Where there’s smoke there’s fire? Here are some collected links on the issue of alleged domestic spying by Bush Administration on political opponents
I like these articles that collect links. I’m blogging this collection as much for me as for anyone else who might find it interesting. Over time, though, the links will die. So bookmark those of interest.
Check out my own “Big Brother - Police State” category of articles for more.
(And yes, in case you are wondering, DailyKOS permits extensive quoting. At the bottom of each page, DailyKOS says “Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified.”)
Is Bush Spying on His Political Opponents? - a DailyKOS diary
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It is important to realize why FISA came into existence in the first place, to prevent abuses from happening and to make sure that spying is only done to protect the American people. An informative article by Athen G. Theoharrispoints out the US’ history of spying on dissidents and jouralists. It shows Presidents like LBJ, FDR, and Richard Nixon abusing intelligence capabilities to further their own political agenda. This suggests that there is much precedent for the suspicions of many on the Left.
It seems very clear what Bush’s intention is when one takes a close look at the facts. The President refused to go to Congress in order to amend FISA, and even claimed that in 2002 and that the law was working well in a direct contradiction of recent statements made by the
administration in defense of the surveillance program. Bush wanted to keep the eavesdropping as secret as possible, and with virtually no oversight whatsoever.
Some allegations of the government spying on political opponents can be found below. Several of these links were found on MyDD.com.
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Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war
(The Observer, 3-2-2003) A leaked NSA memo makes it clear that the Bush
administration intended to spy on UN delegates during the run-up to war
in order to obtain “‘whole gamut of information that could give US
policymakers an edge in obtaining results favourable to US goals or to
head off surprises.” A later article by The Raw Story has more information and reveals that the plan was authorized by Condoleezza Rice.
FBI scrutinizing anti-war protesters
(New York Times, 11-23-2003) Another leaked memo details how the FBI
collected information on numerous anti-war groups and discusses
“innovative strategies” such as videotaping arrests as a way of
“intimidating” police”.
Large Volume of FBI Files Alarms US Activist Groups
(New York Times, 7-18-2005) The FBI has collected at least 3,500 pages
of documents on antiwar and civil rights groups. 1,173 pages are on the
ACLU alone.
Is the Pentagon spying on Americans?
(NBC News, 12-14-2005) It’s revealed that the Pentagon keeps a database
of “suspicious” dissident groups and a list of protests.
NSA: Amanpour, other CNN reporters not targeted for surveillance
(CNN, 1-6-2006) The possibility exists that Amanpour or other CNN
journalist was spied on by the NSA. It should be noted that Amanpour is
married to James Rubin, an advisor to John Kerry’s presidential
campaign.
NSA Used City Police as Trackers
(Baltimore Sun, 1-13-2006) The NSA used local law enforcement to spy on
Quakers on their way to an antiwar protest outside Fort Meade. The
group has a history of non-violence. The Raw Story has more information and the relevant documents.
The Other Big Brother
(Newsweek, 1-20-2006) Michael Isikoff discloses the role of a Pentagon
program known as the Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA) in
spying on domestic activists, including an anti-Halliburton group that
showed up outside the company’s headquarters in Houston.
Did The National Guard Spy On ‘Raging Grannies’?
(ABC 7 KGO-TV/DT, 2-28-2006) The California National Guard is accused
of spying on an antiwar group called the “Raging Grannies” at a
Mother’s Day Rally. A hard drive with information on it about the
spying was erased, and boxes of documents have been blacked out.
ACLU files lawsuit demanding military turn over records on alleged government spying
(Associated Press, 3-7-2005) A student protest at Berkeley showed up as
a threatening activity on a DoD database. It was done under a Pentagon
program called Threat and Local Observation Notice (TALON) which was
started in 2003 for the purpose of tracking people and groups with
terror ties.
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