what is the official  procedure to declassify documents by the US government, or by the president?
470363
Congress sets the classification law but the executive branch promulgates the way to do it.  Usually, prior to declassification, the document is sent back to the agency that produced the document to ensure declassification is not going to harm any project or person mentioned inside the document.\n\nThen, once that agency has declassified it, the document is sent back to the agency which requested the document for release.\n\nThe idea the president can just all of a sudden declassify a document is not enshrined in any law.  It is (some argue) an inherent power of the president to declassify what s/he wants.
176865
usually to "My Documents."
211056
We should probably make sure we know the answer to the question of whether it "was illegal" or not. The jury still seems to be out on that one. One camp (the executive branch)holds that Congress's authorization of "any and all necessary force" gave Bush the authority, and another doesn't (the Legislative). Sounds like it's time for the good old Judicial branch to step in and resolve the dispute. Then we can talk about whether or not a censure (different from censor) is appropriate.
1148335
That's classified information.
263445
To lie and cover up for the president.
281112
Protection of the Presidents and their families, protection of dignatories, and counterfitting
787979
Pose your question to the US Department of state, or to your local Embassy.
134684
Iran Contra--Where the White House was accused of arms deals with Iran.\n\n"Presidents can't do that now. When the Iran-Contra scandal erupted in 1986, President Reagan waived both executive privilege and attorney-client privilege." http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/02/25/bierbauer/\n\n\nThe most important modern articulation of executive privilege standards was the Reagan administration's executive privilege memorandum.6 On November 4, 1982, President Ronald Reagan issued an executive privilege memorandum to heads of executive departments and agencies. The Reagan procedures were generally similar to those in a 1969 Nixon executive privilege memorandum.7 For example, President Reagan's guidelines affirmed the administration policy "to comply with Congressional requests for information to the fullest extent consistent with the constitutional and statutory obligations of the Executive Branch."8 The memorandum reaffirmed the need for "confidentiality of some communications,"9 and added that executive privilege would be used "only in the most compelling circumstances, and only after careful review demonstrate[d] that assertion of the [*pg 406] privilege [was] necessary."10 Finally, the memorandum stated that "executive privilege [would] not be invoked without specific Presidential authorization."11\n\nThe Reagan memorandum nonetheless developed clearer procedures than had existed before. All congressional requests for information would be accommodated unless "compliance raise[d] a substantial question of executive privilege."12 Such a question would arise if the information "might significantly impair the national security (including the conduct of foreign relations), the deliberative processes of the Executive Branch or other aspects of the performance of the Executive Branch's constitutional duties."13 Under these procedures, if a department head believed that a congressional request for information might concern privileged information, he would notify and consult with both the attorney general and the counsel to the president. Those three individuals would then decide to release the information to Congress, or have the matter submitted to the president for a decision if any one of them believed that it was necessary to invoke executive privilege. At that point, the department head would ask Congress to await a presidential decision. If the president chose executive privilege, he would instruct the department head to inform Congress "that the claim of executive privilege [was] being made with the specific approval of the President."14 The Reagan memorandum allowed for the use of executive privilege even if the information originated from staff levels far removed from the Oval Office.
379054
The documents needed to find out will be unclassified in the year 2029.  Maybe then, but if not then probably never.
763905
Varies based upon if the suspected info is on your home computer or a larger computer, say at a bank.\n\nPeople "delete" files or emails.  But "delete" is like tearing the Table of Contents out of a book.  It does not remove the chapter.  Some utility programs can rebuild the Table of Contents.\n\nYou can deleted/erase a email - but the person you sent it to may have a copy, your home computer or the company's network computer may keep a copy - and the computer network operation support people - usually keep a copy for at least 12 months.\n\nEven "erasing" a file - which normally is something like writing "binary 0's" over the data - in some cases, does not fully erase the info.\n\nIt really varies based upon the computer, what software might have been used - and what you are looking for.\n\n(Personal info:  Computer Security Officer for state's dept of Corrections for 10 years)
32973
The basic gist of it is that, in most cases the original document has to be entered into evidence. The whole text is in the site below.
472130
Because this is a difficult crime to prove.  You have to prove the material was classified, that it had not been declassified by the President, that the person knew the information was classified, and that the person used their position to obtain classified information and then released that information to the media. Futhermore, if he obtained the information from a non-classified source, such a reporter told him, then he could reveal it. The Intelligence Idenities laws are extremely difficult to prove.  That is why no one has been indicted on them. Instead, Libby has been charged with perjury for atlerting his testimony to federal officers.  The chances of getting someone on this are slim, and I think are pretty rare, if its ever happened at all.
154535
Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/greeting/ for information.
195567
File a freedom of information request with the feds, yes they will tell you
489499
The U. S. Government.
786462
The politicians in America have ignored the basics of the Constitution almost since it's inception. Check out your facts. There was an original clause in the Constitution that stated if this document did not work anymore that it would be time to establish a new one. But, the politicians added an amendment that makes a person a traitor if they try to change the document in question. So, who is more guilty?
250669
The president said: "Hi people".\nThe president is the primary information source.\nThe next day you can read in the newspaper what the president said.\nThe newspaper is the secundary information source.\nYou read the newspapare and you tell it to your friends.\nYou are the terciary information source.