Read more from Primary Sources: The VICE News FOIA Blog.This week, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) turned over documents to VICE News about a "precision strike program" to provide Yemeni military with equipment so it could operate its own targeted killings of suspected terrorists.The takeaway after reviewing the documents: There's nothing to see here — literally. Of the more than 1,000 FOIA requests I have filed with dozens of government agencies, this is the first response I received in which everything, with the exception of some titles, has been excised."Talking Points": redacted. "Key messages": redacted. "Why is this important to CENTCOM": redacted. "Supplemental Talking Points": Big redaction. "Background Information": Even bigger redaction. Emails: nothing but white space. All of the records are marked "Unclassified/FOUO," which means For Official Use Only.That it took nearly a year for CENTCOM to process 35 pages in response to this FOIA request — 15 pages were completely devoid of substance — is an excellent example of why FOIA is in dire need of reform. To justify the withholdings, CENTCOM often cited Exemption 5, which applies to government records that are part of a behind-the-scenes "deliberative" decision-making process, and which covers any "inter-agency or intra-agency memorandums or letters," drafts, and attorney-client records. It's a discretionary exemption that government agencies can waive in favor of disclosure, but transparency advocates say it is one of the most abused of FOIA's nine exemptions.How a FOIA bill could force more government transparency. Read more here.In 2013, according to statistics compiled by the Associated Press, the use of Exemption 5 reached an all-time high: 81,752 instances, accounting for 12 percent of all the open-records requests government agencies processed in 2013 that resulted in denials.BuzzFeed first reported details about the precision strike program in Yemen last March. The story cited a two-page CENTCOM memorandum dated February 3, 2014 that was obtained by reporter Aram Roston. It said the "Precision Strike" program for Yemen would "greatly enhance counter terrorism (CT) objectives to support action against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula" (AQAP).Earlier this week, AQAP posted a video taking credit for the recent Charlie Hebdoattacks in Paris.As BuzzFeed reported, the "precision strike program" "would arm the Yemen Air Force with a fleet of 10 rugged, two-seater propeller planes of a type usually used as crop dusters. The specially modified versions for the Yemeni program would be armed with laser-guided missiles and high-tech electronic intelligence equipment."Being mad about cartoons was not what motivated the Charlie Hebdo murderers. Read more here.CENTCOM gave us the same two-page memorandum BuzzFeed obtained. But CENTCOM redacted portions of it, citing Exemption 5. CENTCOM also redacted an entire section titled "Weapon/Munition Requirement" and a footnote, even though that information remains unredacted in the copy of the memo BuzzFeed posted online nearly a year ago.In 2013, Obama said that his administration is "the most transparent administration in history."Follow Jason Leopold on Twitter: @JasonLeopoldRead more from Primary Sources: The VICE News FOIA Blog.
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