprise

.
Snowden and Manning did us big favors.

The csspool needed to be stirred.
.


6 posted on 06/02/2018 5:41:08 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: riverrunner

“And the FBI is infested with Obama cronies. They know that slowing down back ground checks help them keep power.”

yeah, i was thinking that too ...


7 posted on 06/02/2018 5:49:23 PM PDT by catnipman ((Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Good.

Take it out of the hands of the FBI.


8 posted on 06/02/2018 5:52:34 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

Zero was elected, he got his clearance because voters put him on top of the pyramid. Since Zero was on top he had the authority to appoint Hellary SOS. She promptly exempted herself from all security briefings & requirements.

Apparently character does matter as to who we elect to office, for a working majority of Americans it doesn’t!

Also before some asks or says it politicians aren’t subject to security investigations. When you the voter put them in office, they are vetted. No politician would allow himself such a pre-screening!

Why they still have any security access I assume come from courtesy and past tradition. Anyway it should stop! When you’re out of office, you’re debriefed and done unless you work on a contract that requires one! If so a reinvestigstion!


9 posted on 06/02/2018 5:58:16 PM PDT by Reily
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Enterprise

There was an FBI whistleblower who came forward years ago under Obama and claimed that THE ONES WITH BLACKMAILABLE events in their pasts were the ones cleared for certain positions. The squeaky clean candidates lost out because they could not be controlled.


10 posted on 06/02/2018 6:00:15 PM PDT by binreadin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

What good is an entire system of security clearances and information classifications if people who violate security controls (like Hillary and her entourage) are allowed to get away with it?


11 posted on 06/02/2018 6:18:43 PM PDT by Vlad The Inhaler (The only trannie I want to see is a Muncie 4 Speed M-22 Rock Crusher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: binreadin

Friend, from what we have seen lately, it does not now surprise me!


12 posted on 06/02/2018 6:31:35 PM PDT by Enterprise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Vlad The Inhaler

“What good is an entire system of security clearances and information classifications if people who violate security controls (like Hillary and her entourage) are allowed to get away with it?)

It doesn’t matter if they still have clearances, they will not/can not legally get near anything that is classified.

They have zero need to know anything that is classified.


13 posted on 06/02/2018 7:12:22 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (Trump does what is good for Americans. Then, the world gets their pants in a knot, too bad!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: 2banana
Do Hillary and obama still have their security clearances?

With all the moles they planted they certainly don't need one.

14 posted on 06/02/2018 7:26:31 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Progressives spent that time trying to destroy it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

They could easily clear 500,000 clearance by simply declassifying the crap that is not really classified.

Take the B-21 Raider. An unclassified program as it is heavily advertised and there is even a display in Northrup’s lobby, but many program engineers must have SAP clearances for it and never tough anything classified.


15 posted on 06/02/2018 7:38:46 PM PDT by CodeToad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

The NBIB (National Background Investigation Bureau) was a 2015 Obama creation.

The result was that NBIB fought over who was going to control the massive and important agency. Nothing got done. In October 2017 the NBIB stated they were 725,000 clearances behind and getting 25,000 more behind every month.


16 posted on 06/02/2018 7:40:33 PM PDT by CodeToad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad

The SAP clearances are to limit knowledge of components and operating systems of the aircraft, not the aircraft itself. Only a few individuals are usually cleared for all parts of the program.

No different from the WWII clearances for the Norden bomb sight. With the exception of the stealth fighter which had specific materials and shapes, the airframe designs usually do not have anything about them that makes them sensitive.


17 posted on 06/02/2018 8:23:29 PM PDT by RJS1950 (The democrats are the "enemies foreign and domestic" cited in the federal oath)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: riverrunner; catnipman; Mariner; binreadin
The FBI doesn't do security clearance investigations. AFAIK they have nothing to do with it other than (probably) answering a request for a file if one exists on the subject. The DIS does the investigations, see https://defensesystems.com/articles/2018/03/08/clearance-backlog-senate.aspx
18 posted on 06/02/2018 8:36:25 PM PDT by palmer (...if we do not have strong families and strong values, then we will be weak and we will not survive)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Grampa Dave
It doesn’t matter if they still have clearances, they will not/can not legally get near anything that is classified.

Understood.

But the damage has already been done from back when Hillary and others did have access.

And laws are only as good as the people who administer and enforce them.

And right now we see that has been, and still is, a big problem.


19 posted on 06/03/2018 3:57:43 AM PDT by Vlad The Inhaler (The only trannie I want to see is a Muncie 4 Speed M-22 Rock Crusher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: catnipman

During Clinton, the FBI used the “give me a phone number to call” technique. The person on the other end would always give a glowing report which was accepted on face value. Clearance granted, millions of tax payer dollars saved to help the homeless and needy ...


20 posted on 06/03/2018 4:47:08 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

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