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Congress to probe domestic
spy satellite use
Nick Juliano
Raw
Story
Wednesday Aug 29, 2007
The Department of Homeland Security's top intelligence, privacy
and civil rights officials will be called before Congress next
week to explain the Bush administration's plan to dramatically
expand the domestic use to spy satellites that can see through
clouds, buildings and underground bunkers.
The House Homeland Security Committee will examine whether privacy
rights will be violated by the DHS's creation of a new office
to grant expanded access to spy satellite data to a variety of
local and federal agencies, including law enforcement.
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) wrote
to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff earlier this month
inquiring about the spy program.
Under a program approved by the DHS and Office of the Director
of National Intelligence, detailed imagery from powerful satellites
will be available to domestic security and emergency preparedness
agencies to deal with threats ranging from immigration and terrorism
to hurricanes and forest fires, the Washington Post
reported.
Access to the data will be controlled by a newly created office
within DHS, the National Applications Office.
(Article continues below)
In his letter, Thompson said Congress was not informed of the
new program until its existence was revealed in media reports
a few weeks ago. The office is expected to begin granting expanded
access to the spy-sattelite data Oct. 1; images from the spy satellites
were previously limited to domestic use for environmental and
geographic purposes, such as creating topographical maps or monitoring
volcano activity.
At a hearing next Thursday, Sept. 6, Homeland Security Committee
members will question DHS's chief intelligence officer Charles
Allen, chief privacy officer Hugo Teufel and civil liberties officer
Dan Sutherland.
"I need you to provide me with an immediate assurance that
upon its October 1st roll out, this program will be operating
within the confines of the Constitution and all applicable laws
and regulations," Thompson wrote to Chertoff.
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