Obama Administration Weighs Nixing 'Confidential' Classification

NBC News ^ | April 13, 2016 | by Ken Dilanian

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The nation's top intelligence official is considering letting spy agencies drop the lowest level of classification, "confidential," in an effort to shrink the gusher of secret documents flowing out of their offices.

The proposal by James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, comes amid a simmering controversy over classified information that found its way on to the home email system used by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state.

In a memorandum sent last month to directors of the CIA and four other intelligence agencies, Clapper told them to "to take a leading role in reducing targeted classification activities."

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[driftdiver]

I know from personal experience far too much information is classified. Simply getting rid of “confidential” wont do much as it would simply become Sensitive but unclassified.

Pretty much the same security requirements.

From what I’ve read most of Hillarys email server data was Top Secret and above.

[sparklite2]

Ever since my days spent dealing with classified material, I’ve believed government wildly over-classifies everything.
While I could see the possible need for it in the military, fedguv domestically operates in a permanent CYA, opaque manner. Of course, to do otherwise sharply decreases the opportunity for graft.

[Bobby_Taxpayer]

Will probably push that info to be marked secret, not SBU.

[Innovative]

Let’s not classify anything — let our enemies know everything we are doing in all details. Brilliant move! (/sarc)

[driftdiver]

Secret is higher than Confidential. Maybe it would be pushed up.

If their goal is reducing the classified information it would go down. Seems to me anyway.

[sparklite2]

The ratio of national security classification to “it would make someone look bad” classification is about 1:30.

[rdcbn]

The Obama Administration is trying to diffuse the damage done by Hillary Clinton's email leaks.

If most of her emails were “confidential” , the Obama Administration can say that they are trying to abolish “confidential “ classification so what's the big deal.

[William Tell]

I won’t be able to properly evaluate the recommendations made in this article until I know what level of classification applies to Obama’s original birth registration document.

[Hulka]

There is Confidential, Secret and Top Secret.
That’s it.
“Above Top Secret” is an invention.
It is TS with caveates, but it is still Top Secret.
Confidential is a classification level that is not Secret.
Reporters and obummer, and others should know better—they are trying to mitigate Hitlery’s guilt.

[pfflier]

So, the unintended consequence will be marking everything “secret” that used to be “confidential”.

[phormer phrog phlyer]

Let’s reinvent our world because of Mrs. Clinton.

[pfflier]

Thanks for getting this out. I have done battle many times with people who are unaware but "should know better".

They think of secret as the broad classification of everything that the government doesn't want to disclose. They are surprised and even shocked to hear of the different gradients of classification and that "above Top Secret" only exists in cheap spy novels and in the movies.

It may be worth mentioning "For Official Use Only" is also a method of controlling information. FOUO is unclassified information that when associated with other unclassified information, could allow deduction of classified plans or actions.

Given the administration's ignorance of such matters, I believe that FOUO is truly the category they think they are trying to eliminate.

You nailed their motive too, to bail out the hildabeast.

[Petrosius]

Not a good idea. When we received information from foreign governments with a classification that we do not have then we must treat it with our next higher classification. For instance, when I was in the Army we had some British magazines that were marked "Restricted." This was basically "not for public distribution." For the Brits this would include professional literature that was distributed to the troops but was not available to the public. This stuff could be out in the open in the barracks without any concerns. But since the U.S. does not have a "Restricted" classification we had to treat it as if it were "Confidential" and keep it locked in the safe. If we got rid of "Confidential" then we would have to treat all foreign source "Confidential" material as if it were marked "Secret."

[unlearner]

Shell game designed to make it look like Clinton’s systematic breach of natural security was merely to cut through bureaucratic red tape.

Other people went to prison for much less.

Obama and Clinton are for two Americas. One for the elite. One for the rest of us.

[pfflier]

I though the phantom phlyers, pherrets, phuelers and phixers had a lock on that. We are in good company with CH-46 phlyers.

[MtnClimber]

I think you would have to declassify everything to fix Hillary’s problem.

[Secret Agent Man]

There are still plenty,of other things these would,fall under.

Noforn, internal use only, like,you said unclas but sensitive, etc

The only reason to get rid of it is so people like Clinton don’t have charges thrown at them for removing classified info.

[Political Junkie Too]

Let the FOIA games begin!

-PJ

[Talisker]

Let’s reinvent our world because of Mrs. Clinton.

That's been going on for over a quarter of a century.