Search for ET also way to spy on people?

It's no surprise, with the way the war on terror is going, that there are more ways being devised every day to secretly spy on people. But why would the people at the top go about it under the name of the search of Extraterrestrials? I was completely floored when I saw this posted on CNN earlier, as it's, I think, another harbinger of things to come.

The new effort would search a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum used on Earth for more mundane purposes -- radar, television and FM radio broadcasts.

"We may pick up spurious signals from people that never meant for us to hear them and get an inkling that something's going on," said David Aguilar, director of communications at the Center for Astrophysics.

Space Life Search Turns to TV

It is true that this could be just what it looks like; a new method of searching for ETs, but I have a very hard time believing that for a couple reasons. One, we know that if they can "pick up spurious signals from people that never meant" [to be heard], then we must assume that the intelligence agencies have a hand in the production of this "new technology". Two, it's also true that these methods have existed for a while, since radios have been around forever.

I just find it strange that this hasn't been covered yet, since it's vitally important to all. What say you?

TheBorg