White Paper on Security

The first draft of Church Publishing’s White Paper on Security is complete but needs to be edited, especially its long bibliography. Media requests.

Update:

Monday August 11, a request for information was formally submitted to The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Intelligence and Analysis, to obtain a definition of Pursuit Lead Cable.

While the definition of Pursuit Lead Cable is not central to “On Security,” for a DHS component having over $300 million dollars in annual budget authority, it would go a long way toward the paper’s costs analysis. Does it mean 54 domestic terrorist suspects were apprehended as a result of these notices, were any additional people arrested?

In DHS’s Fiscal Year 2015 “Budget-in-Brief,” after Service to the Public its Analysis and Operations Division lists FY 2013 Accomplishments as “Disseminated 54 DHS Pursuit Lead Cables.”

In two telephone calls Church placed to The Department of Homeland Security requesting a definition of Pursuit Lead Cable like what it is, which departments, offices, agencies, or bureaus they’re disseminated to, if there’s judicial review, and what’s intended for each Pursuit Lead Cable outcome, plus an email sent to mediainquiry@dhs.gov, Church Publishing failed to receive a reply after communicating that it wished to publish “On Security” today, 8/11/2014.

“On Security” will be published within three days of receipt of this information or September 8th, 2014- whichever comes sooner. Unfortunately, confirmation of receipt of this Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request has not been expediently received from Homeland.

Second Update: 9-9-14

An acknowledgment of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made to The Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis was received 21 hours ago by ▲Church Publishing.

Further delaying white paper On Security Church is now required to resubmit its request to Homeland Security for information on Pursuit Lead Cable. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is “limited to requiring agencies to provide access to reasonably described, non-exempt records.” Church Publishing’s request was reasonably described.

An FOIA Officer explained The Act does not require its government to answer questions. Instead, FOIA requires government officials to release documents. A “perfected request” may include a document title or reference number but if the request for public information has to include a description of unseen records then it would be impossible for Americans to obtain any information without a government leak. Church Publishing can describe information its seeks inside a document but it has no way to describe that document.

Church discovered NO OTHER DOCUMENTS reference Pursuit Lead Cable. Moreover, Church wrote letters and placed telephone calls to appropriate DHS Offices as media requests before formally requesting this information as part of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Information requested from DHS was listed as one of its FY15 accomplishments, “Issued 54 Pursuit Lead Cables.” To make their jobs easier, Church made a more specific FOIA request than what’s a Pursuit Lead Cable? But here’s DHS’s response:

FOIA request 2014-IAFO-0246 Acknowledgement letter
Acknowledgement of FOIA request 2014-IAFO-0246

Third Update: 9-16-14

In another letter dated September 9th referenced by DHS on September 11th and received by Church on September 12th, Homeland Security claimed to be processing this request for information pertaining to Pursuit Lead Cable despite any second request. A DHS employee said separately, “If any responsive records are located they will be reviewed for determination of releaseability.”

Church fans and Americans awaiting insight into accomplishments of a new, $60 billion cabinet-level Department since 9/11, in complying with this FOIA request DHS has requested your patience. While waiting, direct media requests to Church.