As international political, financial and military forces encircle Afghanistan in the anticipation of a possible anti-terrorist campaign, the Russian government is scrambling to upgrade its all but extinct fleet of military spy satellites needed to aid in the campaign.
Russia plans to speed up modernization of its aging spy satellite fleet to get more information on Afghanistan according to Gen. Anatoly Perminov, the chief of the nation's space forces.
With the hundreds of satellites orbiting Earth, the terrorists responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon could have used data from American satellites in planning their moves. And not necessarily from defense or intelligence satellites, but through public information available to anyone who wants it and might have money.
Experts are warning of the risk of relying on technology to help spot terrorists before they attack. They say that the low tech methods used by those behind last weeks attacks on New York and Washington show it was basic failures in intelligence work rather than too little technology that gave the the hijackers their opportunity.
Military satellites, aircraft and listening bases are scouring the ground and airwaves of Afghanistan for traces of Osama bin Laden, the FBI's prime suspect for the terrorist atrocities on New York and Washington DC.
America's constellation of spy satellites will play a key role in any strike on suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, but nothing will beat having an agent on the ground for divining his plans and movements, experts say.
US spy satellites have been given new instructions to concentrate their attention on Afghanistan and the search for Osama Bin Laden, and groups associated with him.
A growing constellation of commercial remote sensing satellites are ready to help plan America's response to this week's terrorist attacks, from rebuilding structures and scouting out those perpetrating the destructive deeds to rebuffing future strikes.
Intelligence experts argue that the failure of the intelligence community to predict the catastrophic terrorist attack in New York was due to an over-reliance on signals intelligence (intercepting electronic communication) and an under-reliance on human intelligence (counter-intelligence and infiltrating suspected terrorist groups).
Leonard David examines the utility (and futility) of using spy satellites to detect and prevent terrorist attacks.