TELLER ON SECRECY

Physicist Edward Teller, who died September 9, was a forceful critic of
government secrecy, particularly secrecy in scientific matters, which he
considered self-defeating and detrimental to the national interest.

"A short time ago, the Soviet Union was the most secretive organization in the
world; it no longer exists," he wrote in 1992.

"This puts the United States in the uncomfortable position of holding the
record in secrecy.  It is urgent that we do something about this situation...."
 (Issues in Science and Technology, Vol. IX, No. 1, Fall 1992, p. 6).

"Our keeping of secrets has often misled and confused our own people but has
been ineffective in denying information to our enemies or competitors."

"Let us pass a law requiring all secret documents to be published one year
after their issuance," he proposed, to no visible effect.

Teller was a contributor to the 1970 Defense Science Board Task Force Report on
Secrecy, which remains one of the best short critiques of national security
classification policy.  The text of the Report is posted here:

     http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/dsbrep.html

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