Scientists fear losing access to intelligence data (bush will change RULES)

[rodeodance]

Source: McClatchy newspapers

McClatchy Washington Bureau
Print This Article Print This Article

Posted on Sun, Jan. 13, 2008
Scientists fear losing access to intelligence data
Les Blumenthal | McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: January 11, 2008 02:07:28 PM

WASHINGTON — Ten years ago, a Canadian icebreaker was parked in an ice pack 300 miles north of Pt. Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost point in the United States, and allowed to drift so scientists could study the Arctic environment and global warming's effect on it. The icebreaker drifted with the ice for a year and more than 1,800 miles as researchers tracked changes in the Arctic ice pack.

Top-secret U.S. spy satellites were among those tracking the icebreaker. With the approval of a little-noticed government body known as the Civil Applications Committee, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency released nearly 60 photos to scientists.

The committee, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Geological Survey, reviews civilian requests for classified reconnaissance information and makes recommendations to the intelligence community, which has the final say about what gets declassified. Such intelligence data can be helpful to scientists studying everything from volcanoes, forest fires, earthquakes and landslides to climate change, hurricanes, flooding and pollution.

Now, however, the Bush administration plans to abolish the committee and create a office in the Department of Homeland Security to review such requests and others from law enforcement agencies. Scientists are concerned that their requests could be sidetracked or delayed as security and law enforcement needs get priority.



Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/v-print/story/24620.html

---

bush wants to give MORE control to HLS office!!

[rodeodance]

1. "We believe the elimination of the civilian orientation of the Civil Applications Committee represen

The shift would be a "grave mistake," and the administration should rethink its plan, said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., the chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee that oversees the USGS and a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Dicks said he's heard from federal scientists who don't like the plan. "They are worried," he said. "The scientists say this information is very valuable to them, and they are concerned this new office will be looking more at homeland security and law enforcement."

The proposed change also has raised concerns on Capitol Hill that military spy satellites and other intelligence assets could be used to give federal and local law enforcement officials data that they could use to target illegal immigrants and drug smugglers, among other things.

"We believe the elimination of the civilian orientation of the Civil Applications Committee represents explicit harm in the near term to USGS and other civilian federal agencies, and it represents a potentially serious harm over the longer term to the constitutional protections U.S. citizens expect and deserve," Dicks said in a letter to administration officials

[fascisthunter]

2. Bush, the Tin Pot Fascist Dictator

pathetically stupid, selfish rich boy placed into a position of power without being legitimately elected.

[bluesmail]

5. AMEN

a department for laundering money and more

[ladywnch]

3. EVERYTHING is going to be attached/inside the dept of HLS!!!!

HLS = KGB or soon will.

[rodeodance]

4. and bush came in saying he did not want big gov.

[Maestro]

9. That is what I was thinking.

Why does scientific information have to go through that bullshit department? Fuck Homeland Security! It's done nothing except create more bureaucracy!

[terryg11]

10. exactly

how strange is this? I never thought our government would get this paranoid or closed. I wonder if it's fear or something else driving this.

[ladywnch]

18. it is something else driving it.....greed!

HLS is a giant black hole that keeps sucking up money and producing nothing. it is the best way to funnel money to jr's cronies with no oversight. I've worked HLS programs and the money is nothing short of obscene and the incompetence even more!

[HuskiesHowls]

6. Who needs science

When God talks to you and gives you all the answers??

:sarcasm:

[Hydra]

7. Yeah, no science required

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas?"

Joseph Stalin

[applegrove]

8. That is scary.

[ooglymoogly]

11. I hope red flags are going up in more than just the science

community. The worst you can think of this git has become true and is coming true. The real problem is that the general populace have already forgotten the horrors and the depths this monster and his ilk have brought the world to. And too the populace cannot even begin to fathom the evil of this man and his handlers. Evolution does not treat fools who cannot remember history and blindly go through horrific mistakes over and over kindly and will shove them into a dead end without a care.

[RoccoR5955]

12. More dirt for the WORST administriation in American History.

I guess that Bushco, Inc. thinks that Ronnie Raygun didn't do enough to let the corporations run everything. The current algical stromatalite (look it up, I don't want to insult anything with any kind of intelligence) in residence, in the White House, wants to give everything away to its buddies, you know, the "haves, and the have mores," while making sure to shroud all that they give away under the cover of "The war on terror." Or is it the War on Terra (as in terra firma)?

[annabanana]

13. JEE-sus! Yet ANOTHER think we'll have to put to rights when we

get back in the WH.

I sure hope someone's keeping track.

[syberlion]

14. HLS is the path to 1930's Germany...

or Cold War USSR. I find it very interesting that civilian operations of government are being slowly militarized. I mean, CIA director is still wearing his military uniform. We are in the throws of a full dictatorial administration and as in 1930's Germany, an ineffective congressional branch scared to flex their legal muscle.

It is obvious the people are turning out in droves wanting a change and sometime between now and the general election I foresee something which will allow either this current dictator to maintain power, or something may happen to the final democratic contender. When Kerry gave his endorsement to Obama, I got a very strange sinking feeling. What I thought was, "Uh-oh, the establishment has given their ok. That's not a good thing."

Kerry was never a fighter, he gave up without a fight and let these last 4 years happen without a knock-down drag it out fight. He was never my choice last time and I was proven right, again. What is being scripted isn't what this country needs. It's time to get in there and root out all the evil in place and that needs to be someone who can fight, someone who has fought, someone who's spoke the truth and is consistently correct on every single issue.

This person's been marginalized because all he's spoken is the truth and even his own party is marginalized because he's NOT a corporate shill. The corporations are setting up the script and part of that is stripping personal freedoms, hope you have what it takes to get your "real id" or you'll be sitting on the sidelines not able to participate.

This is a leap year and the corporations would love to "leap" over this election process. They've already picked those they would like to fill the position, they've already had the interviews, and "We The People" were never involved. All they are asking is for us to validate THEIR choice. Period.

If you don't validate the corporate choice, well then there will be some sort of "event" which will force "We The People" to hold our nose while we vote, or as it was the last two cycles, have the Diebold machines take care of everything so the corporations still win.

So, keep listening to the MSM and forget about the populist candidates, heck why even worry about it since it's already pre-determined. You really think it can change?

The establishment is broken. So the last thing we need is an endorsement from an establishment person like Kerry. Makes me wonder, it should make you wonder, what did Obama promise? There's so much we don't see going on behind the scene.

HLS must be dismantled. If not then this is no longer the America I was born to, this is no longer the America I believed in, this is no longer the America those brave persons created when they wrote the most important document The Constitution. How many candidates have you heard promising to bring back the rule of law? How many candidates have you heard say they will go after these criminals currently and illegally in charge?

It's time to stand up and take this country back. That includes the "PUBLIC" airwaves which are currently bound and gagged by the corporations. I email what I learn from DU, I forward what I read from DU, I talk to people at work, on the street, every chance I get to get the message out because it's NOT being broadcast by the MSM.

HLS is part of the problem and this is NOT the German homeland. Dismantle it.

[southerncross48]

15. New HLS Name

I understand that the Homeland Security is going to be renamed---State Security---and they will be wearing a new uniform which will be colored all black.

[tanyev]

16. They'll probably call it the Ministry of Knowledge.

[Javaman]

17. Oh fuck it! just call HLS the ministry of truth and be done with it. nt