Spy Satellites Turned on the U.S.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

Dems Call for Moratorium on Program, Expressing Privacy and Legal Concerns

Traditionally, powerful spy satellites have been used to search for strategic threats overseas ranging from nuclear weapons to terrorist training camps.

But now the Department of Homeland Security has developed a new office to use the satellites to secure U.S. borders and protect the country from natural disasters.

Department of Homeland Security officials testified Thursday before the House Homeland Security Committee about the program and faced extensive criticism about the privacy and civil liberty concerns of the new office, called the National Applications Office.

The purpose of the National Applications Office is to provide the Department of Homeland Security and civil, state and local emergency planners with imagery and data from satellites run by the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.

Homeland Security Chief Intelligence Officer Charlie Allen said overhead imagery was used extensively after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, and has been used by the Secret Service for security preparations for events such as the Super Bowl.

Whole story here: http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3567635

[Hydra]

1. Everyone smile for the camera! n/t

[QueenOfCalifornia]

2. I keep sticking my middle finger

up at the sky and screaming...

(But then I've been doing that since Dubya took office the first time)

[madokie]

5. me too Gilligan me too

I couldn't look at the bastard for the first couple years of his misadministration and still cringe when I do see his ugly mug

[tularetom]

3. Gee what could possibly go wrong?

Especially when the whole thing is managed by the Fatherland Security Ministry.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

4. like das?

[tularetom]

6. Jawohl!

[QueenOfCalifornia]

7. I had to

look up what JAWOHL meant....

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Jawohl

[MadHound]

8. I love how Bush has train engineer's gloves on in that picture

My guess is that he likes a good game of "Choo-Choo" when he's not clearing Brush, it's about his speed after all.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

10. It's the...

....love glove thing he does with Condie...

He asks her

"Will you pull the presidential train around the track one more time?"

(I too noticed the gloves.... hmmmm?)

[MadHound]

11. Ya know, I was trying to avoid that mental imagery. Thanks!

:puke:

That's OK, I know, it was just hanging out there, waiting to get whacked.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

12. You're welcome

... It did need to be said...

You do know that.

[SHRED]

9. Have you seen Google "street view"

http://maps.google.com/maps

Click on this link and then click "Street View"...zoom in...place the little guy on a blue street...wow.


----

[QueenOfCalifornia]

13. Yes...

They (the Google van with cameras) came through our neck of the woods about 6 weeks ago -- they only stayed up by the local small airport about 2 miles from here and on the main streets - (At least the last time I checked...)

I wanted to be out on the street holding an Impeach Bush sign as they drove through! I really did.

[SHRED]

15. screenshot of our place from Google

My Toyota and our CRV:




----

[QueenOfCalifornia]

16. Is that your old

pickup on the far right? Those things run forever...

Creepy that your house is on there though...

(I'm checking if they came through here )

[SHRED]

17. that is my Toyota

My boat is attached and under the canopy.

My office/bedroom window is on the upper far right...I'll wave...oh wait a minute...

[QueenOfCalifornia]

18. Hi!

I see you! Smile perrdy!

[NeedleCast]

14. Eroding...Eroding

I used to work as a satellite imagery analyst when I was in the military and using the satellites to image private property was a BIG no-no. One of our tasks was providing support to large training exercises that took place at the large traning complexes at Fort Irwin, Fort Polk and Fort Hood and we had to notify citizens that owned land near the bases that it was possible their land would be imaged. Further, if we saw illegal activity on private property on an image, it could NOT be used in any legal action...you could have a mass grave the size of a football field on your property and any imagery of it taken by military satellites could not be used against you.

Another little piece of our right to privacy and to thwart illegal search and seizure...gone.