One Small Victory for Oversight

/in /by

One lingering suspicion that they’re just moving this off the books:

After several requests from the Homeland Security Committee callingfor a moratorium on the controversial use of spy satellite imagery fordomestic purposes, the Department has heeded the call and delayed itsplanned October 1st launch of its new National Applications Office(NAO). The Department has cited the need to address unanswered privacyand civil liberties questions from Congress – as addressed in theCommittee’s September 6th hearing on the matter and also in lettersfrom August 22nd and September 6th from Committee Members.

Rep.Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on HomelandSecurity, released the following statement regarding the decision:

“Whilewe are pleased by the Department’s decision to go back to the drawingboard and get it right, we are troubled by its silence on the secondpart of our request: that Congress also be provided ‘a full opportunityto review the NAO’s written legal framework, offer comments, and helpshape appropriate procedures and protocols.’

Even putting aside my suspicion this is just another head fake to move surveillance beyond the grasp of Congress, Thompson’s point remains. The Administration thus far refuses to allow Congress some input into what appropriate use of satellite surveillance of civilians would be.

Well, at least for the moment Chertoff says he’s not going to use satellites to peek into my bedroom. That’s one victory, anyway.

image_print
  1. P J Evans says:

    He’d much rather peek in your living room to see what you’re reading (or watching).
    (I’d say /snark but I think that’s what he’d like to do)

    I am so not enthused at the use of our (taxpayer-funded) satellites being used to watch taxpayers.

  2. emptywheel says:

    He already knows what I’m reading. I’ll be flying at least once a week for the next month. And we now know TSA checks…

  3. Anonymous says:

    Is it just me, or does it seem to anyone else that maybe the problem is that there is no ”written legal framework” for the NAO? I mean, who needs to write down ”spy on whoever the President tells you to, when he tells you to”?

    ’Legal framework? Legal framework? We don’t need no stinkin’ legal framework!’

  6. emptywheel says:

    CityGirl

    Oh yeah, we here in MI are well aware of that, and have been for some time. THe Princes are big money on their own account, without the help of bro-in-law DeVos.

  7. Alyx says:

    …..it’s about time we have a Citizen’s Oversight Commitee (COC) on the whole friggin works….perhaps Move On can morph into that…lol..