White House Plans to Turn Spy Satellites Toward US

[Atlantis5]

Interesting situation, and for why not? For in recent past, surveillance and photography of real evidence in concerns to riots/social unrest public displays in street demonstrations. In as much to place at risk, civil service employees with by necessity of the work. Be physically in presence.

Now, as with most technology, this is no longer a necessary risk, but in this stead; a use of satellite technology for high gain/better resolution and finer quality group {crowd} electronic photo imaging. This in turn provides for later identification/tracking and prosecution of individuals.

Beyond that of law enforcement of the laws of the land. Is, the Perceval benefits in as much to engineering of road ways/land management, and mapping as of a few of the many benefits to be immediately realized.

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Published: Saturday, April 12, 2008

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration said Friday that it plans to start using the nation's most advanced spy technology for domestic purposes soon, rebuffing challenges by House Democrats over the proposal's legal authority.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said his department will activate his department's new domestic satellite surveillance office in stages, starting as soon as possible with traditional scientific and homeland security activities -- such as tracking hurricane damage, monitoring climate change and creating terrain maps.

Sophisticated overhead sensor data will be used for law enforcement once privacy and civil rights concerns are resolved, he said. The department has previously said the program will not intercept communications.

"There is no basis to suggest that this process is in any way insufficient to protect the privacy and civil liberties of Americans," Chertoff wrote to Reps. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Jane Harman, D-Calif., chairmen of the House Homeland Security Committee and its intelligence subcommittee, respectively, in letters released Friday.

"I think we've fully addressed anybody's concerns," Chertoff added in remarks last week. "I think the way is now clear to stand it up and go warm on it."

His statements marked a fresh determination to operate the department's new National Applications Office as part of its counterterrorism efforts. The administration in May 2007 gave DHS authority to coordinate requests for satellite imagery, radar, electronic-signal information, chemical detection and other monitoring capabilities that have been used for decades within U.S. borders for mapping and disaster response.

But Congress delayed launch of the new office last October. Critics cited its potential to expand the role of military assets in domestic law enforcement, to turn new or as-yet-undeveloped technologies against Americans without adequate public debate, and to divert the existing civilian and scientific focus of some satellite work to security uses.

Democrats say Chertoff has not spelled out what federal laws govern the NAO, whose funding and size are classified. Congress barred the Homeland Security from funding the office until its investigators could review the office's operating procedures and safeguards.

Charles

[jimpres]

Guess I'll stay in doors..........

[Atlantis5]

Apr 12, 2008 16:31:13 GMT -7 jimpres said:

Guess I'll stay in doors..........

Haa, Jim, yes, I think perhaps you have the correct and timely idea! But seriously, surveillance has been ongoing for many quite some time in a disguised fashion under another name;

Traffic police aircraft. The express way patrol has been using camera surveillance in our area for speeders. The technology is sufficient to read the number plates of the offending vehicles, this in-turn then, they capture the vehicle image/number plate of the vehicle, and in some cases, capture with this, the image of the offender operator.

The aircraft are not marked, and only appear to be of many as of the news people checking traffic flow.

Not known, is what other uses this equipment is placed into..With the night vision capabilities of the image capture system, it is very conceivable as very capable for surveillance. Of course, who is to know, other then the department use. {Opps, a leading statement of assumed guilt}{I am in-process of slap, slap, slap of my face}}}

Charles

[jimpres]

Charles,

Yes there is lot of surveillance equipment out there. Can read license plate numbers from space.
Lots of cameras on streets etc. Who is reading our emails etc.

Jim

[freetobe]

Jim and Charles,
Everyone who wants to reads our posts on this forum, never mind our e mails. There does not seem to be any way a private person can comminicate with another private person privately anymore. Does anyone care?

[Atlantis5]

Apr 12, 2008 19:30:32 GMT -7 @freetobe said:

Jim and Charles,
Everyone who wants to reads our posts on this forum, never mind our e mails. There does not seem to be any way a private person can communicate with another private person privately anymore. Does anyone care?

Thank you FTB for some very insightful thoughts...Yes, of course, our e-mails {may} be review by other then the recipient. For instance as this forum, visitors are allowed to read what we present {once placed upon the air or wire, is open grounds to any and all}.

But, what would any have to gain? For there is not of state secretes being exchanged-nor conspiracies being designed, just regular folks on an ethnic forum exchanging of ideas.

Your attitude is a very healthy out look and commendable.

My concern of primary though is: A few folks use the same e-mail address for the forum, in-as-much to their work related address as also of private use other then this forum with unrelated intent.

Let us then proceed some what further: Place our selves as an investigator for what ever reason or for what ever department. We then begin shaking the bushes and investigate for little items in communication for clues/information/addresses and what ever we may raise up in the dust and capture. We then put these all together to form a pattern, then place that pattern in concrete information usable for further surveillance or prosecution. Or, perhaps nothing but simple non-sense, or for later use with a future situation.

The above is a very common and vastly simplified manner of means used by those whose manner of work is what they do.

Is it good? Is it bad? I do not have the right to judge. It is to the beholder as to what is correct or rotten.

But, it is done and continues as to the discretions displayed by those with the intent/opportunity and means.

So what have I experienced? Well, in my manner of life, as for many here, I do communicate a great deal to addresses in Western Europe/Some what to Eastern {Former Soviet Block}Syria and Israel. So as in the course of this conduct in activity, key address locations will ring the bell of a watch dog computer and lock in the PC for the IP, then how ever will come of that, will be done.

For my activity, I have been placed on the Grey List for observation. Nothing damaging or of frightening, just review by who ever who is, of my simple minded various e-mail activity.

In time, the who, will become bored out of their minds, and then I will be placed upon the white list for occasional interest if any.

So you see, it is all so simple, that is how it works. Each department is funded for a need. If no longer the need is sufficient to justify the means and ways, then funding is no longer made available, and the personnel formally of that department are transfered to other departments, and/or dismissed.

If you as the director of that department facing renewed funding, I would tend to believe you would certainly fire up the crew to begin shaking the bushes/digging up the garden to insure a reason of survival of your department and your continued employment.

The above is not restricted to America, it is universal in most of the known world of government.

Charles