Proposed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, includes opening intelligence front companies in the US and abroad

Section 921 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 states:

SEC. 921. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES.

Section 431(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking the last sentence.

What does Section 431(a) of title 10, United States Code say? That is below:

(a) Authority.— The Secretary of Defense, subject to the provisions of this subchapter, may authorize the conduct of those commercial activities necessary to provide security for authorized intelligence collection activities abroad undertaken by the Department of Defense. No commercial activity may be initiated pursuant to this subchapter after December 31, 2004.

Commercial activity is defined in the link above, and would allow the Department of Defense to set up front companies in the US and abroad in support of "collection of foreign intelligence and counterintelligence information".

The DOD had to discountinue starting front companies at the end of 2004. Now, if this legislation is passed as is, they will be able to being anew. Watch out for who's partnering with your search engine, your cell phone company, your ISP, your bank, your travel agent...