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April 10, 2006

An Update On My Thus-Far Futile FOIA Requests of the Department of Homeland Security

O
n September 6, 2005, I submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Homeland Security for documents pertaining to Purple Crescent and Purple Crescent II, two pre-Katrina exercises sponsored by DHS that modeled government responses to the scenario of a disastrous hurricane in New Orleans followed by a terrorist attack of the conventional or cyber variety. I said at the time that I wasn't holding my breath.

Good thing I wasn't. Months went by with no response at all from DHS. I followed up and was told about two months ago that the information officer in charge of the request would be meeting that very day with a DHS attorney about the Purple Crescent requests. Since then, nothing. I've inquired twice more since then, and have gotten no response at all.

I worked for the federal government, and therefore understand that by far the likeliest explanation for the delay is just bureaucratic inertia and the press of other business. I'm now starting to wonder, though, whether maybe there isn't something about these Purple Crescent exercises that DHS would prefer we didn't talk about.

UPDATE: By email, I've been promised a response from DHS by this Thursday. The sound you hear is me not holding my breath.

Posted by Eric at April 10, 2006 8:49 AM

Comments

at what point does inertia subvert the intent of the law?

i've worked in government, too...but i've gotten increasingly disillusioned by the possibility of FOIA actually providing legitimate accountability for this reason. might information delayed be information denied?

Posted by: sly civilian at April 10, 2006 9:34 AM

delays in responses to FOIA requests!?!! it's ridiculous. you shouldn't have to file suit to get relief on standard requests just because the information sought is politically sensitive.

Posted by: nc_litigator at April 10, 2006 4:20 PM

Will you ask a court to compel them to comply with your request? Where are you going to take this one?

Posted by: Chris Bray at April 11, 2006 2:52 AM

Watch out, Michelle Malkin might do a post on you claiming that your part of some tinfoil hate conspiracy theory brigade or something.

Posted by: Tommykey at April 12, 2006 12:57 AM