dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

(NEW) Military responds to Freedom Info request for 'After Action' Report on Afghanistan withdrawal

DATED: JUNE 11, 2023 BY SHARYL ATTKISSON

FOIA case number 22-F-0396

Ms. Joo Chung*, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy Civil Liberties, and Transparency (PCLT)

Office of the Secretary of Defense

4800 Mark Center Drive, Mailbox #24

Alexandria, VA 22350-1700.

Ms Chung:

This is to appeal the response to my FOIA request (case listed above) on two grounds.

The response may be incomplete. It seems unlikely that in the month following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the sole communications, documents and materials relating to the action are three pages.

The redactions of the three pages provided, two of them fully redacted or blank, are unwarranted. Almost all of the redactions are made under the b(6) exemption claiming "a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy of the individuals involved.” However, so much information is redacted, that it is impossible to identify any individuals involved. Therefore, information such as the date of the communications, is clearly responsive and cannot possibly be properly redacted using that exemption code. Other responsive information that is improperly redacted incudes the list of people who sent and received the communications. The existence of at least some of the names on the email and/or their divisions is not a private matter, and the release of their names and/or division does not constitute an invasion of personal privacy, particularly for those acting in their official taxpayer-paid capacity and in response to an event of great public interest.

As you know, there has been repeated guidance within the Executive Branch that great deference should be given to the public’s right to see the business conducted by those hired and paid on its behalf, and that the presumption should be one that leans toward openness and transparency, with redactions or withholding only in extraordinary circumstances. Similarly, if any additional documents are being withheld, the agency is required to state that fact, provide reasons, and release every part of each document that cannot legitimately fall under an exemption.

I hope you will give a look to the communications on these two counts and provide a better, prompt, more lawful response.

Sincerely,

Sharyl Attkisson

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* ANOTHER FUCKIN' JOO… EVERY FUCKIN' TIME!