2006-03-31

April Fool Ban - Coming Soon

While browsing through oficial websites, I found this National Security Study Directive about banning April Fool's day and finding alternatives. So tommorow, enjoy your April Fools, because soon it will be banned.


NSSD 4-06, April Fool Alternatives, March 20, 2006


[National Security Study Directives]

National Security Study Directive 4-06,
"April Fool,"
April 1, 2006.




Editorial headnote:
Since 1508, April Fool (April 1 [eng], Poisson d'Avril [fr] , Sizdah bedar [ir]) has claimed many victims with hazardous and life threatening results. Public outcry has resulted in a Presidential approval to forbid the practice of April Fool. In order to establish the basis for such a decision, AFCC (April Fool Congressional Committee) requested a study of April Fool incidents and alternatives to it. President Bush was briefed on the concept of a April Fool alternatives on March 27, 2006, and a few days later signed this directive establishing the terms of reference for the needed study. Ordinarily, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Steve Hadley would have signed the directive as Chairman of AFCC; the White House decided to have the President himself sign the document as an indication of the study's significance.

Document available in AFCC Historical Reference Collection, History Office, AFCC Headquarters, Washington, DC. Page references to original document in brackets.




[1] March 20, 2006

APRIL FOOL ALTERNATIVES


OBJECTIVE


A study will be conducted to establish the basis for an Administration decision on whether or not to proceed with the April Fool Alternatives. This NSSD establishes the Terms of Reference for this study.

GUIDELINES


The specific policy issues to be addressed are the following (responsible
agencies are indicated in parenthesis):

  • How will April Fool Alternatives contribute to the spirit of the day? (DOH)
  • How will April Fool Alternatives best fulfill national and
    international requirements versus other means of satisfying them?
  • What are the national security implications of April Fool Alternatives? (DOD/DCI)
  • What are the foreign policy implications, including arms control
    implications, of April Fool Alternatives? (State/NASA/ACDA)
  • What is the overall economic and social impact of April Fool Alternatives (NASA/Commerce/State)


These five policy issues will be addressed for each of the four
scenarios outlined below.


In order to assess the policy issues in a balanced fashion, NASA will provide a background paper outlining four example scenarios that represent possible approaches for the continuation of this nation's April Fool Alternative.

IMPLEMENTATION


A Working Group under the Senior Interagency Group for AFCC has been established to conduct this study. The Working Group is chaired by NASA and includes representatives from DOD, DOC, DCI, DOS, and ACDA. The Working Group will produce a summary paper that
assesses the issues and identifies policy options. Results of the study will be presented to the AFCC not later than April 2006 prior to presentation to the President. Papers
produced by the Working Group will not be distributed outside the Executive Branch without the approval of the AFCC. The AFCC may issue more detailed Terms of Reference to
implement this study.


/signed/


George W. Bush jr.




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