US agencies boost satellite use:

[Praxius]

BBC NEWS | Americas | US agencies boost satellite use

The US is giving its domestic agencies greater access to images from spy satellites, in a move strongly criticised by civil rights groups.
The images will be used to boost national security, disaster response and law enforcement, US officials said.

Use of the satellite imagery will be managed by a new office within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Some US agencies already had limited access to the images, but many were restricted to scientific use.

The DHS says it wants to use the imagery to improve the quality of surveillance on borders, ports, bridges and other infrastructure.

'Police state'

Officials believe the satellites could identify and follow targets by their physical traits, and could be used to respond to disasters such as the 2001 attacks or Hurricane Katrina.

The Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for intelligence analysis, Charles Allen, told the Washington Post the programme would be particularly useful in policing land and sea borders and in disaster planning.

Officials say use of the images for domestic law enforcement will be allowed only in limited cases, and a general ban on domestic spying by the CIA and the Pentagon will remain in force.

"This is not a system for tracking Americans," Mr Allen said.

Civil liberties activist Kate Martin, from the Center for National Security Studies, told the Wall Street Journal the program was akin to "Big Brother in the sky".

"They want to turn these enormous spy capabilities, built to be used against overseas enemies, on to Americans," Ms Martin said. "They are laying the bricks one at a time for a police state."

But Mr Allen dismissed privacy fears, saying: "Americans shouldn't have any concerns about it".

Before I throw my two cents into play here.... how do the US citizens feel about this personally?

[Chancellor]

BBC NEWS | Americas | US agencies boost satellite use



Before I throw my two cents into play here.... how do the US citizens feel about this personally?

When the government tells you it isn't going to use usurped powers on the citizens, take it to mean that the government is going to use such powers against its citizens.

The American sheeple, of course, are being lulled into a false sense of security and, so, they not only won't see anything wrong with this they'll start saying things like, "Well, if you have nothing to hide, why do you care whether they do or not?"

[Praxius]

indeed... it all depends on if you personally feel something is right, and they deem it wrong....

It'd be a good way to pre-determine and prevent a revolution. Of course anybody who attempted a revolution would most certainly be deemed a terrorist.

[Technosoul]

BBC NEWS | Americas | US agencies boost satellite use



Before I throw my two cents into play here.... how do the US citizens feel about this personally?

I think google offers a way to look down and zoom down on locations that has public access. You can check out the backyard swimming pool of a Hollywood movie star for example, or hey, zoom in on Area 51 and look for those captured UFOs. Whatever.

Now that could have lots of uses. Example: A neighborhood watch program could use that system to spy for drug dealers or diver by shooteers. Hunters could take along a labtop to locate where a herd of deer might be at. I could use it on the weekend to locate garage sales in my town. We could use it to monitor a forest fire that might theaten our house during fire season. Or have fun visiting a nudist camp "in remote".
Or to check out the war in Iraq, or view earthquake damage in our home town if we cannot get there in person to find out if grandma's house was damaged. Or even track where the men in black are going when they leave the Homeland Secuity department to see whom they are going to raid today.

Other non imagaing tracking systems are useful. To locate a missing pet, to locate a missing child, to locate some property of value if it vanishes. Even to track the where abouts of a known child molester that lives near you. Hillary could use it to keep track of Bill (just kidding). They could have used it to locate those miners trapped when their mine caved-in. If they would have had tracking devices in their helmets.

The thing is that the everyday people should have right to such spy networks as does the government. So that everyone can be "in the know" and not have to depend upon the government's "selected reporting" and often "miss-leading data". If everyone was involved then indeed much ciminal activity would come to a stand still because they would have no place to hide with millions of eyes watching.

[Gods_Mercenary]

Google's pictures aren't live, so you couldn't use it for most of those uses, and Area 51 is blacked out, as I recall, or, if they changed it, I'd imagine a few Government agencies had a look see first at anything on the tarmac.

[Technosoul]

Google's pictures aren't live, so you couldn't use it for most of those uses, and Area 51 is blacked out, as I recall, or, if they changed it, I'd imagine a few Government agencies had a look see first at anything on the tarmac.

You are right, I guess the images are past tense, and no doubt important areas blocked out.

But what if another country offered the same service, like Canada for example, who were not controlled by usa supervision of what can be seen?

Now if this new technology is going to be sold to private companies then why not 'real time' visual images? And why only to those doing sceintific research and whatnot. Why not for everyone?

Russia or China can look at Area 51 or anyplace else, nothing is top secret anymore that can be viewed from space. Other then form us here in the USA.

[Praxius]

I think google offers a way to look down and zoom down on locations that has public access. You can check out the backyard swimming pool of a Hollywood movie star for example, or hey, zoom in on Area 51 and look for those captured UFOs. Whatever.

Now that could have lots of uses. Example: A neighborhood watch program could use that system to spy for drug dealers or diver by shooteers. Hunters could take along a labtop to locate where a herd of deer might be at. I could use it on the weekend to locate garage sales in my town. We could use it to monitor a forest fire that might theaten our house during fire season. Or have fun visiting a nudist camp "in remote".
Or to check out the war in Iraq, or view earthquake damage in our home town if we cannot get there in person to find out if grandma's house was damaged. Or even track where the men in black are going when they leave the Homeland Secuity department to see whom they are going to raid today.

Other non imagaing tracking systems are useful. To locate a missing pet, to locate a missing child, to locate some property of value if it vanishes. Even to track the where abouts of a known child molester that lives near you. Hillary could use it to keep track of Bill (just kidding). They could have used it to locate those miners trapped when their mine caved-in. If they would have had tracking devices in their helmets.

The thing is that the everyday people should have right to such spy networks as does the government. So that everyone can be "in the know" and not have to depend upon the government's "selected reporting" and often "miss-leading data". If everyone was involved then indeed much ciminal activity would come to a stand still because they would have no place to hide with millions of eyes watching.

ok, just so you know..... googleEarth only displays still shots.... I believe are updated whenever..... it is not a live feed, nor are all locations in any great detail.

and as it goes for everyone having acess to this tech?

hmmm... that'd be useful for a stalker to track his prey. And there are only so many satalites up there... if everybody wanted acess..... I dunno..

[Gods_Mercenary]

You are right, I guess the images are past tense, and no doubt important areas blocked out.

But what if another country offered the same service, like Canada for example, who were not controlled by usa supervision of what can be seen?

Now if this new technology is going to be sold to private companies then why not 'real time' visual images? And why only to those doing sceintific research and whatnot. Why not for everyone?

Russia or China can look at Area 51 or anyplace else, nothing is top secret anymore that can be viewed from space. Other then form us here in the USA.

Those facilities may know when the satelites pass overhead. As to real time, there aren't enough satelites, even the CIA has to wait for their satelite to pass over a target. And I doubt Canada would just sell U.S. secrets, and even Canada probably has secrets.