Posted on 06/17/2016 10:02:33 AM PDT by Nachum
Leading Republicans appealed to President Obama this week to reject Russia’s request to fly surveillance planes with high-powered digital cameras during overflights, warning that the new technology would enable the Kremlin to collect intelligence more effectively.
Russia’s failure to comply with some provisions of the Open Skies Treaty, which allows member countries to conduct unarmed aerial observation flights over one another, should preclude Vladimir Putin from using planes with high-tech sensors for the overflights, Reps. Ed Royce (Calif.), Mac Thornberry (Texas), and Devin Nunes (Calif.), all of whom are committee chairs, wrote in a letter to the president.
“Given the threat to U.S. national security and Russia’s continued failure to uphold both the spirit and letter of its commitments under the agreement, we urge you to deny this request and explore whether commercially available satellite imagery can better fulfill the goals of this Treaty,” they wrote.
The Open Skies Treaty, signed in 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union and entered into force in 2002, allows for unarmed aerial observation flights over its 34 signatories—including the United States and Russia—in order to promote transparency in military forces and activities and monitor arms control.
News broke in late February that Russia would ask permission of the Open Skies Consultative Commission to begin flying surveillance planes with the high-powered digital cameras during the overflights. The request started a 120-day clock for the United States and other member countries to consider the request, meaning the decision is imminent.
(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
Like perhaps running your own home-grown email server for top state department correspondence out of your bathroom?
The Russians know more about Hilda than Odungo could ever begin to understand
Look on the bright side, perhaps next time a Benghazi type event takes place at least the Russians will know where the U.S. President is at the time.
Secretary Clinton and Secretary LaHood to Celebrate 100 Open Skies Partners
Notice to the Press
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 24, 2011
In a March 30 ceremony, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will host a ceremony celebrating the negotiation of agreements between the United States and 100 Open Skies partners. The ceremony will take place at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30 in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the Department of State and will be open to credentialed members of the media.
This goes way back to Eisenhower, c 1955
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