Homeland Security Taps Generals to Run Domestic Drone Program: The Rise of Predators at Home

[marmar]

Homeland Security Taps Generals to Run Domestic Drone Program: The Rise of Predators at Home

Wednesday, 07 August 2013 00:00
By Tom Barry, Truthout | News Analysis


The continuing rise of Predator drones at home has been fueled by the bizarre merger of military influence in domestic affairs and the key role of border hawks in the politics of immigration reform. DHS's early decision to tap generals involved in the military's own controversial overseas drone program to shape and direct the domestic drone program points to the increasing merger of the post-9/11 homeland security/border security complex with the military-industrial complex.

Drone proliferation at home will likely increase from a multibillion-dollar spending surge to boost "border security" as a result of congressional proposals to reform immigration policy.

At home and abroad, drone proliferation has benefited from a broad bipartisan consensus about the purported success of the US military's foreign deployment of Predator drones in counterterrorism operations by the Pentagon and intelligence apparatus. Drone proliferation at home is closely linked to military and CIA enthusiasm for what are formally called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or simply unmanned systems.

DHS decided - with virtually no reviews or evaluations - to purchase unarmed versions of the Predator drones used abroad for "signature strikes" (targeted drone killing). The department, whose mission includes "border security," has also relied on military bases along the land border and coastal waters to host its own drone fleet. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/17995-homeland-security-taps-generals-to-run-domestic-drone-program-the-rise-of-predators-at-home

[newfie11]

1. Military running drones in America

What could possibly go wrong.

Big brother

[NuclearDem]

2. Weapon creep.

Emphasis on creep.

[Safetykitten]

3. What a wonderous miltaristic future we all have before us.

[Savannahmann]

4. If you have to ask why this is a bad idea

Then you'll never understand.

[msongs]

5. while the population goes homeless the MIC and its political puppets wastes $tens of billions nt