Posted on 12/19/2005 9:23:49 PM PST by finnman69
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 - Counterterrorism agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation have conducted numerous surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations that involved, at least indirectly, groups active in causes as diverse as the environment, animal cruelty and poverty relief, newly disclosed agency records show.
F.B.I. officials said Monday that their investigators had no interest in monitoring political or social activities and that any investigations that touched on advocacy groups were driven by evidence of criminal or violent activity at public protests and in other settings.
After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, John Ashcroft, who was then attorney general, loosened restrictions on the F.B.I.'s investigative powers, giving the bureau greater ability to visit and monitor Web sites, mosques and other public entities in developing terrorism leads. The bureau has used that authority to investigate not only groups with suspected ties to foreign terrorists, but also protest groups suspected of having links to violent or disruptive activities.
But the documents, coming after the Bush administration's confirmation that President Bush had authorized some spying without warrants in fighting terrorism, prompted charges from civil rights advocates that the government had improperly blurred the line between terrorism and acts of civil disobedience and lawful protest.
One F.B.I. document indicates that agents in Indianapolis planned to conduct surveillance as part of a "Vegan Community Project." Another document talks of the Catholic Workers group's "semi-communistic ideology." A third indicates the bureau's interest in determining the location of a protest over llama fur planned by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Good. That's probably how they caught that traitorous Susan Lindauer.
Owl_Eagle
"You know, I'm going to start thanking
the woman who cleans the restroom in
the building I work in. I'm going to start
thinking of her as a human being"
LOL, libs always overplay their hand.
Sounds like a normal security check
Heaven forbid the FBI does anything to look into domestic terrorists.
One can legitimately debate these tactics, but it's kind of funny seeing how shocked! shocked! these libs are, when if you look at ANY anti-war gathering you see Free Mumia!, Vote Green, Stop Animal Testing, and Socialist Workers' Party (poverty relief--cough) signs all over the place.
The terrorists have friends in this country who seem to think when The Revolution comes the Islamofascists will remember who their friends were.
Boy, I'm sure glad they're not watching me. Or if they decide to, I hope they bring some cheese dip. I have Tostitos, and it would be nice if someone would answer my phone for me. If you aren't a terrorist, why exactly would you object to having the F.B.I. over for snacks?
So?
Well it would seem the NYT and the Democrats have a problem with the FBI investigating and trying stopping ELF from burning down and destroying personal property
Well, that's good. I certainly would want FBI watching communists and eco-terrorists.
The Times is right we should stand back and allow terrorists to blow up PETA headquarters
I don't have a problem with it. Leftist groups are notorious for domestic terrorism and I will guarantee that there are more than a few who are supporting Islamic terrorists as well.
Looks like they like a little Nihilists action...
Thank Goodness the FBI IS watching these characters.
Elf and peta terrorist groups.
Code Pink gives money to terrorists.
Looks like good calls to me.
These articles from NYT has the smell of A.N.S.W.E.R behind them
Hell, I thought they already ran this story 5 months ago -- and I was right, or close enough.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/17/AR2005071700889_pf.html
FBI Monitored Web Sites for 2004 Protests
Groups Criticize Agency's Surveillance for Terror Unit
By Michael Dobbs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 18, 2005; A03
FBI agents monitored Web sites calling for protests against the 2004 political conventions in New York and Boston on behalf of the bureau's counterterrorism unit, according to FBI documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The American Civil Liberties Union pointed to the documents as evidence that the Bush administration has reacted to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States by blurring the distinction between terrorism and political protest. FBI officials defended the involvement of counterterrorism agents in providing security for the Republican and Democratic conventions as an administrative convenience.
The documents were released by the FBI in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of civil rights, animal rights and environmental groups that say they have been subjected to scrutiny by task forces set up to combat terrorism. The FBI has denied targeting the groups because of their political views.
"It's increasingly clear that the government is involved in political surveillance of organizations that are involved in nothing more than lawful First Amendment activities," said Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU. "It raises very serious questions about whether the FBI is back to its old tricks."
A Sept. 4, 2003, document addressed to the FBI counterterrorism unit described plans by a group calling itself RNC Not Welcome to "disrupt" the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. It also described Internet postings from an umbrella organization known as United for Peace and Justice, which was coordinating worldwide protests against the convention.
"It's one thing to monitor protests and protest organizers, but quite another thing to refer them to your counterterrorism unit," said Leslie Cagan, national coordinator for United for Peace and Justice.
Another document, addressed to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which coordinates anti-terrorist activities by the FBI and local police forces, described threats to disrupt the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
Responding to the lawsuit filed in May in U.S. District Court in Washington, the FBI said it had identified 1,173 pages of records relating to the ACLU and 2,383 pages relating to Greenpeace. The content of the records, which were generated since 2001, is not known.
FBI spokesmen declined to discuss the case on the record on the grounds that it is being adjudicated. Speaking on background, an FBI official said that many of the records were routine correspondence. He said the FBI counterterrorism unit received reports on possible threats to the 2004 political conventions because of its role in ensuring security.
Are they saying they rec'd more leaks AFTER Friday??
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