TRUE   DEMOCRACY     SUMMER 2001     TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE SECRET SHADOW GOVERNMENT


National Reconnaissance Office

Overview

The NRO designs, builds and operates the nation's reconnaissance satellites. NRO products, provided to an expanding list of customers like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of Defense (DoD), can warn of potential trouble spots around the world, help plan military operations, and monitor the environment.

As part of the 13-member Intelligence Community , the NRO plays a primary role in achieving information superiority for the U. S. Government and Armed Forces.

A DoD agency, the NRO is staffed by DoD and CIA personnel. It is funded through the National Reconnaissance Program, part of the National Foreign Intelligence Program.

In recent years, the NRO has implemented a series of actions declassifying some of its operations. The organization was declassified in September 1992 followed by the location of its headquarters in Chantilly, VA, in 1994. In February 1995, CORONA, a photoreconnaissance program in operation from 1960 to 1972, was declassified and 800,000 CORONA images were transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration. In December 1996, the NRO announced for the first time, in advance, the launch of a reconnaissance satellite.


Vision and Mission

As the 21st century approaches, the NRO is guided by its vision of being Freedom's Sentinel in Space: One Team, Revolutionizing Global Reconnaissance.

The mission of the National Reconnaissance Office is to enable U.S. global information superiority, during peace through war. The NRO is responsible for the unique and innovative technology, large-scale systems engineering, development and acquisition, and operation of space reconnaissance systems and related intelligence activities needed to support global information superiority.

Director, NRO

The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space also serves as the Director of the NRO. The Director of the NRO is appointed by the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and the Secretary of Defense after being confirmed by the Senate as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space. The Director reports to the Secretary of Defense who, in concert with the DCI, has ultimate management and operational responsibility for the NRO. The DCI establishes collection requirements and priorities for satellite-gathered intelligence.

Organization

Ed's Note: Does anything more need to be stated about this agency? Any agency which would help the Central Intelligence Agency should not exist.

Information on the NRO was obtained by doing a search on my default search engine on the internet, Apple-Excite.com.


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