:: NEWS COCKTAIL aka BlahBlahBlog ::

:: 7.22.2005 ::

:: "FBI files are chilling" ::

An Editorial
From The Contra Costa Times

Back in the 1960s, under the guise of fighting communism, the FBI opened thousands of secret files on American citizens whose sole crime was to protest government policies that they found unjust.

Under COINTELPRO, a covert intelligence program, federal agents bugged people's homes, sent anonymous letters to their spouses about alleged marital infidelities and infiltrated pacifist organizations, creating havoc within their ranks.

The goal was to crush public opposition to the Vietnam War and destroy an emerging civil rights movement that J. Edgar Hoover feared might produce a "Black Messiah."

For those old enough to remember those dark times, there is a chilling sense of déjà vu.

Once again, the FBI is spying on anti-war protesters. Only this time, agency officials say it is part of the war on terrorism.

One prime FBI target is the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU has been a sharp critic of the USA Patriot Act, which expands law enforcement's powers of search and seizure at the expense of the individual protections guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

The notion that the legal advocacy organization poses a threat to national security is absurd. The only weapon in its arsenal is the legal brief. Yet, the FBI has collected more than 1,000 documents on the ACLU's activities. The secret snooping came to light after the ACLU filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit against the agency.

As a result of the lawsuit, FBI officials were forced to admit that they were monitoring the ACLU, Greenpeace and other organizations.

So why is the FBI spending its time spying on these groups? Don't they have more important things to do? Like looking for the real terrorists?

Read more here.

posted by me

:: 3:51:00 PM [+] ::
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