Mueller: Drones Are Being Used In US

Anyone who used to believe that the government would not use drones in the US, that assumption was blown away yesterday by the FBI director, Robert Mueller.  Can this get stranger? It will. Mark our words. 

There will be those who will argue that the drones are only used for surveillance and therefore, harmless.  We disagree.

The next time there is a "Boston Bomber" or a Tea Party Rally where a precision strike is necessary, it will be argued that an armed drone is the perfect weapon.  Will they use it then? Maybe so, maybe not, but how long will it be before it is used? Will it matter if the target is American? Will it matter if there is "collateral damage?" 

The most scary part of Mueller's testimony is that he admitted that there are NO rules governing the use of these aircraft. In other words, it is a seat of the pants decision made by whom else but some nameless and faceless bureaucrat in some dark and dingy office. Leadership can deny knowing anything about the actions taken, in other words, plausible deniability.  

Drones of any type must be controlled and monitored. Surveillance drones must have definite requirement and must be subjected to the same rules of wiretapping that other tools are.  We must NEVER allow armed drones to be used inside the US and we are very circumspect on their use outside the country.

This is a country that is totally out of control run by a "deef" (see our earlier post today for the meaning of that word) President and a bureaucracy that takes no responsibility for any of their actions.  How much longer can we continue down this path? We think not much longer.

Where are you on this subject?

Conservative Tom

FBI Director: Yes, We Use Drones Domestically… No, We Can’t Say How, When Or Why

June 19, 2013 by Sam Rolley 

Wackobirds, you are officially vindicated in your worries over domestic drone use: FBI Director Robert Mueller told Senate lawmakers Wednesday that the agency has several drones and has yet to adopt strict policies and guidelines for use of the aircraft.

But according to Mueller’s testimony, the lack of policies to protect American citizens’ privacy has not deterred the FBI’s use of drones for domestic surveillance operations.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Mueller, “Does the FBI use drones for surveillance on U.S. soil?”

Mueller’s answer was a straightforward affirmative, though he added that the FBI only “very seldom” conducted surveillance of American citizens on American soil with the unmanned aircraft.

“It’s very seldom used and generally used in a particular incident where you need the capability,” Mueller responded when Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) prodded him on the matter. “It is very narrowly focused on particularized cases and particularized needs.’’

The director said that he wasn’t sure if the FBI had any “official” agreements with agencies like the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Defense to receive assistance and share information collected in the agency’s use of drones.

“To the extent that it relates to the air space there would be some communication back and forth [between agencies],” Mueller provided as a vague answer to a question about interagency drone activity over U.S. soil.

With regard to providing the public any further information regarding FBI justification for drone use and other domestic spy tactics, Mueller gave the impression that transparency is not high on the government’s list of priorities.

“There is a price to be paid for that transparency,” Mueller said. “I certainly think it would be educating our adversaries as to what our capabilities are.”