Coming Soon: Unmanned Aircraft All Over U.S. Skies

See Also: (RawStory) – FAA under pressure to open US skies to drones – Read More Here

(FreePressInt) – The Federal Aviation Administration has been asked to issue flying rights for pilotless planes of all sizes. They range in size from an airliner to a bee, believe it or not.

There are two types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s): Drones, which are automated planes pre-programmed to fly and UAV’s that are remotely controlled by someone on the ground.

Some of the uses include Tornado research, monitoring pipelines, and search and rescue.

State police hope to send them up to capture images of speeding cars’ license plates and tracking fleeing suspects. This is where UAV’s could be easily abused by government.

Another concern is lost communication between unmanned aircraft and the operators who remotely control them.

Planes entering low flying areas are not required to have warning systems or transponders. It’s done visually

UAV’s are already being used for border patrol and can fly for 20 hours without refueling. Which begs the question, Why do we need a fence if we have UAV’s. Something not quite right there? – Source: Free Press International

World War

(Uruknet) – “Perfectly Safe: It Just Kills Plants … ” – Agent Orange and the Third Generation

It is not news that American troops fighting for the U.S. military in Vietnam were told by their commanders that the defoliants and herbicides sprayed by the U.S. Air Force were “perfectly safe…[they] just kill plants.” Read More Here

(AP) – NATO general in Afghanistan: Taliban train in Iran

The commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan said Sunday there is “clear evidence” that some Taliban fighters have trained in Iran. Read More Here

(Haaretz) – Report: Gaza aid flotilla changes course to avoid confrontation with Israeli warships

Israel Navy ships reportedly made contact earlier with the six-ship flotilla, which is carrying 10,000 tons of supplies. Read More Here

(WPost) – Analysts question Korea torpedo incident

How is it that a submarine of a fifth-rate power was able to penetrate a U.S.-South Korean naval exercise and sink a ship that was designed for anti-submarine warfare?

Such questions are being fueled by suggestions in the South Korean and Japanese media that the naval exercise was intended to provoke the North to attack. The resulting public outcry in the South, according to this analysis, would bolster support for a conservative government in Seoul that is opposed to reconciliation efforts. Read More Here

(CounterPunch) – Vietnam MIAs: Ghosts Return to Haunt McCain and the US Press

The ghosts that haunt Senator John McCain are about 600 in number and right now they are mustering for an onslaught. Read More Here

(LewRockwell) – Is the U.S. Government Planning War to Quell the Tide of Economic Unrest?

In my opinion and in a word: Yes!

Headlines:

* “READY FOR WAR,” “U.S. Military told to get ready in Korea Standoff, Obama orders commanders to prepare ‘to deter future aggression.’” By Drudge and MSNBC
* “U.S. Begins Massive Military Build Up Around Iran, Sending Up To 4 New Carrier Groups In Region” by Tyler Durden
* “Clinton: Korea Must Face ‘Consequences’ For Sunken Warship”
* Homeland Security, Northeast Intelligence Network: “The Syrian Missile Crisis: Threat of War Very Real”
* “The Expanding U.S. War in Pakistan” by Jeremy Scahill
* “Yemen, Latest War Front?” by CBS News
Read More Here

(IrishTimes) – Predators, Warriors and Ravens: the CIA Drones Wage War

With 5,456 US servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Afghan war going badly, the US military celebrates what it can. Unmanned Aircraft Systems, also known as Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles but referred to as drones, are the military’s most important technological asset. Last year the CIA’s director, Leon Panetta, called the Predator drone programme “the only game in town”. Read More Here

(C4L) – Too Many Wars Waged

The “War on Drugs,” like the “War on Terror,” ends up being an undertaking with no definable victory in sight. No matter how vigorously the federal government prosecutes its “war” on drugs, people will still use drugs. No matter how vigorously the federal government pursues the “war” on terror there will still be those who want to commit terrorist acts to get their points across.

Thus, we have two “wars” with infinite reach that use the threats engendered by their very own existence to justify their actions. Read More Here

(RussiaToday) – Video: “Attack against South Korean ship looks like false flag operation” – Wayne Madsen

While international investigators have accused North Korea of sinking a South Korean patrol corvette in March, China has taken a more cautious position.

Investigative journalist and RT contributor Wayne Madsen says it is because Beijing suspects there was greater deception at work.

“The Cheonan [navy corvette] was sunk by this torpedo that was later to be discovered to have been of German manufacture. Germany said it sells no military weapons to North Korea. This thing is starting to look like a classic false flag operation,” Wayne Madsen says.

“Kim Jong-Il who very rarely travels – and when he does, he only travels by train – went to Beijing. My sources in Beijing say that he went to Beijing, that Chinese authorities said that North Korea did this, he denied it. They were satisfied with his response,” Madsen adds. “Now the Chinese are very suspicious of the US’ intentions in richening things up in the Korean peninsula.”

World War

(DW-World) – Easter marchers call for Afghanistan withdrawal after soldier deaths

Peace demonstrators took to the streets across Germany in traditional Easter marches against war. A theme of the rallies has been fighting in Afghanistan and the deaths of German and Afghan soldiers on Friday. Read More Here

(PressTV) – ‘Russia ready for nuclear cooperation with Venezuela’

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has pledged to help Venezuela draw up plans for a nuclear power plant. Read More Here

(Antiwar) – North Korea claims South fires toward its border

North Korea is accusing South Korea of opening fire in the military buffer zone that separates the two countries. Read More Here

(InfoClearingHouse) – SlayStation – Cindy Sheehan

Don’t get me wrong, I am not in favor of “Manned Aircraft Systems” raining down bombs on civilians, but the idea of Murder by Joystick with the “Unmanned Aircraft Systems” (UAS,) is especially sickening to me. Read More Here

(InfoClearingHouse) – Time For Another War, Folks? – 59% of America Says YOU BETCHA!!!!

I caught part of a podcast of Meet the Press. A part where David Gregory sets up Senator Joe Lieberman to “war monger” once again for war with Iran. That part begins at 30:25 if you access the podcast link for Meet the Press before next Sunday 4/11/10. Read More Here

(GlobalResearch) – U.S. Takeover of Haiti: The centerpieces of the US, UN, and World Bank Plan for Haiti are Sweatshops and Tourisim

When this article appears on the morning of March 31, the much ballyhooed “International Donors Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti” will be getting underway at UN Headquarters in Manhattan.

While demonstrators in the street outside protest the continuing US and UN military occupation of Haiti, now over six years old, and the Haitian people’s exclusion from deliberations on the country’s reconstruction, dignitaries inside like UN Special Envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and Haitian President René Préval will unveil a plan with lots of pomp and ceremony but which boils down to just one thing: Washington’s take-over of the “new” Haiti. Read More Here

(GlobalResearch) – Calm before the Storm? The Dollar versus the Yuan: America and China Engage in a “Currency War”

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s recent announcement that the US is postponing its official report on China’s currency is being hailed in the mainstream western media as a diplomatic reprieve to entice Beijing to revalue its yuan (renminbi) and normalise bilateral trade. Read More Here

(InfoClearingHouse) – Human Rights – Homelessness Or No Free Press

A 2006 BBC poll showed the United States as the “biggest global peace threat.” Read More Here

Afghanistan: Shooting Handcuffed Children

The occupied government of Afghanistan and the United Nations have both concluded that U.S.-led troops recently dragged eight sleeping children out of their beds, handcuffed some of them, and shot them all dead.  While this apparently constitutes an everyday act of kindness, far less intriguing than the vicious singeing of his pubic hairs by Captain Underpants, it is at least a variation on the ordinary American technique of murdering men, women, and children by the dozens with unmanned drones.

Obama quietly authorises expansion of war in Pakistan

(IndianExpress) – As the US announced deepening of its involvement in Afghanistan by despatching 30,000 more troops, President Barack Obama has quietly authorised an expansion of war against terrorism in Pakistan under which CIA would widen its campaign of strikes against militants by unmanned drones.

Air Force Plans for All-Drone Future

(Wired) – Is the day of the hot-shot fighter jock nearly done? An Air Force study, released without much fanfare on Wednesday, suggests that tomorrow’s dogfighters might not have pilots in the cockpit.

MSM: Dread Zeppelin – The Army’s New Surveillance Blimp

(Popsci) – Since the airship glory days of the early part of the century, blimps have certainly lost some of their cachet, relegated to hovering over sporting events and not much else. However, the Army is about to test launch an unmanned hybrid airship to be used for surveillance missions in Afghanistan.

QNA Rolls Out Field-Transformable Dragon Runner Robot

Operators of Dragon Runner SUGV have the ability to add tracks

QinetiQ North America’s Technology Solutions Group has launched its new Dragon Runner Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV). Dragon Runner SUGV is the first fully modular ground robot system capable of both quick reconnaissance and improvised explosive device (IED) disarmament in urban, mountainous or rural environments.Based on a robot originally designed for the US Marine Corps, the modular base unit Dragon Runner weighs less than 20 pounds and can be carried by one person in a standard-issue pack. With field-transformable features that quickly snap or bolt into place – no special tools required – Dragon Runner SUGV can morph to fit virtually any mission.

Dragon Runner SUGV can adapt quickly to fit a variety of critical mission scenarios. These include: reconnaissance inside buildings, sewers, drainpipes, caves and courtyards; perimeter security using on-board motion and sound detectors; checkpoint security; in-vehicle and under-vehicle inspections; and hostage barricade reconnaissance and negotiation.

Operators of Dragon Runner SUGV have the ability to add tracks for maximum mobility and a manipulator arm with rotating shoulder, wrist and grippers for dexterity. In addition, day and night pan/tilt/zoom cameras, motion detectors and a listening capability allow Dragon Runner SUGV to further extend the combat team’s situational awareness.