Spy imagery agency takes new role inside United States after Sept. 11

[Snazzy]

Spy imagery agency takes new role inside United States after Sept. 11
Sunday September 26, 2004
By KATHERINE PFLEGER SHRADER
Associated Press Writer

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) In the name of homeland security, America's spy imagery agency is keeping a close eye, close to home. It's watching America.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, about 100 employees of a little-known branch of the Defense Department called the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and some of the country's most sophisticated aerial imaging equipment have focused on observing what's going on in the United States.

...

The agency is not interested in information on U.S. citizens, stresses Americas office director Bert Beaulieu. ``We couldn't care less about individuals and people and companies,'' he said.

But that's not good enough for secrecy expert Steven Aftergood, who oversees a project on government secrecy for the Federation of American Scientists. ``What it all boils down to is 'Trust us. Our intentions are good,''' he said.

....

http://cbsnewyork.com/national/WatchingtheHomeland-aa/resources_news_html

(Bert also say he has a nice bridge for sale, like new, best offer)

[shraby]

1. What are they looking for??

An American building a nuclear weapon or sumthin?

[gandalf]

11. Looking for dissidents like you...

They can recognize you even via satellite.

[jeff30997]

2. The cold war is over, the Evil Empire is destroyed...

So what to do with the expensive toys ? Well, let's spy the population to justify our huge budget.

[AlienGirl]

8. They're looking for ARAMCHEK

[jeff30997]

9. ARAMCHEK ?

I don't get it.:shrug:

[reprobate]

19. Sorry, but the "Evil Empire" has only moved.

It now resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, District of Columbia. Part of the consolidation, don't ya know.

[steely]

3. It's still illegal in my book....

and I don't like it.

It's screwed up. Using intel assets to look at americans has always been a touchy subject - like using remote imagery to make maps for example - but that problem was solved until now.

[sattahipdeep]

4. (Remember this one) September 27, 2002

"The problem is that this list has no public
accountability: People don't know why their names are
put on or how to get their names off," said Jayashri
Srikantiah, an attorney with the American Civil
Liberties Union of Northern California. "We have
heard complaints from people who triggered the list a
first time and then were cleared by security to fly. But
when they fly again, their name is triggered again."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/09/27/MN181034.DTL

Time magazine, in its on-line edition, quoted
aviation sources with access to the "no-fly"
list as saying there is no entry on the list
under the name "Yusuf Islam," but that there
is a "Youssouf Islam" on the list. They said
the incorrect name was added to the list this
summer.

....
"The only reason I could come up with is that the FBI
is reactivating their old anti-war activists' files," said
Oden, who protested the Vietnam War as a young
office worker in Washington, D.C. "It is intimidation.
It's just like years ago when the FBI built a file about
me and they called my landlord and my co-workers. . .
They did that with everyone in the anti-war movement."

[TheCentepedeShoes]

5. I dunno

Maybe the only jobs in the future will be those that involve spying on each other ? ?

[tom_paine]

15. Not the only ones, but all Imperial Subjects will be conditioned

to spy on their neighbors.

Amerika is a Soviet Nation, still living of the wretched remnants of the soon-to-be-eradicated freedoms previous generations have bequeathed to us.

[Gregorian]

6. Real leadership would take money for terrorism

and spend it on ways to create a new economy that doesn't create terrorism. It, like all of the other "wars" this country has started (and lost, I might add), and spend it on solar, fusion, and many other areas that are being all but ignored. But that wouldn't promote Bush's agenda, which is his pocketbook. Furthermore, a real leader would be asking Americans to make great sacrifices. We could have done it, but we didn't have a leader. I doubt seriously that Kerry will take the steps I mention. One of those great sacrifices would be to curb driving and travelling. But you know Americans- that would oh so cutting into their expected lifestyles. I probably shouldn't say this, but we are a pathetic group of people, in America. We are no different than Bush himself, with our comfortable lifestyles, as so many in the world go with so much less.
So spend the money on high resolution satellite imagery. See if that stops terrorism. Bandaids and employment, is all that is.

[sattahipdeep]

7. I should have know reagan was in on this

Before Sept. 11, for instance, chemical plants
and other critical sites weren't as cooperative as
they are today, out of fear that aerial photographs
might be shared with federal environmental regulators.

....
Executive Order 12333, signed by President Reagan in 1981

....
members of the U.S. intelligence community can collect, retain and pass along
information about U.S. companies or people only in certain cases.

http://cbsnewyork.com/national/WatchingtheHomeland-aa/resources_news_html

[RivetJoint]

10. Before that executive order

they could spy almost at will. EO 12333 put RESTRICTIONS on the intelligence community.

[sattahipdeep]

14. What is the restriction?

When they can come into your home
when you are not there. :eyes:

[BR_Parkway]

17. Don't forget the business benefits of this type of spying

The insurance companies are making it profitable to peer into your backyard - imagine, government dollars, earmarked for "homeland security" are making businesses more dollars...

"In the old days, carriers would rate the risks in entire cities or ZIP Codes," said Jamie Munson, CDS' director of consulting services. "We're offering something new, which is the ability to determine risks at the street level at individual homes, condos and businesses."

For the DiCiccos, whose home abuts a golf course, First American's high-tech risk evaluation strategies have been a nightmare.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-insurance25sep25,1,2959609.story

[gandalf]

12. "We couldn't care less about individuals"?

Does he man "We couldn't care less about individual's rights"? That would make sense.

Ex ante it is impossible to determine who is watched from the space, I assume. So only in a second step "uninteresting subjects" can be excluded from further analysis.

[FormerOstrich]

13. Emphasis are mine.....

Outside the United States, it can be a powerful tool for war planners who may use imagery to measure soil wetness to determine if tanks could travel an area. It can help weapons proliferation experts look for ground disturbances that can indicate new underground bunkers. Hmmmm...sounds like just the thing to track down bin Laden and look for weapons of mass destruction

....snip

But now the agency's new Americas Office has been called on to assemble visual information on more than 130 urban areas, among scores of other assignments, including maps of the national mall, the country's high-voltage transmission lines and disaster exercises. Yes, I can see with monitoring 130 urban areas and scores of others there wouldn't be time to hunt for bin Laden. Plus, why look for Iraq's WMD since there isn't any

Sometimes, agency officials may cooperate with private groups, such as hotel security offices, to get access to video footage of lobbies and hallways. That footage can then be connected with other types of maps used to secure events — or to take action, if a hostage situation or other catastrophe happens. Footage of lobbies and hallways!!!! Very interesting!! Where can't it see????

The level of detail varies widely, depending on the threat and what the FBI or another agency needs.

"In most cases, it's not intrusive," said the NGA's associate general counsel, Laura Jennings. "It is information to help secure an event and to have people prepared to respond should there be an attack, or to analyze the area where a threat has been made." What??? In MOST cases it is not intrusive? How often is NOT MOST? How intrusive? I bet it works well for monitoring the free speech zones and those rascal protesters trying to expand past it.......

[Radius]

16. Free Market

you can buy the same information here:
http://www.spaceimaging.com/

Sats are already used to intercept electronic communications domestically. Anything broadcast is fair game.
Visual information is on par with what you could get from an airplane. Constantly retasking sats when you can use an airplane does not make sense.

US Customs maintains aircraft that can be used for aerial recon, remember waco, the video, IR and Visual, was from a USCS aircraft.

It is useless for monitoring people on the ground because the cost of using it is enormous compared to aircraft based systems that do the same thing.

In the mid 80's the government released pictures to National Geographic showing the underground tributaries that feed the Nile. This basically let world know we can see underground structures and possibly underwater assets.

It can do lots of neat stuff, but it can't pick your face out of a crowd. It can see a heat bloom if you are growing pot in your attic and using Metal Halide lights, but why spend millions retasking sats for something a FLIR equipped recon plane can do?

[struggle4progress]

18. kick for big brother watching

:kick:

[suegeo]

20. Wow, now that the cow has left the barn

We better close the barn door, and quick.

Thanks for nothing, ass-clowns.

If I could figure out a way to moon you, I would.

[freestyle]

21. What are they taking, overhead nature photos?

Once "individuals, people, and companies" are eliminated all that's left is unimproved public land, or am I really missing something. And even that is owned collectively by the people. Very weird.