This week, Donald Rumsfeld posted hundreds of government documents –many formerly classified– on his website to promote his book sales. As Sharon Weinberger, John Prados, and others have pointed out, this mass declassification –though legal under Executive Order 13526— feels a bit like a slap in the face to those who frequently file FOIA requests. The Archive long ago requested the Rumsfeld snowflakes. A handful of requests were granted, and some were denied (strange considering the snowflakes were unclassified), but most are still pending review.
At any rate, Rumsfeld’s website does provide a wealth of documents, ranging from the Ford to W. Bush administrations. Many will be of great value to historians.
And then, there’s this one. (more…)
