Sac. Bee: Pentagon put anti-war groups across country in database on terror activity

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/81200.html

Area activists spied on

Pentagon put anti-war groups across country in database on terror activity.

By Crystal Carreon and Dorothy Korber - Bee Staff Writers

Published 12:00 am PST Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Sacramento peace protesters were targeted by a widespread domestic spying operation in which the Pentagon monitored anti-war groups across the country, newly released government documents show.

The documents, obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union and made public Tuesday, detail entries made into the Pentagon's Threat and Local Observation Notice database dating back to November 2004, when two local groups protested at the Military Entrance Processing Station on Rosin Court in North Sacramento.

The revelation adds more fuel to the ongoing debate over governmental spying on citizens critical of the war in Iraq. It is the latest in a series of cases that includes the California National Guard's spying on anti-war grandmothers and secret wiretapping by the National Security Agency.

The 3-year-old database, known as TALON, was designed to track military intelligence on possible terrorist activity.

But the reports released Tuesday reveal surveillance of peaceful protests at several military recruiting stations across the country, raising new questions of how far such spying has gone in the name of national security.

"Basically, I think this speaks of a new age of McCarthyism," said Bill Durston, former president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, who was at the Sacramento protest cited in the Pentagon report. "It's frightening that they would try to suppress free speech and intimidate people this way."

The Pentagon now says that including peace demonstrations was inappropriate and that the material -- 186 items out of 13,000 entries -- has been purged from the database.

The nine reports released Tuesday include protests at military recruiting centers in Springfield, Ill., rolling protests across Atlanta and a church service for peace in New York.

"The U.S. military is not spying on U.S. citizens," Maj. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said Tuesday. "That data should never have been in the database in the first place."

The Pentagon released the documents in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the ACLU.

After reviewing the reports, the ACLU says it will push for a congressional investigation of what it characterizes as domestic spying. Among the questions it wants answered is who monitored these groups -- and how.

"There is a real danger when the United States military gets in the business of monitoring peaceful protest activities," said Ben Wizner, an attorney with the ACLU national legal department.

According to the Pentagon report, authorities described the Sacramento protest as "deeply into 'counter-recruiting' " and identified it as "incident type: specific threat." Under comments, the report states: "It appears this protest will most likely be peaceful, but some type of vandalism is always a possibility."

George Main, president of the Sacramento Veterans for Peace, was there that rainy day in 2004. He said Tuesday that he was aware then that the federal government had targeted and monitored his group -- actions that he called illegal.

"The protest was held on November 11," he recalled. "On the morning of the 10th, I received a call from a special agent for Homeland Security. I assured him that we knew the recruiting office would be closed and that we were peaceful and wouldn't destroy anything."

During the protest, Main read the names of 18 soldiers who had passed through the processing station and later died in Iraq.

He suspects that his phones were tapped after that and that undercover agents tried to infiltrate the local Veterans for Peace chapter. He bases those suspicions on noises in his phone equipment and from the strangers who showed up at gatherings but refused to supply contact data.

He speaks from personal experience, he said. In the late 1970s, he was part of the Army's domestic spying operation.

"One of the things I did was spy on Americans" he said. "I objected to it at the time, but I did what I was told. It was wrong. I'm upset that they're doing it to me, but I know it happens."

Surveillance of peace protesters also has surfaced as a local issue.

In February 2003, Sacramento police officers videotaped an anti-war demonstration. Police Chief Albert Nájera said that such taping was routine procedure at any big gathering. But demonstrators worried that their images would be used against them one day.

That same year, controversy erupted after protesters discovered that an undercover sheriff's detective in Fresno had infiltrated Peace Fresno, an anti-war group formed after the Sept. 11 attacks.

And undercover agents from the California Highway Patrol attended training sessions in 2003 by a protest group planning demonstrations at the Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology that was held in Sacramento.

Massive protests and clashes with police marred that conference.

[dreamingwolf]

this is a good thing, its about time

most groups who show up at anti-war rallys are against us, farq and other terror groups dominate the scene. Sure when its a Republican administration you get bodies to fill out the crowd, but the anti-war groups are all terror groups.

[chomerics]

anti-war groups are all terror groups.

No wonder why you lost the election. I guess that 1st amendment means crap to republicans like yourself, why am I not surprised.

[Thiebear]

Your buttons not working Chomerics.. The second words not stickin...

[Burgold]

Now, I am the first one to acknowledge that hippies and College students are known to get bombed now and then, but they really aren't known to make bombs. To me, this is a matter of resources, the events should be monitored and maybe the leaders of the movements watched because propaganda can be a powerful tool and anti-war activities could be a useful act of distraction. However, I find it hard to envision that a terrorist wants to make himself more visible by wearing an anti-bush t-shirt and screaming slogans while hoisting a homemade sign.

Is tracking and watching these people where our resources are best spent? If we have a limited pool of money and personell to monitor potential terrorists how much of the pie do you want to use on the hippy population?

I do think that if you chose to dissent, you better be willing to do it publicly. You need to be willing to be arrested, watched, and hated by those you are protesting against. That being said, we have read over the years of surveilance which has seemed far more political than tactical and that is a shame, because it decreases our safety.

[Sarge]

Good deal. Since most anti war movements in the 60's were populated and stoked by commies, best keep an eye on the hippies of today to make sure seomthing like that doesn't happen again

[rtbasye]

I dont have any 1st hand knowledge of this, but its possible that groups were put on the watch list because of activities they have done near or at U.S. Military organizations. All kinds of environmental wacko groups that resort to blowing up ski resorts and things like that are on the list as well (I do know that for a fact!)

[chomerics]

I dont have any 1st hand knowledge of this, but its possible that groups were put on the watch list because of activities they have done near or at U.S. Military organizations. All kinds of environmental wacko groups that resort to blowing up ski resorts and things like that are on the list as well (I do know that for a fact!)

Org. like ELF, I agree they are terrorist in nature, as are the Michigan Militia and the KKK for the other side.

But that is not what the article implied, and it was not what i read about the article. They are targeting anti-war people, period. And that is a breach on our rights to peacefully assemble. It is granted to us, and it was so important that it was put in the first amendment to the Constitution. That is why I have a problem with it. I am not surprised the fascist crowd is all for this, they are the same people who think if you talk bad about the government, you should be jailed. They do not understand the constitution, and they think they are living in 1930's Germany. . .they would be a lot happier there, as long as they were not Jewish, Black, Physically disabled etc. etc.

[ashburnskinsfan]

Good deal. Since most anti war movements in the 60's were populated and stoked by commies, best keep an eye on the hippies of today to make sure seomthing like that doesn't happen again

Now Sarge, we all know that no revolution was ever won sitting stoned in a field.

[Destino]

anti-war groups are all terror groups.

The Catholic Church is a terror group!!! So are the Quakers!!

[DCsportsfan53]

this is a good thing, its about time

most groups who show up at anti-war rallys are against us, farq and other terror groups dominate the scene. Sure when its a Republican administration you get bodies to fill out the crowd, but the anti-war groups are all terror groups.

I'm hoping there was sarcasm there, but I don't think there was. If not, this might just be THE most ignorant thing I've ever read here (redskingluvr posts not included).

The Catholic Church is a terror group!!! So are the Quakers!!

:laugh:

Woodstock wasn't a music festival, it was a commie war planning session!