From Secrecy News:
DETAILS SOUGHT ON DOMESTIC USE OF SPY SATELLITES
Although Congress is out of session, the news that classified
intelligence satellites may increasingly be used for domestic
surveillance applications did not go unnoticed by congressional
overseers.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), chair of a House Energy and Commerce
subcommittee, last week sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff seeking answers to a series of detailed questions
about the new initiative, which was first reported in the Wall Street
Journal. Among Rep. Markey's questions were these:
Will the public have an opportunity to comment on the development of
appropriate guidelines for domestic use of spy satellites?
What assessments of the legality of the new surveillance program have
been performed? (Please provide copies.)
How does the Department plan to ensure that Americans' privacy and
civil rights are protected once this new surveillance program becomes
operational?
A copy of Mr. Markey's August 16 letter is here:
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2007_cr/markey081607.pdf
The new surveillance program "has drawn sharp criticism from civil
liberties advocates who say the government is overstepping the use of
military technology for domestic surveillance," wrote Eric Schmitt in
the New York Times. See "Liberties Advocates Fear Abuse of Satellite
Images," August 17:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/us/17spy.html
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