Large Volume of FBI Files Alarms US Activist Groups

[Nicholas]

News: Large Volume of FBI Files Alarms US Activist Groups

Large Volume of FBI Files Alarms US Activist Groups
By Eric Lichtblau
The New York Times

Monday 18 July 2005

Washington - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has collected at least 3,500 pages of internal documents in the last several years on a handful of civil rights and antiwar protest groups in what the groups charge is an attempt to stifle political opposition to the Bush administration.

The F.B.I. has in its files 1,173 pages of internal documents on the American Civil Liberties Union, the leading critic of the Bush administration's antiterrorism policies, and 2,383 pages on Greenpeace, an environmental group that has led acts of civil disobedience in protest over the administration's policies, the Justice Department disclosed in a court filing this month in a federal court in Washington.

© source where applicable

Source and more: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/071805Z.shtml

[Ryokan]

If an antiwar or enviromental group commits a terrorist act, then everyone will be like "Didn't you see coming? Why were are heads in the sand?" We've been doing this throughout several administrations.

[Duder]

If an antiwar or enviromental group commits a terrorist act, then everyone will be like "Didn't you see coming? Why were are heads in the sand?" We've been doing this throughout several administrations.

We do know that a lot of senseless violence is committed by those darn peacenics. Why, if a bus blew up in L.A., you'd just about have to figure a pacifist did it.

The ALCU is a no-brainer: President Bush has noted in his speeches that terrorists hate our American freedoms, and no one fits that profile better than a civil rights lawyer!

[Ryokan]

We do know that a lot of senseless violence is committed by those darn peacenics. Why, if a bus blew up in L.A., you'd just about have to figure a pacifist did it.

No, but if a SUV is blown up, or a attacks correspond with a World Trade meeting, or very violent protests are coordinated with such an event, the "peaceniks" are the first people to look at.

The ALCU is a no-brainer: President Bush has noted in his speeches that terrorists hate our American freedoms, and no one fits that profile better than a civil rights lawyer!

I woul imagine that the FBI files on the ACLU has more to do with the possibility of it realeasing sensitive material, rather than terror attacks.

[Nicholas]

I woul imagine that the FBI files on the ACLU has more to do with the possibility of it realeasing sensitive material, rather than terror attacks.

Is there any real reason to suppose that they would be more likely to do this than any other group?

[Ryokan]

Is there any real reason to suppose that they would be more likely to do this than any other group?

Most other groups aren't as orgaqnized or as vocal in their oppoisition to our policies in regards to terrorism.

[Nicholas]

Most other groups aren't as orgaqnized or as vocal in their oppoisition to our policies in regards to terrorism.

The way you stated it makes it sound as if you think that they oppose all of our governments policies in dealing with terrorism, but this is far from the case. The only policies that they oppose are those that they feel violate people's rights.

[Ryokan]

The way you stated it makes it sound as if you think that they oppose all of our governments policies in dealing with terrorism, but this is far from the case. The only policies that they oppose are those that they feel violate people's rights.

I want to be a member. But keeping files on them isn't a terrible idea. No organization is perfect.

[Nicholas]

I want to be a member.

Sounds like a good idea to me

But keeping files on them isn't a terrible idea. No organization is perfect.

There is something about what was said about the file that bugs me though, the fact that is supposed to contain 1,173 pages. Somehow it just seems to me that that's alot of pages to have on a group like the ACLU.

The way I see it is that if they keep a file because they think the group might leak sensitive information, than wouldn't they have to keep a file on most news sources?

[Ryokan]

Sounds like a good idea to me



There is something about what was said about the file that bugs me though, the fact that is supposed to contain 1,173 pages. Somehow it just seems to me that that's alot of pages to have on a group like the ACLU.

The way I see it is that if they keep a file because they think the group might leak sensitive information, than wouldn't they have to keep a file on most news sources?

I'd bet they do, as a matter of fact. The FBI has a file on everything. They just can't read all of them to make it too useful. They have pages on John Lennon, for cripes sake.

[Nicholas]

I'd bet they do, as a matter of fact. The FBI has a file on everything. They just can't read all of them to make it too useful. They have pages on John Lennon, for cripes sake.

And all of it's probably in the same warehouse as the Ark of the Covenant

[Ryokan]

And all of it's probably in the same warehouse as the Ark of the Covenant