The truth is out there. Here are a few places where you can find it. Secrecy Fighter's Web Guide by Jon Elliston Dossier Editor pscpdocs@aol.com Secrecy is under siege in cyberspace. Anti-secrecy activists have capitalized on the power of the Internet, establishing online resources that provide unprecedented opportunities for unmasking hidden government activity. ParaScope strives to take advantage of these research tools in our Dossier features, and we are proud to present the Secrecy Fighter's Web Guide -- a review of the top ten online weapons for waging war on official secrecy. Federation of American Scientists Government Secrecy Project The Federation of American Scientists, a Washington, D.C.-based group of experienced national security researchers, operates the ultimate online expose on government secrecy issues. FAS's Government Secrecy Project site provides a wealth of data and documents on classification and covert action policies, and features up-to-date analysis that makes a persuasive case for greater official openness. "The Cold War secrecy system remains deeply entrenched in American government," FAS argues. FAS and online resources like the project's monthly "Secrecy & Government Bulletin" equip citizens with the vital information needed to challenge Washington's traditional disdain for disclosure. National Security Archive Don't be intimidated by the name -- Washington, D.C.'s National Security Archive is not some shadowy spy agency. In fact, the NSA is the home of the largest non-governmental collection of U.S. foreign policy records in existence. Since launching its operations in 1985, it has done more than any other group to pry secret documents from the clutches of such agencies as the National Security Council, the CIA, and the Departments of State and Defense. The researchers at the non-profit NSA are expert users of the Freedom of Information Act, and the records released to the group under the FOIA and in response to NSA lawsuits have included many of the most exciting Cold War history disclosures of the past decade. The NSA's holdings include key records relating to the Cuban missile crisis, the Iran-Contra scandal, the FBI's COINTELPRO operations, "Iraqgate," nuclear policy, the drug war, and CIA activity in dozens of countries. Due to a precedent-setting legal challenge spearheaded by the NSA, the electronic mail messages of the Reagan and Bush administrations were released to the public. A major force in the battle against government secrecy, the NSA recently established a site online where you can survey NSA's groundbreaking collections, learn about the group's history and mission, and sample some of their most revealing records. Project Censored If you don't trust the mainstream media to keep you fully informed, this is the site for you. Every year, Project Censored issues a report on the top ten censored stories -- the hidden abuses, be they government or corporate, that fail to receive the coverage they deserve. At PC's site you can review past censored stories and get the scoop on the "news that did not make the news." ParaScope's FOIA Help Center The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a key tool for opponents of government secrecy, but many citizens are hesitant to make use of the FOIA, wary of the complicated procedures involved in requesting official documents. ParaScope is pleased to present the FOIA Help Center, which explains the law and puts you on the fast track to writing effective requests to the government agencies you want to investigate. Our site features a handy how-to guide, tips from FOIA experts, and ParaScope's specially designed "FOIA-matic" request generator, which is guaranteed to simplify your FOIA effort. The Consortium One of the most exciting recent additions to online publishing, The Consortium is the main outlet for veteran reporter Robert Parry, who during the 1980s exposed many of the Reagan administration abuses that culminated in the Iran-Contra scandal. Parry, who cut his journalistic teeth working for the Associated Press, Newsweek, and PBS's Frontline, says he founded The Consortium "to correct the distorted historical record left behind by a news media that has lost its way and forgotten its constitutional duty to inform the American people." His web 'zine takes a look behind the veil of government secrecy, and provides top-notch investigative reports on foreign and domestic scandals that too often go unreported in other news publications. Department of Energy's OpenNet Database Strange as it may seem, we've selected the Energy Department's online archive as one of the hottest anti-secrecy sites. Under the leadership of Secretary Hazel O'Leary, the DOE has done more than any other government agency to place once-secret records on the Internet. OpenNet's main draw is a database of documents on human radiation experiments conducted in the past, but the site also features information on current research involving human subjects. President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection In a direct response to the public outcry for more information that followed the release of Oliver Stone's popular film JFK, in 1992 Congress passed the Assassination Records Collection Act, landmark legislation in the history of government accountability. The law mandated a government-wide effort to declassify documents related to President Kennedy's murder, and during the last four years hundreds of thousands of pages have been released. At the official web site, you can search a comprehensive electronic index of the documents. Got a hunch about who killed Kennedy? Begin your investigation by visiting this remarkable online database. CovertAction Quarterly CovertAction Quarterly, a magazine that has for years probed the secret foreign ventures of the Defense Department and the intelligence community, provides online samples of its extensively researched investigative articles at this site. In addition to examining clandestine activities abroad, CovertAction explores the domestic impact of secret government and corporate schemes. Center for Defense Information An independent monitor of the military, since 1972 the Center for Defense Information has researched the Pentagon's spending, policies, and interventions around the globe. Led by former high-ranking military officers, the CDI offers a valuable critique of U.S. defense strategies. The CDI site is packed with data, congressional statements, government reports and analysis that challenge the Defense Department to justify its billion-dollar projects and procurements. As an informed, professional opponent of the Pentagon's "black budget" for secret spending, the CDI offers credible information for secrecy fighters. Reforming U.S. Military Secrecy This useful site, maintained by anti-secrecy agitator Paul McGinnis, has links to dozens of online reservoirs of data on military secrecy. McGinnis has compiled some fascinating information on the subject himself, and visitors to the site can access a list of classified military programs, review some likely "classified areas" in the United States, and learn how to spot secret military maneuvers. Dossier: Covert Ops & Secret Documents