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U.S. NEWS Saturday 29 September 2018

Government may gain new power to track, shoot down drones

By DAVID KOENIG Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wis-
Associated Press consin Republican, in-
An aviation bill Congress troduced the Preventing
is rushing to approve con- Emerging Threats Act this
tains a little-noticed section year. It would give the
that would give authorities Homeland Security Depart-
the power to track, inter- ment and the Justice De-
cept and destroy drones partment power to devel-
they consider a security op and deploy a system to
threat, without needing a spot, track and shoot down
judge’s approval. drones, as unmanned air-
Supporters say law enforce- craft are called. Officers
ment needs this power to would have the authority
protect Americans from to hack a drone operator’s
terrorists who are learn- signal and take control of
ing how to use drones as the device.
deadly weapons. The bill was never consid-
They point to the Islamic ered on its own by the full
State terrorist group’s use Senate or the House. In-
of bomb-carrying drones stead, in private negotia-
on battlefields in Iraq, and tions that ended last week-
warn that terrorists could end, it was tucked into a
go after civilian targets in “must-pass” piece of FAA
the United States. legislation.
Critics say the provision Homeland Security Secre- In this July 11, 2018 file photo, s drone equipped with a thermal camera flies over the plants at
would give the govern- tary Kirstjen Nielsen wrote the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources’ Jennings Environmental Education Center on
ment unchecked power in a recent op-ed that the Wednesday, July 11, 2018 in Slippery Rock, Pa.
to decide when drones threat of drone attacks “is Associated Press
are a threat. They say the outpacing our ability to re- ecutive recently endorsed a government decision India McKinney, a legisla-
government could use its spond.” the bill’s intent but said it about what is a “credible tive analyst for the Electron-
newfound power to restrict She said criminals use should go further by let- threat” and what is an “as- ic Frontier Foundation.
drone-camera news cov- drones to smuggle drugs ting trained local police set” or “facility” in need of Without a specific means
erage of protests or con- across the border, but officers intercept drones. protection when drones to protect First Amendment
troversial government fa- worse, terrorists like the Is- The official, Cathy Lanier, are nearby. rights — something not in
cilities, such as the new de- lamic State are deploying a former Washington, D.C., News organizations are in- the bill — “it’s entirely fea-
tention centers for young them on the battlefield. police chief, said the NFL is creasingly using drones. sible to think that the DOJ
migrants. “We need to acknowl- alarmed by an increase in They deploy them to cover or DHS could just decide
The provision is tucked in edge that our first and last drone flyovers at stadiums. natural disasters like the that a drone owned by a
a huge bill that provides chance to stop a malicious Opponents including the recent flooding from Hur- news organization provides
$1.7 billion in disaster relief drone might be during its fi- American Civil Liberties ricane Florence and also a credible threat and then
and authorizes programs nal approach to a target,” Union argue that the pro- controversies such as the destroys the footage,” she
of the Federal Aviation Ad- she wrote. posal gives the govern- Trump administration’s con- said.
ministration, which regu- Attorney General Jeff Ses- ment unchecked power to struction of new camps for The National Press Photog-
lates drones. The House sions said in a statement track and seize drones with- migrant children who were raphers Association has
approved the measure this week that the measure out regard for the privacy separated from their par- joined in opposing the pro-
Wednesday by a 398-23 “would finally give federal and free-speech rights of ents at the U.S.-Mexico bor- vision.
vote, and the Senate is ex- law enforcement the au- legitimate drone operators. der. “It will chill newsgathering
pected pass it on to Presi- thority we need to counter It exempts the government “Being able to see foot- using drones by news or-
dent Donald Trump’s desk the use of drones by drug agencies from certain laws, age of protests, the size of ganizations and individual
in the coming days. The traffickers, terrorists and including limits on wiretap- protests, being able to see journalists,” said Mickey
White House signaled sup- criminals.” ping. facilities like those at the Osterreicher, lawyer for
port of the drone provision The National Football The bill provides no over- border is useful — those are the press photographers
in July. League’s top security ex- sight or means to question newsworthy events,” said group.q