> Tracing the CIA’s Planes: to Senator’s Office, Poland, Romania
4 November 2005, 17:46
Good question. They land at public airports and share the US airspace with thousands of other planes. Air traffic controllers need to keep track of aircraft in the air and on the ground to avoid collisions. Military airports have their own procedures to control traffic, but still need to identify planes for collision protection and national security.
For security purposes, the CIA planes also must carry transponders to identify themselves. If the CIA or US military used unidentified planes overseas, they certainly would be forced down by fighter jets — or even shot down in some countries. In the US, secret transponder codes might keep the fighters at bay, but the CIA planes must share the airspace with ordinary air transport planes and general aviation planes and thus must be IDed.
Even in the US, there are laws that must be obeyed. We still have a government of laws, not of men, as government officials now are finding out to their detriment.
Even state laws on registering companies must be complied with. Law enforcement from the local police to the FBI are looking for law violations and violators. To avoid their unwanted attentions, it is best for the CIA to keep everything looking tidy, all the forms filed, etc.
The CIA is well aware of the problem of aviation activities always being subject to "a thousand eyes." It is a problem they work around as best they can.
Generally speaking, the media are very compliant in witholding information about CIA air operations, as the article points out. That helps the CIA a lot, but it is not necessarily in the public interest.
Good question. They land at public airports and share the US airspace with thousands of other planes. Air traffic controllers need to keep track of aircraft in the air and on the ground to avoid collisions. Military airports have their own procedures to control traffic, but still need to identify planes for collision protection and national security.
For security purposes, the CIA planes also must carry transponders to identify themselves. If the CIA or US military used unidentified planes overseas, they certainly would be forced down by fighter jets — or even shot down in some countries. In the US, secret transponder codes might keep the fighters at bay, but the CIA planes must share the airspace with ordinary air transport planes and general aviation planes and thus must be IDed.
Even in the US, there are laws that must be obeyed. We still have a government of laws, not of men, as government officials now are finding out to their detriment.
Even state laws on registering companies must be complied with. Law enforcement from the local police to the FBI are looking for law violations and violators. To avoid their unwanted attentions, it is best for the CIA to keep everything looking tidy, all the forms filed, etc.
The CIA is well aware of the problem of aviation activities always being subject to "a thousand eyes." It is a problem they work around as best they can.
Generally speaking, the media are very compliant in witholding information about CIA air operations, as the article points out. That helps the CIA a lot, but it is not necessarily in the public interest.
Thank you.
Clayton Hallmark