'Nightstalkers' track terror suspects
Friday, March 14, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The FBI has a fleet of aircraft, some equipped with
night surveillance and eavesdropping equipment, flying America's skies to
track and collect intelligence from suspected terrorists.
The FBI will not provide exact figures on the planes and helicopters, but
more than 80 are in the skies. There are several planes, known as
"Nightstalkers," equipped with infrared devices that allow
agents to track people and vehicles in the dark.
Other aircraft are outfitted with electronic surveillance equipment so
agents can pursue listening devices placed in cars, in buildings and even
along streets, or listen to cell phone calls. Still others fly
photography missions, although officials would not describe precise
capabilities.
The FBI, which has made counterterror its top priority since Sept. 11,
2001, has sharply increased its use of aircraft.
"You want to watch activity, and you want to do it discreetly. You
don't want to be sitting around in cars," said Weldon Kennedy, a
former FBI deputy director who retired in 1997 after 33 years with the
bureau. "Aviation is one way to do that. You don't need to get close
to that person at all."
Some critics say the surveillance technology further blurs the boundaries
on domestic spying. They point to a 2001 case in which the Supreme Court
found police had engaged in an unreasonable search by using thermal
imaging equipment to detect heat lamps used to grow marijuana plants
indoors.
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