This is something I definitely want to know more about:
Three decades after aggressive military spying on Americans created a national furor, California’s National Guard has quietly set up a special intelligence unit that has been given ”broad authority” to monitor, analyze and distribute information on potential terrorist threats, the Mercury News has learned.
Known as the Information Synchronization, Knowledge Management and Intelligence Fusion program, the project is part of an expanding nationwide effort to better integrate military intelligence into global anti-terrorism initiatives.
Although Guard officials said the new unit would not collect information on American citizens, top National Guard officials have already been involved in tracking at least one recent Mother’s Day anti-war rally organized by families of slain American soldiers, according to e-mails obtained by the Mercury News.
Creation of California’s intelligence unit is already raising concerns for civil libertarians who point to a string of abuses in the 1960s and 1970s when the military collected information on more than 100,000 Americans, infiltrated church youth groups, posed as reporters to interview activists, monitored peaceful protests and even attended an elementary school Halloween party in search of a ”dissident.”
”The National Guard doesn’t need to do this,” said Christopher Pyle, a former Army intelligence officer who first exposed the military’s domestic spying operations in 1970. ”Its job is not to investigate individuals, but to clear streets, protect facilities and help first responders.”
Top Guard officers said that they have no intentions of breaking long-established rules barring the military from gathering information on Americans and that the evolving program is meant to help California and the nation thwart terrorist attacks.
”We do not do any type of surveillance or human intelligence or mixing with crowds,” said Lt. Col. Stan Zezotarski. ”The National Guard does not operate in that way. We have always had a policy where we respect the rights of citizens.”
Again- the usual caveats about the accuracy of the story. Regardless, it is now time for a serious re-assessment of the dangers of the terrorist threat, and how these so-called threats are helping to erode civil liberties. And why do they always give these organizations names that sound like the villains in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.?
Stormy70
Creepy. I hope it is not true, but it’s a “trust, but verify situation.” Of course, if these leftist activists are funding the insurgency in Iraq, like Europe’s groups, then I want it investigated.
Aaron
Exactly.
We’re all worried about civil rights, but then when we get hit again, we will scream about why the FBI wasn’t allowed to sit in the mosque and monitor the sermons.
Keep in mind we already banned that stuff before, so it’s not as if we cannot ban it again if it gets out of hand.
The laws also have automatic cut-offs, too.
Sojourner
The reality is that there was plenty of information floating around before 9/11. But the administration chose to ignore it.
We don’t need to give up our civil rights. We just need competent people doing their jobs.
Jon H
At least the project isn’t based out of Kent State.
Aaron
So if there is an attack on the USA within say, 10 months of Hillary’s inauguration, you will also be willing to place the blame of field agents and offices being dipwads onto her shoulders?
Sojourner
If she was:
– warned by the previous administration that terrorism was the top threat and chose to focus on another issue (e.g., her version of Iraq) instead
– assigned oversight of the issue to the VP who held no meetings on it
– ignored 52 warnings to the FAA
– demoted and ignored the warnings of the key terrorism expert
– confused a PDB as a historical document
– etc. etc.
You’re damn straight I would.
albedo
It’s been said before better than I can say it, but stuff like this is what the terrorists want. I don’t agree with many things Bush has said, but he’s absolutely right that “they hate our freedom.” And when we continue to allow our civil liberties and privacy to be eroded in the name of freedom, we’re doing OBL’s work for him.