Documents Shed New Light on Pentagon Surveillance of Peace Activists

[nam78_two]

Gee I am so shocked

Via ACLU....
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/spyfiles/27050prs20061012....


NEW YORK -- Documents released today by the American Civil Liberties Union reveal new details of Pentagon surveillance of Americans opposed to the Iraq war, including Quakers and student groups. The documents show that the Pentagon was keeping tabs on non-violent protesters by collecting information and storing it in a military anti-terrorism database.

"There is simply no reason why the United States military should be monitoring the peaceful activities of American citizens who oppose U.S. war policies," said ACLU attorney Ben Wizner. "When information about non-violent protest activity is included in a military anti-terrorism database, all Americans should be concerned about the unchecked authority this administration has seized in the name of fighting terrorism."

The documents come in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the ACLU earlier this year after evidence surfaced that the Pentagon was secretly conducting surveillance of protest activities, anti-war organizations and groups opposed to military recruitment policies. The Pentagon shared the information with other government agencies through the Threat and Local Observation Notice (TALON) database.

The TALON database was intended to track groups or individuals with links to terrorism, but the documents released today show that the Pentagon gathered information on anti-war protesters using sources from the Department of Homeland Security, local police departments and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces.

Among the documents are reports on protest activities across the country organized or supported by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker peace group. The source for the information is identified as "a special agent of the federal protective service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security," who is apparently on the AFSC e-mail list.

One document, which is labeled "potential terrorist activity," lists events such as a "Stop the War NOW!" rally in Akron, Ohio on March 19, 2005. The source noted that the rally "will have a March and Reading of Names of War Dead" and that marchers would pass a military recruitment station and the local FBI office along the way.

[Fresh_Start]

1. Are we certain Nixon is dead?

Not that the right would understand that their are civil rights violations in this.

[Gwerlain]

2. QUAKER terrorists? What's next,

the DAR???

[kestrel91316]

11. The DAR would NEVER oppose *. They are, sadly, a bunch of

nationalistic nutballs these days I hear.

I'm qualified to join many times over, but have no interest as long as they are a group of RW shills.

[Gwerlain]

19. I guess...

that was kinda my point.

[bonito]

3. Good lordy

Hope they don't fart when they march.

[htuttle]

5. I think that's why they're watching the Vegans

[nam78_two]

6. Hey do you have that news item by any chance?

Wanted to show a friend-she wouldn't believe they were monitoring non-violent vegetarian and animal activist groups.

I am thinking of one particular vegan (Kristine/Christy something?) who they found on some such list. I know there are lots of (very Non-ELF/ALF) environmental and animal groups on such lists and there have been stories about that. But I can't seem to find many of them now. Should have book-marked them .
The only one I remember is Food-Not-Bombs-the veggie group giving out food to homeless people that was on the list.

And of course the infamous attempt to make Greenpeace out to be a terrorist group cause of "sailor-mongering"

[htuttle]

9. Here's one mention of it

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200...

In his day, Director Hoover confronted what was known as the "communist menace" by, among other things, investigating threatening characters such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Elvis Presley. Now we learn that, after 9/11, the bureau took an unusual interest in something called the "Vegan Community Project" -- a most unlikely name for a terrorist cell. Meanwhile, The Palm Beach Post and others have reported that a program under the Defense Department has included scrutiny of a group meeting in a Quaker meeting house in Lake Worth, in Palm Beach County.

Googling 'FBI Quaker Vegan' reveals a number more.

[nam78_two]

10. Thanks a lot!

[alstephenson]

12. Hilarious, htuttle!

I really did laugh out loud! Thanks for the giggle (although this is no laughing matter).

[EFerrari]

16. And don't forget --

The following is the first communique from a group calling itself Unitarian Jihad. It was sent to me at The Chronicle via an anonymous spam remailer. I have no idea whether other news organizations have received this communique, and, if so, why they have not chosen to print it. Perhaps they fear starting a panic. I feel strongly that the truth, no matter how alarming, trivial or disgusting, must always be told. I am pleased to report that the words below are at least not disgusting:

Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States. We are Unitarian Jihad. There is only God, unless there is more than one God. The vote of our God subcommittee is 10-8 in favor of one God, with two abstentions. Brother Flaming Sword of Moderation noted the possibility of there being no God at all, and his objection was noted with love by the secretary.

Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States! Too long has your attention been waylaid by the bright baubles of extremist thought. Too long have fundamentalist yahoos of all religions (except Buddhism -- 14-5 vote, no abstentions, fundamentalism subcommittee) made your head hurt. Too long have you been buffeted by angry people who think that God talks to them. You have a right to your moderation! You have the power to be calm! We will use the IED of truth to explode the SUV of dogmatic expression!

People of the United States, why is everyone yelling at you??? Whatever happened to ... you know, everything? Why is the news dominated by nutballs saying that the Ten Commandments have to be tattooed inside the eyelids of every American, or that Allah has told them to kill Americans in order to rid the world of Satan, or that Yahweh has instructed them to go live wherever they feel like, or that Shiva thinks bombing mosques is a great idea? Sister Immaculate Dagger of Peace notes for the record that we mean no disrespect to Jews, Muslims, Christians or Hindus. Referred back to the committee of the whole for further discussion.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/a...

Had to.

[Trillo]

4. By omission, are they suggesting

Amish schoolhouses weren't under surveillance?

[bonito]

8. Shhh spys in the corn fields n/t

[IChing]

7. HI Agent MIKE !!!!! HOW's IT GONNA?? READING THE DU EH?

Thought you were gonna work on that law degree instead of taking notes here?
Eh, agent Mike?
Just keep reading those liberal blogs.
Eh, agent Mike? Hope you are learning something.

[H2O Man]

13. Nominated.

Food for thought here. This reminds me a lot of the 1960s.

[tblue]

14. What country is this again?

[Rex]

15. At least we have proof that the MIC considers pacifists as terrorists.

It would make sense, since the enemy of peace is the MIC. Terrorists or whatever aside, the only plan in place right now is to make more wars in the ME region so BP and GE can make billions more in sales.

If only the Pentagon was run by military professionals and not businessman. If only.

[stevedeshazer]

17. TALON??

Is that where Jeff Gannon got the name for his phony news outfit?

[nam78_two]

18. I was trying to remember why that sounded familiar

Thanks

[savemefromdumbya]

20. so this is where the TAXPAYERS' money is going?