Senate: Drones Should Operate ‘Freely and Routinely’ in US

From Secrecy News:

“Large number of UASs now deployed overseas may be returned to the United States as the conflict in Afghanistan and operations elsewhere wind down in coming years, and new UASs are under development.”

“Without the ability to operate freely and routinely in the NAS, UAS development and training– and ultimately operational capabilities– will be severely impacted,” the Committee report said.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday approved an amendment to the 2013 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill that would prohibit DHS from acquiring or flying drones that have weapons onboard.

“None of the funds made available by this Act may be used for the purchase, operation, or maintenance of armed unmanned aerial vehicles,” says the provision sponsored by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ).

Check out other Antiwar.com coverage of domestic use of drones:

Drones, Foreign and Domestic

Domestic Drone Use Slips Through Congress With Little Lobbying Opposition

Drones: Coming to the Skies Near You

Drones: Coming to the Skies Near You, Part II

Is There a Drone in Your Backyard?

Coming to a Neighborhood Near You

14 thoughts on “Senate: Drones Should Operate ‘Freely and Routinely’ in US”

  1. No-one should be so silly as to expect that this is the final word on this subject. Step by step, we will go from only surveillance to intercede as necessary to search and destroy.

  2. Wow. Drones used domestically. Gee. I sure didn't see that coming. And I sure will be surprised when they find the money to arm those things. Totally surprised. Just like when the first domestic drone target is killed. I'll be so shocked that it can happen here. Totally blindsided. Yep. Just didn't see it.

  3. Just wait for the first "accident" where one crashes into a domestic airliner killing all aboard. Will anyone get their head served to them after that? Nope! Just like the cops they'll say they were within "departmental guidelines" and vomit out the usual "we need MORE training". Yeah, right.

    1. Or just like the cops, the authorities will pin the crime on somebody from a group they disfavor.

      1. Yep and there was a bad guy on the plane so we had to do it. It was planned not an accident as first reported. Sorry to the families of the 299 other people on the plane.

        1. The other 299 had no business consorting with a known terrorist. Why would they be on the plane with him otherwise? Not exactly innocent. 299 less potential terrorists.

  4. Drone attacks are in a sense an attack on all of Mankind. See my reports on this topic. http://www.indymedia.org/de/2012/06/957265.shtml

    Drones & Directed Energy Assaults are used for two purposes:
    1)mass murder
    2) kill the will of man.

    The killers of this nation understand that mass murder
    is not enough to stop the adversaries; one must also break the will of man
    to defend his own country, his own life (& that of his family) and his own
    sanity. Total psychological surrender is required. Torture and the threat
    of torture are the new weaponry used by the United States Of America in
    order to once and for all control all mankind and all nations.
    http://www.boell.org/downloads/Lingis_on_torture….

    http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/part4-worldinabo.html

  5. I just love how the Senate uses the word "freedom". Instead of freedom for the people, it is freedom for drones to fly at will across America. What a bunch of dangerous idiots.

  6. The advent of drones will certainly spell the end of the US federal megastate. It all has to do with military technological advantage. Individuals can't build tanks, but they can certainly build drones.

    You think that Iranians, Somalis, Pakistanis, etc can't build drones? They aren't stupid and by setting up the standards for their use, we are asking our "enemies" to give us a taste of our own medicine.

    In the US if police & other law enforcement start to use them indiscriminately, individual citizens will start to use them indiscriminately. It's the end of all centralized authority structures if you ask me.

  7. "Drones Should Operate ‘Freely and Routinely’ in US" …… Until it collides with a plane "they" are on…

  8. “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used for the purchase, operation, or maintenance of armed unmanned aerial vehicles,” says the provision sponsored by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ).

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