WarlordZeroOne
06-25-2009, 05:18 AM
U.S. satellites not to spy on Americans
Posted on Jun 23, 2009
If you were one of those people worrying about the Bush administration’s controversial plan to use U.S. spy satellites to monitor the general population – you can put those fears to rest. According to a recent LA Times article, Homeland Security has nixed the plan to spy on Americans and residents in this way, the purpose of which was to gather domestic intelligence for counter-terrorism, law enforcement and security.
The National Applications Office (NAO) program was established in 2007 but was delayed because advocates of privacy and civil liberties voiced significant concerns about the sort of spying proposed. Some congressmen worried that the intrusion into the lives of Americans would be too great.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made the call to cut the program not because of these concerns, however. Napolitano found out from discussions with state and local authorities, that they had greater priorities than using satellites to spy on people in their jurisdictions. As the whole purpose of the program was to provide these folks with real-time electronic intelligence, it seemed silly to move forward with a plan that [a] was controversial in the first place and [b] didn’t really have a following amongst those it was intended to help.
To her credit, Napolitano has long advocated improved communication between federal, state and local authorities, and her consultation with state and local authorities in this case is a good example of why it’s a rather important step.
Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton wrote to Napolitano, saying “In our view, the NAO is not an issue of urgency. . . . Our goal is effective sharing of law enforcement information that protects the privacy and civil liberties of Americans. . . .”
Other police chiefs were in agreement.
Although Michael P. Downing, the LAPD’s deputy chief for counter-terrorism and criminal intelligence, did leave room for a revival of the program: “What we’re saying is that we have all these other issues that we need to get fixed. It’s not dead, but de-prioritized, and we support that.”
But Homeland Security says it’s dead. They’re shifting their focus to the other priorities outlined by state and local law enforcement officials. Satellites will continue to be used for domestic surveillance aimed at helping rescue and relief efforts in natural disasters and security planning for national special security events, like big political conferences and the Superbowl.
Recently, as if a catalyst to Napolitano’s decision, Rep. Jane Harman (D-California) presented legislation which would stop Homeland Security from using space-based satellite images for domestic surveillance. For Harman, who is the chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s intelligence and terrorism risk assessment subcommittee, the privacy issues are clear.
image courtesy of russmo.com
Posted on Jun 23, 2009
If you were one of those people worrying about the Bush administration’s controversial plan to use U.S. spy satellites to monitor the general population – you can put those fears to rest. According to a recent LA Times article, Homeland Security has nixed the plan to spy on Americans and residents in this way, the purpose of which was to gather domestic intelligence for counter-terrorism, law enforcement and security.
The National Applications Office (NAO) program was established in 2007 but was delayed because advocates of privacy and civil liberties voiced significant concerns about the sort of spying proposed. Some congressmen worried that the intrusion into the lives of Americans would be too great.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made the call to cut the program not because of these concerns, however. Napolitano found out from discussions with state and local authorities, that they had greater priorities than using satellites to spy on people in their jurisdictions. As the whole purpose of the program was to provide these folks with real-time electronic intelligence, it seemed silly to move forward with a plan that [a] was controversial in the first place and [b] didn’t really have a following amongst those it was intended to help.
To her credit, Napolitano has long advocated improved communication between federal, state and local authorities, and her consultation with state and local authorities in this case is a good example of why it’s a rather important step.
Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton wrote to Napolitano, saying “In our view, the NAO is not an issue of urgency. . . . Our goal is effective sharing of law enforcement information that protects the privacy and civil liberties of Americans. . . .”
Other police chiefs were in agreement.
Although Michael P. Downing, the LAPD’s deputy chief for counter-terrorism and criminal intelligence, did leave room for a revival of the program: “What we’re saying is that we have all these other issues that we need to get fixed. It’s not dead, but de-prioritized, and we support that.”
But Homeland Security says it’s dead. They’re shifting their focus to the other priorities outlined by state and local law enforcement officials. Satellites will continue to be used for domestic surveillance aimed at helping rescue and relief efforts in natural disasters and security planning for national special security events, like big political conferences and the Superbowl.
Recently, as if a catalyst to Napolitano’s decision, Rep. Jane Harman (D-California) presented legislation which would stop Homeland Security from using space-based satellite images for domestic surveillance. For Harman, who is the chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s intelligence and terrorism risk assessment subcommittee, the privacy issues are clear.
image courtesy of russmo.com