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Unmanned Spy Planes To Patrol U.S. Border

Submitted by rex, Nov 2, 2006 14:30

Why is it that the Predator is so effective in tracking individual smugglers in a ten thousand square mile area of southwestern desert but it has not located Osama bin Laden's or Ayman al Zawahiri's hideout in a 40 square mile area of Pakistan with years to do so? We know couriers and video makers routinely visit Zawahiri wherever he is but somehow all this traffic is invisible to out Predators even thouigh they can use radar imaging of this area in the dead of night. With the change detection software that comes with the Predator imaging systems even minor ground distubances from trucks and foot traffic would be easy to locate and lead right to the hideouts like neon signs. Why do the abilities of these surveillance systems seem so good in some cases but then appear useless in other cases where the task is the same? Also why do the news media never ask any questions about this contradiction?


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Comment By Date

I'm sorry to read all the reports of people complaining about UAVs. In the comments of this article I have... [MORE]

miscellaneous 

Feb 20, 2008 15:14

Of course these drones could be better used in Iraq & Afganistan. They will be useless over the U.S. border... [MORE]

Dexter Baxter 

Nov 2, 2006 15:06

Why is it that the Predator is so effective in tracking individual smugglers in a ten thousand square mile area...

rex 

Nov 2, 2006 14:30

DHS used unmanned aircraft over Nevada last year. They had to EXCLUDE civil air traffic in the airspace in order... [MORE]

Robert T. Dingley 

Nov 2, 2006 14:16

I love technology why don't we develop more and better? A huge step to securing the border, but have we... [MORE]

bob graham las vegs 

Nov 2, 2006 13:20

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