Die, Spy Satellite, Die — Says U.S. Homeland Security Secretary

In a report from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to do away with a program begun by the Bush administration that would use U.S. spy satellites for domestic security and law enforcement.  

Napolitano recently reached her decision after the program was discussed with law enforcement officials, in which she was told it was not an urgent issue, according to an employee who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it.  

The program, called the National Applications Office, was announced in 2007 and was to have the Homeland Security Department use overhead and mapping imagery from existing satellites for homeland security and law enforcement purposes, but has been delayed because of privacy and civil liberty concerns.  

According to Rep. Jane Harman, a California Democrat and House homeland security committee member who was briefed on the department’s classified intelligence budget the program was included in the Obama administration’s 2010 budget request. She had not been given final word that the program would be killed.

For years, domestic agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Interior Department have had access to this satellite imagery for scientific research, to assist in response to natural disasters like hurricanes and fires, and to map out vulnerabilities during a major public event like the Super Bowl. Since 1974 the agency’s requests satellite imagery have been made through the federal interagency group, the Civil Applications Committee. The Bush administration, however, decided to funnel the requests through the Homeland Security Department and expand their use for homeland security and law enforcement purposes.