Posted on 05/08/2012 12:39:51 PM PDT by Theoria
U.S. Air Force policy permits the incidental collection of domestic imagery by unmanned aerial systems (drones), but ordinarily would not allow targeted surveillance of a U.S. person. The Air Force policy was restated in a newly reissued instruction on oversight of Air Force intelligence.
“Air Force Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations, exercise and training missions will not conduct nonconsensual surveillance on specifically identified US persons, unless expressly approved by the Secretary of Defense, consistent with US law and regulations,” the instruction stated.
On the other hand, “Collected imagery may incidentally include US persons or private property without consent.”
“Collecting information on specific targets inside the US raises policy and legal concerns that require careful consideration, analysis and coordination with legal counsel. Therefore, Air Force components should use domestic imagery only when there is a justifiable need to do so, and then only IAW [in accordance with] EO 12333, the National Security Act of 1947, as amended, DoD 5240.1-R, and this instruction,” it said.
Legally valid requirements for domestic imagery, the instruction said, include surveillance of natural disasters, environmental studies, system testing and training, and also counterintelligence and security-related vulnerability assessments. Air Force units are authorized to acquire domestic commercial imagery for such validated purposes.
However, “Air Force intelligence components must not conduct or give the appearance of conducting collection, exploitation or dissemination of commercial imagery or imagery associated products for other than approved mission purposes.” See “Oversight of Intelligence Activities,” Air Force Instruction 14-104, April 23, 2012.
Another new Air Force Instruction deals with the basic operation of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems in domestic and foreign environments. Among other things, it recommends caution in the use of non-uniformed personnel in conducting drone combat missions.
“To ensure the noncombatant status of civilians and contractors is not jeopardized, commanders shall consult with their servicing judge advocate office for guidance before using civilian or contractor personnel in combat operations or other missions involving direct participation in hostilities,” the instruction advised. See “Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations,” Air Force Instruction 11-502, volume 3, April 26, 2012.
In its new mark of the FY2013 defense authorization bill, the House Armed Services Committee is proposing to provide the Air Force with even more money than it requested for its Predator and Reaper drone programs. See “Congress Funds Killer Drones the Air Force Says It Can’t Handle” by Spencer Ackerman, Wired Danger Room, May 7, 2012.
What ever happened to Posse Comitatus?
Just WOW...
Very scary stuff...
Keeping ‘you’ safe will trump anything written on parchment.
They’re just covering all their bases.
Since they are unmanned, there should be no restriction against zapping them with lasers...........
Maybe they can spot some of the huge gangs of feral animals that attack aged white people.
When they passed seat belt laws they said they would never pull you over just for a seat belt violation. they would only charge you an extra $25.00 for not wearing your seat belt if they pulled you over for something else. Cooking the frog slowly so he doesn’t jump out of the pan is SOP now.
What could go wrong here?
Yeah. Even as paranoid as I am, I can’t see any way they can train without taking real pictures of real ground. Real ground that may have real people doing real things on their own real estate.
I don’t like it, but I can live with it.
Perhaps they can have a policy of blanking out areas not “of interest” before archiving photos that must be saved, and not saving those that don’t absolutely need to be saved?
Time to paint a Huge U.S. Flag on the roof.
***On the other hand, “Collected imagery may incidentally include US persons or private property without consent.”***
And the GOP response? Hello?
You can't be serious?
It's King ZERO.
He is rewriting the constitution. . . . . . .
We’re becoming Israel.
We need to get out of the Middle East immediately, in every way.
This is against the wishes of our Fore Fathers.
We’re going off the proper path.
[ What ever happened to Posse Comitatus? ]
Yeah, heaven forbid they use the drones to fly ALONG the border to help control the border from drug smugglers and human trafficers.
Guess it is safer for them to fly well inside OUR borders and harass/spy on the citizens.
If they were using them for border control I could agree with it.
This is one more reason to despise the “Federal War on Drugs” because it gave them a blank cheque to use federal power directly against citizens, when the exercize of governmental power against the citizens should only be used by the states and local officials.
Reason number 687 why we MUST NOT let nobama get reelected.
Can you imagine what he’ll do with this power? Chilling.
Sure. But I doubt any future President or party will ever give up on power. That is the nature, Gov’t does not let go off control. That’s why its so important to fight that they never get it in the first place.
In fact use of drones for policing purposes did ALREADY happen.
For drugs, right? For border enforcement?
It’s VERY instructive that the answer to both is no —it was for the cops to spy on very rural RANCHERS, in Wyoming, or something.
They used a predator drone to do it.
The Enemy of the State is US —it’s US on this very website. We’re mannerly, law-abiding, well-read and WE are the enemy, apparently.
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