CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
Posted on 06/19/2013 8:09:22 AM PDT by RummyChick
The FBI uses drones for domestic surveillance purposes, the head of the agency told Congress early Wednesday.
Robert Mueller, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, confirmed to lawmakers that the FBI owns several unmanned aerial vehicles, but has not adopted any strict policies or guidelines yet to govern the use of the controversial aircraft.
“Does the FBI use drones for surveillance on US soil?” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Mr. Mueller during an oversight hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Yes,” Mueller responded bluntly, adding that the FBI’s operation of drones is “very seldom.”
Asked by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) to elaborate, Mueller added, “It’s very seldom used and generally used in a particular incident where you need the capability.” Earlier in the morning, however, Mueller said that the agency was only now working to establish set rule for the drone program.
I think I didn’t explain my point well. If they can fly over us, how low can they go? Meaning, is there a difference between an aircraft flying thousands of feet or only several feet, legally? It was a hypothetical looking at ownership and privacy etc.
As a “P.S.” I would add that back in the 1980s a SCOTUS ruling on this used the concept of “publicly navigable air space” for clearing law enforcement use of warrantless air surveillance. With the advent of mircro drones, further case law will argued over what, in future, constitutes “publicly navigable air space.”
“Sir, you are using drones. Reporter Michael Hastings, who has been a little critical of the Administration lately, died in a crash of his Mercedes so powerful that the engine was thrown som e100 feet from the fiery remains of the car. Are your US drones loaded with Hellfire missiles?”
“Sir, you are using drones. Reporter Michael Hastings, who has been a little critical of the Administration lately, died in a crash of his Mercedes so powerful that the engine was thrown som e100 feet from the fiery remains of the car. Are your US drones loaded with Hellfire missiles?”
...and many local and state police forces are salivating over the thought of using them as well.
So has the FBI been engaged in top secret spying on Americans? If so, who authorized this abuse of the justice system?
I suppose that is a rhetorical question.
Whatever they justify doing to the enemy on a foreign battlefield, we can bet that they will “progress” to use the same on their domestic enemy - Americans. Especially little girls in wheelchairs with the nerve to go to Disney World with her family on an airplane.
My husband spotted a drone in the Orlando/Disneyworld area a couple of years ago during the Caylee Anthony search. It was reported that drones were to aid in the search on the news.
http://thewashingtonfancy.com/2011/07/06/obama-orders-drone-strikes-on-casey-anthony/1374
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