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Spy Agency Charter Lost in Space
DoD Buzz ^ | 1/19/2010 | Colin Clark

Posted on 01/25/2010 10:44:30 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld

The proposed new charter for the nation’s spy satellite builder, the National Reconnaissance Office, is stuck in the Department of Defense’s general counsel’s office. The lawyers are apparently worried that the new charter may expand the agency’s powers into areas governed by the military services.

Information on all this is extremely close hold but we have heard variations on this from two very well informed sources. One phrase in the statement of principles that guides the charter appears to be the issue: “overhead reconnaissance systems.”

That is the key phrase in a document, called the statement of principles. It lays out eight core ideas meant to guide the NRO. The statement is meant to be the foundation for the new NRO charter, which most intelligence community and Pentagon officials feel strongly must be updated. The new charter mark the first major changes to the NRO’s guiding documents since 1965, four years after then-​​​​Defense Secretary Robert McNamara created the NRO and drafted its charter. The NRO is led by former Air Force Gen. Bruce Carlson.

The phrase at issue could be interpreted to include Air Force systems and thus give the spy agency powers it currently does not possess. That worries military space advocates. They believe it could allow the NRO to take budgetary and programmatic control over some systems currently controlled by the military services, especially the Air Force.

In early December, Carlson said he was confident the statement of principles would be approved soon, clearing the way for the new charter’s approval. The new charter will be very short, perhaps a page or two. But to give you some idea of just how high the stakes are, one military space advocate said the delays suit him just fine. He just hopes “it goes on for a few more years.”

(Excerpt) Read more at dodbuzz.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: departmentofdefense; spysatellite; usaf; usintelligence

1 posted on 01/25/2010 10:44:31 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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To: sonofstrangelove

NRO - “Now we get the big red button.”

DoD -”No, WE get the big red button.”


2 posted on 01/25/2010 11:04:25 PM PST by Talisker (When you find a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be damn sure it didn't get there on it's own.)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Government.....

How in God’s name have we managed to survive this long?


3 posted on 01/25/2010 11:12:31 PM PST by KoRn (Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
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To: KoRn

The Obama administration should not be messing around with this.


4 posted on 01/25/2010 11:20:33 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Google = Obama’s Skynet


5 posted on 01/25/2010 11:27:24 PM PST by Frantzie (TV - sending Americans towards Islamic serfdom - Cancel TV service NOW)
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To: Frantzie

I agree. Did you know that Google keeps all your searches indefinitely and use them for marketing purposes?


6 posted on 01/25/2010 11:28:55 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Just use Scroogle and no worries...


7 posted on 01/26/2010 1:33:06 AM PST by SuperLuminal (Where is another agitator for republicanism like Sam Adams when we need him?)
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To: SuperLuminal

Thanks for the tip!

:)


8 posted on 01/26/2010 1:35:41 AM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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