(CNET) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has customized its Predator drones, originally built for overseas military operations, to carry out at-home surveillance tasks that have civil libertarians worried: identifying civilians carrying guns and tracking their cell phones, government documents show. Read the rest of this entry »
(Reuters) – They hover over Hollywood film sets and professional sports events. They track wildfires in Colorado, survey Kansas farm crops and vineyards in California. They inspect miles of industrial pipeline and monitor wildlife, river temperatures and volcanic activity.
They also locate marijuana fields, reconstruct crime scenes and spot illegal immigrants breaching U.S. borders. Read the rest of this entry »
(KurtNimmo) – Following the incineration of cop killer suspect Chris Dorner by the San Bernardino police, a lobbyist group dedicated to inserting drones in police work used the event to push the wares of their clients. Read the rest of this entry »
(RepresentativePress) – John Brennan is responsible for the biggest atrocities of two different presidential administrations. He was considered for the same position — CIA Director — in 2009, but eventually withdrew his name from consideration following uproar over his support of the use of torture after 9/11. Read the rest of this entry »
Lawmaker fights against law enforcement use of spy craft
(SteveWatson) – Among the several States poised to pass legislation to prohibit the use of spy drones is Florida, where a bill to ban the unmanned craft advanced this week, despite the lobbying efforts of law enforcers. Read the rest of this entry »
(ZeroHedge) – Given our recent discussion (here and here) of the rising importance of Africa in the world’s power and money echelons, it is not entirely surprising that the NY Times reports that US military command in Africa is actively preparing to establish a drone base in northwest Africa to increase “unarmed surveillance missions on the local affiliate of Al Qaeda and other Islamist extremist groups” that American and other Western officials say pose a growing menace to the region. Read the rest of this entry »
(Youtube) – Despite repeated claims from both the Bush and Obama administrations that missile attacks from unmanned drones provide a surgically precise means of eliminating suspected terrorists, U.S. drone policy has led to the deaths of at least 178 children in Pakistan and Yemen (the U.S. is officially at war with neither) as of December 2, 2012. While one hellfire missile is obviously preferable to leveling an entire block with a bombing run, one has to wonder how effective a campaign like this really is in curtailing terrorist activity. Read the rest of this entry »
(WashPost) – Over the past two years, the Obama administration has been secretly developing a new blueprint for pursuing terrorists, a next-generation targeting list called the “disposition matrix.” Read the rest of this entry »
(TheHindu) – After a long time, the U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan opened a new front on Thursday with the unmanned Predators striking a compound in the Orakzai tribal agency, reportedly killing at least a dozen people. Read the rest of this entry »
Technology previously used to hunt insurgents in Afghanistan
(PaulWatson) – Sheriff Gregory Ahern wants to put Alameda County on the map as the first jurisdiction in California to use surveillance drones for law enforcement purposes, turning to technology previously used to hunt insurgents in Afghanistan that would allow police to peek inside buildings to detect heat sources of people or the lights of indoor pot growing operations. Read the rest of this entry »
Investigator says protesters have phones scanned, identity logged by authorities as a matter of course
(SteveWatson) – A prominent private investigator operating out of New York and Texas has noted that anyone engaging in any large scale protest, is now subjected to scanning by drones that skim their personal information from their cell phones. Read the rest of this entry »
(DroneWarsUK) – In an obscure working document, the European Commission has announced it is working on plans to open European civil airspace to unmanned drones by 2016. This follows the signing by President Obama earlier this year of the FAA Appropriations bill which mandated that US airspace must be opened to drones by 2015. Read the rest of this entry »
(RussiaToday) – As the controversy of the use of drones for illegal assassinations and overseas surveillance the Pentagon reveals plans to make drones available to 66 countries. Read the rest of this entry »
(HigginsBlog) – The world’s most sophisticated drone warplanes prepare to face off in a multi-billion-dollar competition to decide the future of air warfare. Read the rest of this entry »
See Also: (Bus.FinancialPost) – Face to face with the ‘human barcode’ – Read More Here
DHS spy in the sky to provide “situational awareness”
(PaulWatson) – The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to use surveillance drones for the purposes of “public safety,” according to remarks made by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano during a House hearing yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »
See Also: (TechEye) – Unmanned drones pose Olympic risk – Read More Here
(SteveWatson) – As exponentially more government and law enforcement drones take to the skies over America, new research has highlighted the fact that the unmanned vehicles are extremely vulnerable and can be relatively easily hijacked and controlled. Read the rest of this entry »
(JohnGalt) – This PDF document of a declassified Air Force intelligence report obtained by CBS News Radio KNX-1070 spells out what I have been warning about on the air for over a year now: Read the rest of this entry »
(Infowars) – Since it was posted on May 29 – just over 24 hours ago – Alex’s Drones Shot Down Over Texas has gone viral on his YouTube channel. It has received over 100,000 views. The video is the rollout of his series, Brothers in Arms, available exclusively for PrisonPlanet.tv members. Read the rest of this entry »
(BaldwinLive) – In a stunning upset for the Obama administration and big-government zealots in general, a federal judge in New York has issued an injunction against the citizen detention portion of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Bob Unruh at World Net Daily has the story.
“A district-court judge has suspended enforcement of a law that could strip U.S. citizens of their civil rights and allow indefinite detention of individuals President Obama believes to be in support of terror. Read the rest of this entry »
(AJC) – The army of autonomous robotic enforcers have descended upon America to bolster the bankers reign. Indeed, locales across the country, including Montgomery County in Texas, are unleashing weaponized drones to spy on the people and enforce the dictates of the globalists. The “loyalty” of U.S. military personnel following illegitimate orders will not be relied upon; instead, it will be unmanned aerial and land vehicles deployed and designed to make autonomous decisions with deadly repercussions in the looming occupation of heartland America. Read the rest of this entry »
See Also: (Infowars) – Garbage Truck Drivers, Landscapers Snoop for Cops – Read More Here
“Incidental” surveillance data can be held for 90 days
(SteveWatson) – A newly discovered Air Force intelligence brief states that should fleets of unmanned drones accidentally capture surveillance footage of Americans, the data can be stored and analyzed by the Pentagon for up to 90 days.
The instruction, dated April 23, admits that the Air Force cannot legally conduct “nonconsensual surveillance” on Americans, but also states that should the drones”incidentally” capture data while conducting other missions, military intelligence has the right to study it to determine whether the subjects are legitimate targets of domestic surveillance. Read the rest of this entry »
See Also: (AJC) – Video: TSA Tells Complainers – “Go To Hell” – Video Link Here
(RussiaToday) – In January of 2012, the US Congress passed legislation that will open up the US sky to unmanned drones. The robotic aircraft will be used for military and police operations and will add to America’s current arsenal of around 7,000 drones. According to some accounts, peaceful protest might be a reason that feds would deploy the unmanned craft. There are currently 300 active drone permits in the US, but will that soon swell out of control? Amie Stepanovich, a member of the National Security Council for EPIC, joins us for more. Read the rest of this entry »
See Also: (HigginsBlog) – No Charges, No Trial, No Lawyer, No Jury: Straight to Execution – Read More Here
(HigginsBlog) – Police are deploying an army of drones to spy on US citizens that can be used to fire rockets through your window if the government doesn’t like what you are doing. Read the rest of this entry »
(Salon) – The New York Times‘ Scott Shane reported this morning on the Bureau of Investigative Journalism study I wrote about yesterday, detailing that the U.S. drone program, as the NYT put it, “repeatedly targeted rescuers who responded to the scene of a strike, as well as mourners at subsequent funerals.” Shane’s article contains this paragraph:
A senior American counterterrorism official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, questioned the report’s findings, saying “targeting decisions are the product of intensive intelligence collection and observation.” The official added: “One must wonder why an effort that has so carefully gone after terrorists who plot to kill civilians has been subjected to so much misinformation. Let’s be under no illusions — there are a number of elements who would like nothing more than to malign these efforts and help Al Qaeda succeed.”
(EFF) – Today, EFF filed suit against the Federal Aviation Administration seeking information on drone flights in the United States. The FAAis the sole entity within the federal government capable of authorizing domestic drone flights, and for too long now, it has failed to release specific and detailed information on who is authorized to fly drones within US borders. Read the rest of this entry »
See Also: (PrisonPlanet) – Santa Gets a TSA Pat-down – Read More Here
(RussiaToday) – Predator drones have been used to fight the war on terror worldwide. Recently Iran shot down a US drone flying over the country and now reports have surfaced indicating these same drones are being used on American citizens. Alex Jones, radio show host, joins us to help us dig deeper and find out why US citizens are being targeted. Read the rest of this entry »
(RussiaToday) – The US police continue to play cat and mouse with the Occupy movement, having torn down the last remaining Occupy Wall Street camp in San Francisco, arresting 55 people for illegal lodging. Read the rest of this entry »
(ActivistPost) – In a stark admission, two-star General, John Priddy, from the U.S. National Air Security Operations Center, confirmed in the video below that the continued expansion of predator drone surveillanceis a stated goal for the coming years. His comments were echoed by Al Palmer, Director of Unmanned Aircraft Training at the world’s largest center at the University of North Dakota, “The world is going to spend $80 billion on unmanned aircraft between now and 2016.” Read the rest of this entry »
(IntelHub) – In 2007, it was revealed by reporters in Texas that unmanned drones were being used in supposed border control operations. We detailed that report with supporting evidence that drones clearly were being used inland away from border control functions.
Recently, an article from Miami-Dade announced the arrival of a 16-pound micro drone T-Hawk surveillance model designed by Honeywell. The video below shows a more detailed view of the capabilities of this surveillance drone. Read the rest of this entry »
(ActivistPost) – A video from a 2007 investigative report by KPRC local news in Houston made a sizable impact on YouTube when it appeared early this year. The video (below) shows unequivocal proof of the secret testing of unmanned drones by the Houston Police department. A similar program came to light in Las Vegas, also initiated in 2007. Is this an indication that police and military are now working jointly in a way that blurs the lines between their stated border control operations and a wider domestic surveillance program? Read the rest of this entry »
REPOST – (AlterNet) – When it was confirmed last winter by then-Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair that the Obama administration had authorized the assassination of American citizens working with terrorist groups overseas, it appeared that no more than three Americans were being targeted in this manner.
In an interview last week with the Washington Times, however, Deputy White House National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John O. Brennan suggested the number might actually amount to “dozens.” Read More Here
(AntiFascistCalling) – As “gee-whiz” high-tech wonders seamlessly morph into “your papers, please!,” more often than not in “new normal” America science and technological innovation are little more than deranged handmaids serving corporate crime and political power.
In the interest of “keeping us safe,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled a spiffy new surveillance cam “that puts others to shame,” CNET breezily reported last week. Read the rest of this entry »
See Also: (RawStory) – FAA under pressure to open US skies to drones – Read More Here
(FreePressInt) – The Federal Aviation Administration has been asked to issue flying rights for pilotless planes of all sizes. They range in size from an airliner to a bee, believe it or not.
There are two types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s): Drones, which are automated planes pre-programmed to fly and UAV’s that are remotely controlled by someone on the ground.
Some of the uses include Tornado research, monitoring pipelines, and search and rescue.
State police hope to send them up to capture images of speeding cars’ license plates and tracking fleeing suspects. This is where UAV’s could be easily abused by government.
Another concern is lost communication between unmanned aircraft and the operators who remotely control them.
Planes entering low flying areas are not required to have warning systems or transponders. It’s done visually
UAV’s are already being used for border patrol and can fly for 20 hours without refueling. Which begs the question, Why do we need a fence if we have UAV’s. Something not quite right there? – Source: Free Press International
(IraqWar) – Hezbollah warns Israel over gas fields
With Israel set to lay claim to natural gas fields recently discovered in the Mediterranean, the resistance movement of Hezbollah moves to warn Tel Aviv against extracting from Lebanon’s resources. Read More Here
(AP) – Official: 30 killed in Kyrgyzstan village – Read More Here
(Akhbar) – Massive arms deals between Russia and “Israel” – Read More Here
(Guardian) – Death toll grows as Kyrgyzstan ethnic violence escalates
Interim government gives police shoot-to-kill powers as death toll exceeds 100 in Uzbek-Kyrgyz clashes Read More Here
(JPost) – Israel, US hold joint strike drill
IAF says it has increased overseas exercises by 40 percent. Read More Here
(AsiaTimes) – Neo-cons lead charge against Turkey – Read More Here
(PressTV) – Kyrgyz riot police authorized to kill
A government decree on Saturday authorized lethal force to repel attacks against the authorities, stop the destruction of government and private property, and protect civilians, AFP reported. Read More Here
(PressTV) – ‘US troops attack Iraqi home, kill 5′
Five Iraqis, including 2 who were standing on their rooftop witnessing the arrival of US infantrymen, have lost their lives after their house was attacked by the troops. Read More Here
(Aangirfan) – CIA SEEKS CHAOS IN KYRGYZSTAN?
Creating chaos in Kyrgystan seems to suit the drugs trade.
It also suits the USA which does not want Kyrgyzstan to become a strong and stable partner of Russia. Read More Here
(PressTV) – Russia assures Iran over S-300 deal
Russia’s Foreign Ministry says Moscow is not obliged to freeze a deal to deliver the S-300 missile defense system to Iran under the newly imposed UN sanctions.
Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said Thursday that the deal is not referenced in the fourth round of UN sanctions imposed against Tehran which mainly target financial and military sectors. Read More Here
REPOST- (AntiWar) – Russia Moves Forward on Defense Missiles, Nuclear Plants for Iran
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced today that they are in new talks with Iran on construction of additional nuclear power plants in the nation, and that they may still deliver the S-300 Missile Defense System to Iran, though no date was given for this delivery. Read More Here
(TimesOnline) – We want troops out as soon as we can, says Cameron
David Cameron promised yesterday that British troops would not remain in Afghanistan a day longer than necessary as he flew into the country for the first time as Prime Minister. Read More Here
(AFP) – Obama has made ‘big mistake’ with Iran: Ahmadinejad – Read More Here
(PressTV) – ‘US cannot garner support for Iran war’
A former chief UN weapons inspector says the UN Security Council would never approve an attack on Iran, amid US efforts to punish the country for its nuclear work. Read More Here
(PressTV) – More US missiles kill 18 in Pakistan
Another US missile strike has killed at least 18 people and wounded dozens in a tribal area in northwest Pakistan, officials say.
According to Pakistani security officials, a drone fired six missiles 50 kilometers west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan on Friday. They say a house in Bahadar Khel village was the target of the attack.
Reportedly, the previous drone strike killed three people late Thursday at a house in the village of Khaddi, 15 kilometers east of Miranshah.
Almost 1000 Pakistanis have been killed in US drone strikes since 2008.
The issue of civilian casualties has strained the Islamabad-Washington relations.
Washington claims the attacks target militants whereas most of them have killed civilians.
Islamabad has repeatedly called for an end to the attacks, saying they violate Pakistan’s sovereignty. – Source: PressTV
(Uruknet) – “Perfectly Safe: It Just Kills Plants … ” – Agent Orange and the Third Generation
It is not news that American troops fighting for the U.S. military in Vietnam were told by their commanders that the defoliants and herbicides sprayed by the U.S. Air Force were “perfectly safe…[they] just kill plants.” Read More Here
(AP) – NATO general in Afghanistan: Taliban train in Iran
The commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan said Sunday there is “clear evidence” that some Taliban fighters have trained in Iran. Read More Here
(Haaretz) – Report: Gaza aid flotilla changes course to avoid confrontation with Israeli warships
Israel Navy ships reportedly made contact earlier with the six-ship flotilla, which is carrying 10,000 tons of supplies. Read More Here
(WPost) – Analysts question Korea torpedo incident
How is it that a submarine of a fifth-rate power was able to penetrate a U.S.-South Korean naval exercise and sink a ship that was designed for anti-submarine warfare?
Such questions are being fueled by suggestions in the South Korean and Japanese media that the naval exercise was intended to provoke the North to attack. The resulting public outcry in the South, according to this analysis, would bolster support for a conservative government in Seoul that is opposed to reconciliation efforts. Read More Here
(CounterPunch) – Vietnam MIAs: Ghosts Return to Haunt McCain and the US Press
The ghosts that haunt Senator John McCain are about 600 in number and right now they are mustering for an onslaught. Read More Here
(LewRockwell) – Is the U.S. Government Planning War to Quell the Tide of Economic Unrest?
In my opinion and in a word: Yes!
Headlines:
* “READY FOR WAR,” “U.S. Military told to get ready in Korea Standoff, Obama orders commanders to prepare ‘to deter future aggression.’” By Drudge and MSNBC
* “U.S. Begins Massive Military Build Up Around Iran, Sending Up To 4 New Carrier Groups In Region” by Tyler Durden
* “Clinton: Korea Must Face ‘Consequences’ For Sunken Warship”
* Homeland Security, Northeast Intelligence Network: “The Syrian Missile Crisis: Threat of War Very Real”
* “The Expanding U.S. War in Pakistan” by Jeremy Scahill
* “Yemen, Latest War Front?” by CBS News Read More Here
(IrishTimes) – Predators, Warriors and Ravens: the CIA Drones Wage War
With 5,456 US servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Afghan war going badly, the US military celebrates what it can. Unmanned Aircraft Systems, also known as Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles but referred to as drones, are the military’s most important technological asset. Last year the CIA’s director, Leon Panetta, called the Predator drone programme “the only game in town”. Read More Here
(C4L) – Too Many Wars Waged
The “War on Drugs,” like the “War on Terror,” ends up being an undertaking with no definable victory in sight. No matter how vigorously the federal government prosecutes its “war” on drugs, people will still use drugs. No matter how vigorously the federal government pursues the “war” on terror there will still be those who want to commit terrorist acts to get their points across.
Thus, we have two “wars” with infinite reach that use the threats engendered by their very own existence to justify their actions. Read More Here
(RussiaToday) – Video: “Attack against South Korean ship looks like false flag operation” – Wayne Madsen
While international investigators have accused North Korea of sinking a South Korean patrol corvette in March, China has taken a more cautious position.
Investigative journalist and RT contributor Wayne Madsen says it is because Beijing suspects there was greater deception at work.
“The Cheonan [navy corvette] was sunk by this torpedo that was later to be discovered to have been of German manufacture. Germany said it sells no military weapons to North Korea. This thing is starting to look like a classic false flag operation,” Wayne Madsen says.
“Kim Jong-Il who very rarely travels – and when he does, he only travels by train – went to Beijing. My sources in Beijing say that he went to Beijing, that Chinese authorities said that North Korea did this, he denied it. They were satisfied with his response,” Madsen adds. “Now the Chinese are very suspicious of the US’ intentions in richening things up in the Korean peninsula.”
(RussiaToday) – Security levels at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics will be sky high – literally. Unmanned drones are keeping a bird’s eye view of the proceedings. It’s all part of the elaborate security system designed to protect the Black Sea resort from any threat. Read the rest of this entry »
(Spiegel) – US defense expert P.W. Singer from the Brookings Institution talks to SPIEGEL ONLINE about the stresses that drone pilots are subjected to and the risk of emotional exhaustion and burnout. The whole experience of war is being changed by the new technology, he argues.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Singer, are drones becoming the new form of combat?
P.W. Singer: Until recently, people looked at this as something abnormal. But drones and robotic warfare in general are actually the new normal now. We’ve gone from using a handful of these systems to now having around 7,000 in the air. And the US is not the only country flying them. There are drones from 43 other countries, including Great Britain, Germany and Pakistan. Read the rest of this entry »
(AntiWar) – In spite of the fact that the United States faces no enemy anywhere in the world capable of opposing it on a battlefield, the Defense budget for 2011 will go up 7.1 percent from current levels. A lot of the new spending will be on drones, America’s latest contribution to western civilization, capable of surveilling large areas on the ground and delivering death from the skies. It is a peculiarly American vision of warfare, with a “pilot” sitting at a desk half a world away and pressing a button that can kill a target far below. Read the rest of this entry »
(GlobalResearch) – US-NATO versus Russia: Towards a Regional War in the Caucasus?
Georgia is eager for another war, but there are other fires there which refuse to die — Russia’s battles with terrorism and separatists and Azerbaijan’s bleeding wound in ethnic Armenian Nagorno Karabakh. Read More Here
(RickRozoff) – Decade Of The Drone: America’s Aerial Assassins
2010 is the tenth and deadliest year in Washington’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for targeted assassinations and untargeted “collateral damage.” Read More Here
(TomDispatch) – The New Jim Crow – How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Undercaste
Ever since Barack Obama lifted his right hand and took his oath of office, pledging to serve the United States as its 44th president, ordinary people and their leaders around the globe have been celebrating our nation’s “triumph over race.” Obama’s election has been touted as the final nail in the coffin of Jim Crow, the bookend placed on the history of racial caste in America. Read More Here
(InfoClearingHouse) – Video: Breaking Iraq: Who Benefits? – An Interview With Dr. Dahlia Wasf
Who benefits from invading and occupying Iraq? Are Americans defending U.S. national security, or the security of our colonial outpost in the Arab World? View Video Here
(JPost) – Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran ’4-8 Weeks Left for Diplomacy on Iran’
Four to eight weeks remain to test the option of diplomatic engagement as means of stopping Iran’s nuclear program before sanctions will likely be imposed, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told an audience of foreign military officers and government officials in Herzliya on Monday. Read More Here
(PaulWatson) – Illustrating once again that the prison planet being built around us far outstrips anything Aldous Huxley or George Orwell ever imagined, a Wired News report details how police forces worldwide are preparing to unveil drone aircraft that can not only conduct surveillance of protesters, but also zap them into submission with non-lethal weapons. Read the rest of this entry »
(FederalJack) – It is interesting to have all these reports of crashing predator drones around the same time as the war drums are beating to attack Yemen and Iran, as well as the CIA telling congress that we are going to be attacked by Al-Cia-Ada within the next 6 months. The same thing happened before 9/11, two drones were said to have crashed so they were removed from the inventory list. If you have investigated 9/11 at all and seen the evidence about flight 77 not hitting the Pentagon then you are familiar with the concept of a drone such as a global hawk hitting the pentagon. My question is this: Are they prepping for 9/11 PT 2? Read More Here
(NaturalNews) – In the world of medicine, “skeptics” claim to be the sole protectors of intellectual truth. Everyone who disagrees with them is just a quack, they insist. Briefly stated, “skeptics” are in favor of vaccines, mammograms, pharmaceuticals and chemotherapy. They are opponents of nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, chiropractic care, massage therapy, energy medicine, homeopathy, prayer and therapeutic touch. Read the rest of this entry »
Jason welcomes to the show, Cindy Sheehan. Jason & Cindy talk about Obama’s continue “Bush like War on Terror” around the globe, and the CIA Drones bombing women and children in Pakistan. Read the rest of this entry »
