FOIA Case Log for the Department of State, 2011

Office of Information Programs and Services
A/GIS/IPS/RL
U. S. Department of State
Washington, D. C. 20522-8100

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

I hereby request a log of all FOIA cases for the Department of State between January 01, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

While the Department of State has published FOIA logs for 2005 through 2010, the Department of State does not have information available for 2011 despite the Department of State chief Freedom of Information Act officer writing in your agency’s 2012 annual FOIA report-- written and published over a year ago-- “In the future, ... the FY 2011 FOIA Logs will be posted.” [LINK http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/185820.pdf, Page 7]

If you regard these documents as potentially exempt from disclosure requirements, I request that you nonetheless exercise your discretion to disclose them.

Please release all reasonably segregable nonexempt portions of documents.

If you deny all or any part of this request, please cite each specific exemption you think justifies your refusal to release the information and notify me of appeal procedures available under the law.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

In the event that fees cannot be waived for searching for, reviewing, or copying the records, please notify me before processing if the amount exceeds $100 (one-hundred U.S. dollars).

I would prefer the request be filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

If you have any questions related to this request please contact me via email at email@alexaobrien.com.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Alexa O'Brien
email@alexaobrien.com
(917) 568-3966

The requester has added the following in support of expedited processing:

Based on recent news developments, I am requesting expedited processing of my request.

As a journalist, I am primarily engaged in disseminating information. There exists an urgent need to inform the public of government activity vis a vis the prescription for usage of Freedom of Information Act requests versus unauthorized disclosure to the press in light of the recent prosecutions of whistleblowers by the Obama administration by use of both the Espionage Act and Article 104 of the U.C.M.J.

At the providence inquiry on February 28, 2013 for United States versus Private First Class Bradley Manning, the following exchange took place:

“Judge Lind

Okay, why don't you speak generally and just tell me what alternatives [to unauthorized possession and willful communication of information to a person not entitled to receive it] you could have--?

Pfc. Bradley Manning

Well for a-- I have the chain of command as a first alternative.

I could have went to the chain of command and asked for guidance on how to release certain information.

I had the Public Affairs Office was-- I knew where the Public Affairs Office was, and they-- they actually have the authority to officially release sensitive information.

And-- I mean-- there is also the Freedom of Information request-- Freedom of Information Act.

Other-- there were other avenues [missed a few words].”

The requester has added the following in support of categorization as a media requester:

My journalistic work has been published in the Guardian, Salon, and featured by PBS Frontline, On The Media, and Public Radio International. [LINKS http://gu.com/p/3e6gd/tw AND http://www.salon.com/writer/alexa_obrien/ AND http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/foreign-affairs-defense/wikisecrets/the-indie-journalists-at-the-center-of-the-bradley-manning-trial/ AND http://www.onthemedia.org/2013/mar/15/covering-manning-trial/?utm_source=/2013/mar/15/bradley-manning-and-aiding-enemy/&utm_medium=treatment&utm_campaign=morelikethis]

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 18, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #F-2013-04716.

Thank you for your help.

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 18, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #F-2013-04716.

Thank you for your help.

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 18, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #F-2013-04716.

Thank you for your help.

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 18, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #F-2013-04716.

Thank you for your help.

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 18, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #F-2013-04716.

Thank you for your help.