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EU spy satellites
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| shaolin_Z |
Do we really need more surveillance?
| quote: | EU setting up system of spy satellites
By David Rennie
LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH
Published November 16, 2005
BRUSSELS -- The European Union is building its own network of spy satellites, allowing Brussels to ensure nations and private individuals are obeying its policies.
The multibillion-dollar system, known as Global Monitoring for Environment and Security, should be up and running by 2010, a commission spokesman said Monday.
Announcing the launch of a "pilot stage" for GMES, the commission stressed its "user-friendly" application in guiding relief work after disasters or providing real-time images of forest fires or oil spills.
But a commission statement also acknowledged that GMES would play a key role in the "implementation, review and monitoring of EU policies," including watching for agriculture and fisheries fraud and boosting "internal security."
In addition, officials hope GMES will support the European Union's first steps toward becoming a military power. It will "provide authorities with necessary elements for a European Security and Defense Policy," the commission said.
The commission in Brussels will identify and develop uses for GMES. The management of the satellites will be under the European Space Agency (ESA), which pools the space resources of 15 EU member states, plus Norway and Switzerland.
U.S. politicians are suspicious of the ESA's "Galileo" project, a 30-satellite global navigation system designed to improve on the Pentagon-controlled Global Positioning System.
The European Union's invitation to China to become a major investor only increased U.S. concern.
Gregor Kreuzhuber, the commission's spokesman for industry policy, described GMES as "a little brother for Galileo, a sort of satellite system where you can better monitor what is happening on our planet."
GMES is intended to exploit assets belonging to EU nations. National governments would retain control over their satellites, Mr. Kreuzhuber said.
Harmonizing the use of national assets in space should mean that Europe does not need to launch a full set of new satellites, though the plan could require some EU spacecraft.
With the ESA, the commission has spent $267 million on preparatory work, and expects the whole project to cost $2.67 billion between 2006 and 2013. Funding is to come from the commission, national governments, and private defense and space firms. |
Source: Washington Post |
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| Synthesia |
Whilst I think this is far from a priority and money badly spent, the U.S. has already such an extensive spy system so why not EU too.
How the West loves spilling billions instead of trying to save so many lives by reducing poverty. |
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| ogvh5150 |
This Satellite was Built in Europe by Standard Oil
Said the tag on the side of the bird. |
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| Moongoose |
I can just see it now...
Sooner or later a american and a european spy satelites will bump into eacother, the americans will get pissed, acuse us of terrorist actions and decide us european sons of bithes have to die.
They will lunch nukes, the russians will go " ah, MOTHERLAND!!!" and lunch nukes back at them, the french will go " we are under attack fire zi missajls", the british will be confused becouse they will be attacked by their yankee allies so they will just attack everyone, china will join in just for fun...and to destroy the capitalist bastards and australia will go WTF mate?!? but nuclear winter will hit and they will be dead soon too anyway...ing kengaroos...
Yes i have been watching that "the end of the world" flash again recently :D |
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| Lover Boy |
What it boils down to is the US and China becoming massive world powers and the EU wanting to catch up.
Moongoose you forgot Israel and India deciding to it and nuke all the muslim states, with Pakistan's last dying breath finsihing them both off. It's nice to know that Dr Strangelove style, just one bomb will set all this off :nervous: |
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| shaolin_Z |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moongoose
I can just see it now...
Sooner or later a american and a european spy satelites will bump into eacother, the americans will get pissed, acuse us of terrorist actions and decide us european sons of bithes have to die.
They will lunch nukes, the russians will go " ah, MOTHERLAND!!!" and lunch nukes back at them, the french will go " we are under attack fire zi missajls", the british will be confused becouse they will be attacked by their yankee allies so they will just attack everyone, china will join in just for fun...and to destroy the capitalist bastards and australia will go WTF mate?!? but nuclear winter will hit and they will be dead soon too anyway...ing kengaroos...
Yes i have been watching that "the end of the world" flash again recently :D |
:haha: |
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