American Civil Liberties Union
6/5/2009
Legislation Closes Troubled DHS National Applications Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 202 675-2312 or media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON – Representative Jane Harman D-CA introduced two bills last night to stop the Department of Homeland Security’s DHS use of satellite imagery from intelligence agencies for homeland security and law enforcement purposes. The legislation, H.R. 2703 and 2704, will prohibit funding for and close the DHS’ National Application Office NAO. This troubled office is responsible for a domestic surveillance program that the American Civil Liberties Union had long opposed in testimony and letters to Congress over the past two years.
The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:
“Today, Representative Harman put the brakes on the drift towards the surveillance society. Thanks to Representative Harman’s leadership, Congress will take the first step toward shutting down the National Application Office and its ill-conceived domestic surveillance program. This legislation would restrain domestic use of spy satellites while allowing the Department of Interior’s program to continue using its imagery in a responsible way. With billions of dollars going to build satellites that see more than the human eye, the idea of turning these lenses on Americans should raise alarm bells for everyone.”
see
Red Herrings and The “War on Terrorism” by Larry Chin
Now it is understood by Ms. Harman, et al, that unwarranted survailance is determental to Citizens, as well as their s/elected officials.
I guess that the release of her/their converstaions was a good thing, and that this injustice was felt at some of the highest levels of Govt..
Now who’s the terrorist, and who’s the good guy/gal? ?
Sucks don’t it Ms. Harman ! ?
I was thinking the same thing, now that she was “spied” upon she is more sympathetic to regular citizens being spied upon. So, is she going to withdraw her “Violent Radicalization Homegrown Terrorism Act” bill?