DHS citizen spying gears up, Congress taken out of the loop

[kpete]

DHS finalizing plans for domestic spy satellite programNick Juliano
Published: Thursday December 20, 2007

Congress has not been updated since civil liberties concerns delayed satellite spying
A plan to dramatically widen US law enforcement agencies' access to data from powerful spy satellites is moving toward implementation, as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff expects to finalize a charter for the program this week, according to a new report.

Chertoff insists the scheme to turn spy satellites -- that were originally designed for foreign surveillance -- on Americans is legal, although a House committee that would approve the program has not been updated on the program for three months.

"We still haven't seen the legal framework we requested or the standard operation procedures on how the NAO will actually be run," House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie G. Thompson tells the Wall Street Journal. Thompson was referring to the National Applications Office -- a new DHS subset that would coordinate access to spy-satellite data for non-military domestic agencies, including law enforcement.

Civil liberties concerns delayed the program after lawmakers and outside activists wondered how the program would be structured to protect Americans from unconstitutional surveillance from the powerful satellites, which can see through cloud cover, trees and even concrete buildings.

more at:
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/DHS_finalizing_plans_for_domestic_spy_1220.html

[Mojorabbit]

1. What in the hell are they

thinking is going to happen? What are they planning for is what I want to know.

[librechik]

2. imagine the porn

HBO will make a fortune!