Reporting from Washington — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has decided to kill a controversial Bush administration program to use U.S. spy satellites to collect domestic intelligence for counter-terrorism, law enforcement and security, a senior Homeland Security official said Monday evening.
The National Applications Office program was established in 2007 to provide up-to-the-minute electronic intelligence to local and state law enforcement. But it has been delayed due to concerns by privacy and civil liberties advocates -- and by some lawmakers -- that it would intrude on Americans' lives.
The senior Homeland Security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the program is classified, said Napolitano had decided to nix it after consulting with state and local law enforcement officials and learning that they had far more pressing priorities than using satellites to collect information and eavesdrop on people.
Napolitano, who was Arizona attorney general before becoming the state's governor, has long touted the importance of better coordination between federal authorities and their local and state counterparts.
State and local officials also had serious concerns about the program's potential intrusiveness, according to the Homeland Security official and Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton, president of the Major Cities Chiefs Assn.
"To my knowledge, this is the first opportunity major law enforcement organizations have had to participate in this significant and complex initiative," Bratton said in a June 21 letter to Napolitano. "In our view, the NAO is not an issue of urgency. . . . Our goal is effective sharing of law enforcement information that protects the privacy and civil liberties of Americans. . . ."
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice) had recently introduced legislation that would prevent Homeland Security from using space-based satellite imagery for domestic surveillance. Harman, chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee's intelligence and terrorism risk assessment subcommittee, cited privacy issues.
"Imagine, for a moment, what it would be like if one of these satellites were directed on your neighborhood or home, a school or place of worship -- and without an adequate legal framework or operating procedures in place for regulating their use," she said in a statement when she introduced her bill. "I dare say the reaction might be that Big Brother has finally arrived, and the black helicopters can't be far behind."
