Domestic agencies gain access to military satellites

— Another email to family members.  This one from 07 Oct 2008.

Be attentive!

• Another privacy compromise.
• Another incremental concession to civil liberties.
• The separation of the police and the military (e.g. domestic and international) duties continues to blurr and become more intertwined.

Domestic agencies will gain access to military satellites

Even the GAO (Government Accounting Office) warns of the risks to civil liberties and the violation of law.  Law?   Doesn’t seem to impair Bush’s behavior much.

Maybe the satellite use is not an immediate threat.  Maybe the recent Army brigade assignment is not an immediate threat.  Is it a pattern?  Perhaps.  Is it worth watching?  Yes!  Pay attention.  Write your congressional reps.  Let them know of your concerns.

A first: Army units assigned to domestic duties

– The basis of this posting was an email to family members in Sep 2008.  The event is also worthy of note here.

Here is another fundamental change.

This is “the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment …” for domestic operations.

Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

An Army brigade appears to between 1,500 and 3,200 soldiers.

It is a precedent worthy of our notice.  We have seen many other nations use the military to manage their populations.  A few questions come to mind.

• What conditions triggered this deployment?  Why now?
• What conditions trigger their use?
• What this unit’s intended use?
• Why is the National Guard insufficient for the task?  It has traditionally been the force used domestically.