The ACLU — through its nationwide search for the FBI’s use of Joint Terrorism Task Forces to engage in political surveillance — has “released an FBI document that designates a Michigan-based peace group and an affirmative action advocacy group as potentially “involved in terrorist activities.” (See the ACLU’s spy files.)
“This document confirms our fears that federal and state counterterrorism officers have turned their attention to groups and individuals engaged in peaceful protest activities,” said Ben Wizner, an ACLU staff attorney and counsel in a lawsuit seeking the release of additional FBI records. “When the FBI and local law enforcement identify affirmative action advocates as potential terrorists, every American has cause for concern.”
[The FBI report], “Domestic Terrorism Symposium,” describes a meeting intended to “keep the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies apprised of the activities of the various groups and individuals within the state of Michigan who are thought to be involved in terrorist activities.”
Reports Democracy Now!, “The ACLU has learned that the FBI has collected thousands of pages of documents related to other activist groups including Greenpeace, United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Muslim Public Affairs Council.”
–> ALSO OF NOTE TODAY: The ACLU and the New York Civil Liberties Union again appear before a federal judge today to seek the release of Defense Dept. photographs and videotapes depicting the abuse of prisoners held by the U.S. at Abu Ghraib. The hearing, at noon, is in the USDC (SDNY).
Update [2005-8-30 16:37:58 by susanhu]: Decorated veteran, and lifelong Republican, says new Abu Ghraib photos must be released — Raw Story: “In an exclusive interview with RAW STORY, retired U. S. Army Colonel Michael Pheneger explained why he submitted testimony in support of the ACLU’s lawsuit seeking new Abu Ghraib detainee abuse documents, saying ‘the only way to assign accountability is to conduct a thorough investigation of every aspect of these deplorable episodes’.”
MORE BELOW about the ACLU’s ongoing discovery of spy files:
Among the groups [are] Direct Action, an anti-war group, and BAMN (By Any Means Necessary), a national organization dedicated to defending affirmative action, integration, and other gains of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The FBI acknowledges in the report that the Michigan State Police has information that BAMN has been peaceful in the past.
“We’re disturbed and dismayed that the FBI is misusing its power by spying on anti-war groups and monitoring political dissent to target activist groups,” said 23-year-old Sarah McDonald, a member of Direct Action and recent graduate of Michigan State University. “We’ve protested the war, racial discrimination and the military recruitment of the high school students, but we’re certainly not a terrorist group.”
In addition to the state FOIAs, the ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court to expedite its request for FBI surveillance files on its own organization as well as other national groups including Greenpeace, United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. In response to the lawsuit, the FBI has revealed that it has thousands of pages of documents that mention those groups.
The ACLU launched its nationwide effort last year in response to widespread complaints from students and political activists who said they were questioned by FBI agents in the months leading up to the 2004 political conventions. The FOIAs seek two kinds of information: 1) the actual FBI files of groups and individuals targeted for speaking out or practicing their faith; and, 2) information about how the practices and funding structure of the task forces, known as JTTFs, may be encouraging rampant and unwarranted spying.
Documents previously obtained by the ACLU in response to the FOIAs include an FBI memo on Food Not Bombs, a Colorado group that provides free vegetarian food to hungry people and protests war and poverty, and a report on United for Peace and Justice, a national peace organization that coordinates non-violent protests.
Its no wonder the 9/11 terrorists moved around the country freely using their own names. The FBI does not seem to have the ability to focus on real problems. This is Nixonesque. A complete waste of taxpayer money and scary.
During the latter days of the Vietnam War, there were groups that were terrorists … Weathermen, and numerous little splinter gruops. A few of the Black Panthers too.
It is good the FBI went after those groups. But, CODE PINK?! WTF?!
Some of those groups that were labeled as terrorists had been infiltrated with agents that encouraged violence, and may not have become violent without the influence of the agents. Not that it was always the case, but that does happen, to make it easy for the powers that be to have a reason to tromp on the groups that oppose them.
That is why MLK was so insistent about the non-violence, to avoid the influence of these agents and any hotheads. Not that it saved his life, but it may have saved the movement.
I could’ve told you that. The FBI spends millions (at least) each year prosecuting copyright violation. Some of this money goes towards commercial violation that funds organized crime, but massive amounts go towards non-commercial violations by ordinary citizens. Not just tracking them down, but ensuring that they get the maximum sentence possible.
…when peace groups get flagged as “involved in terrorist activity”, it is portrayed as a serious matter, but when Condoleeza Rice gets flagged as such (e.g. Able Danger), it is considered “erroneous”.
Yes, like the White Supremacists. It doesn’t seem they are tagged as terrorists either. Same with the so called “right to lifers,” who have downright killers in their group, like Rudolph.
FBI File Quiz. I only scored 5 out of 6. I must be doing something wrong.
That’s great isn’t it, I put up that quiz several months ago. The idea that Fed-Ex has their own police force and works with the FBI really had me pissed off.
I guess I should file for my file huh/ I took the quiz. This is seriously scarey crap people. If this is really true then you know they are reading these boards. Are they reading our emails too? That we have to even consider this happening to us is beyond reprehensible. There is a sickness upon us and “our” democracy and freedom is at stake.
There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind these boards are monitored very closely. It only makes sense given the stupid priorities and petty vindictiveness of this administration. And I still think because I’ve signed so many petitions calling for bush impeachment, Rummy’s etc and made statements about bush being assassinated(as a joke)to several friends in emails may very well be why I had that weird experience with an FBI agent showing up at my apt. one day..for no apparent reason.
Wow! I didn’t know that. It was funny though. i spotted a guy at the rally Sat. that was in biking gear and shades, on a bike that did not fit in at all. I was sure he was secret service or FBI checking it out.
Oh yeah, affirmative action groups have just fucken got to be low down dirty scumsucken terrists don’t they. How much more tax payer money can this administration waste I wonder on stupid shit like this.
Here in Ca. we’ve got an investigation going on about the military-National Guard Unit set up to ahem monitor groups here in Ca….such as Code Pink Ladies which of course is illegal to have the military spying on Americans. This is flying under the radar here although it seems to have been co-ordinated with our very own brains-on-steroid governor.
Anxious to hear about the Abu Ghraib imagery court hearing today too! I wonder when the judge will issue a decision.
According to an order entered on the docket yesterday afternoon, the hearing is now scheduled to commence at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Today’s hearing (oral argument on defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment) will relate to the application of FOIA exemption 7(f), which “permits the withholding of information necessary to protect the physical safety of ‘any individual’ when disclosure of information about him ‘could reasonably be expected to endanger his life or physical safety.'” The hearing is open to the public, so there should be media coverage.
Sometimes Judge Hellerstein is speedy, other times, not so much. If I had to guess, he’ll try to rule on this fairly promptly.
CodePink??? You have got to be fucking kidding me!!!!
Will we be able to fly out?? How does one check the no-fly list??
Fuck Fuck Fuck.
This country is going down the drain. Time to stand up people.
In some circles(right wing whackjobs)Code Pink is considered a commie infiltrated organization and I’m not kidding. I had just read(and will see if I saved the stupid article) about one of Code Pink members(Medea Benjamin I think) who they say said she said the Viet Cong were the good guys, loves Castro, etc etc etc-some right wing online newspaper.
How I lost our family friend. I told him I was marching with them.. he basically called Sheehan and CodePink a bunch of names…another relationship ended by Bush the “Uniter”.
I thought and thought about it before joining CodePink (which now the FBI is spying on and considers a terrorist group…) They support so much of what I support. No longer in the military and they do so much for military families and supported Sheehan and Veterans for Peace… I’ll take my hat off to them 🙂
A little about Medea:
“Medea Benjamin is among the 1,000 women collectively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. These courageous women from 150 countries are honored for their daily commitment to fostering peace and bringing justice to all corners of the globe. These women lead by example; they offer us a path to change and often under dire circumstances. Peace is more than the absence of war; it is human security, equality and opportunity. These basic ideals don’t come easily, if at all, to most of the world’s people. The 1,000 brave women being honored spend their lives trying to make the culture of peace a global reality.
“This is a great honor for me, and also for all the women of CODEPINK who’ve been working so hard for peace over the last three years. And this is an amazing opportunity to promote the work of all 1,000 women on this list, who in their own special ways are pushing and striving and protesting for peace and justice,” was Medea’s response after hearing the news.
Forty of the 1,000 women nominated are from the US. In addition to Medea, five of the women nominated are contributors to CODEPINK’s newest book Stop The Next War Now, Barbara Lee, Cynthia McKinney, Elise Marie Biorn-Hansen Boulding, Noeleen Heyzer and Holly Near.”
Hey Janet, glad you posted that….I was thinking of that honor bestowed on all those women when I had read that other article and it’s just such a incredible disconnect that these rightwingers have-to the truth and any semblance of reality or what this country really is(or should be)about.