Newspaper: Calif. National Guard sets up state intelligence unit

[maddezmom]

SACRAMENTO -- California's National Guard has set up a special intelligence unit intended to help local law enforcement deal with terrorist threats and integrate statewide investigations with international anti-terrorism initiatives, according to a newspaper report.

Guard officials say the new unit, established last year, will not violate long-standing rules barring the military from gathering information on American citizens.

~snip~


Guard intelligence officers will have access to national security information that they can analyze and determine if details should be shared with state and local law enforcement, O'Neill said.

~snip~

"The National Guard doesn't need to do this," said Christopher Pyle, a former Army intelligence officer who helped expose a string of instances in the 1960s and 1970s, when the military collected information on more than 100,000 Americans. "Its job is not to investigate individuals, but to clear streets, protect facilities and help first responders."

more:http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/06/26/news/state/11_132343143523.txt

[leesa]

1. WTF?? The National Guard is stretched to the breaking point and

they are doing this nonsense?

[maddezmom]

3. just found this: State's National Guard being probed by Army

SACRAMENTO - An Army investigator arrived in Sacramento this week to look into problems with the California National Guard just two weeks after the state's top general was forced to retire amid questions about his leadership.

An official with the Army Inspector General's Office has started interviewing top National Guard leaders as part of an ongoing shake-up of the state military that led to an attempt Wednesday to force out another veteran general, sources told the Mercury News.

A National Guard official called the investigation ``routine,'' but the inspector general has been asked to look into various issues, including allegations that California improperly diverted federal funds meant to stem the flow of drugs to instead pay for new anti-terrorism programs.

The investigation comes two weeks after the California National Guard's leader, Maj. Gen. Thomas Eres, was forced into retirement amid allegations that he abused his power, helped a Republican friend line up a questionable military flight and failed to properly prove his shooting skills before taking a trip to Iraq.

more:http://www.centredaily.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/11964436.htm?source=rss&channel=mercurynews_northern_california

[whalerider55]

7. FOLLOW THE MONEY

nearly 20 years ago, i met with the then general of the MA national guard, and provided him with documented evidence that one of his members had been defrauding the state of money by signing people up for duty to cover a guard building i was running a homeless shelter in. turned out, when i sent these people end of the year tax statements, about ten of them said they'd never done the duty, never even knew about it, and one of them as i recall had relocated and wasn't even in the community when he pulled duty.

the general thanked me and said he get right on it.
never heard from him again.
later, he was forced to resign b/c he was caught squeezing Nat Guard officers to make campaign contributions to republican gubernatorial candidates.

follow the money.

whalerider

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. So what part of cannot enforce the law are these boys missing

this is ilegal folks

[merwin]

4. "Its job is not to investigate individuals, but to clear streets, protect

facilities and help first responders."

Uh, you forgot to mention getting blown up in Iraq as well.

[BrotherBuzz]

5. What the hey! This is gonna be Arnie's secret police!

Brownshirt goons in its genesis? Cripes!!!

[shance]

9. Hadn't thought of it that way, but considering the protests he's creating

everywhere he goes, it does make more sense.

Someone mentioned it's illegal to use the National Guard in such a capacity.

It would be both interesting and important to find out the verified duties of National Guard.

[BrotherBuzz]

10. It'll be a small quiet operation

Just a group of patriotic fascist punks recrutited from the 'Young Republicans' that will be avoiding the pending draft and serve their masters by compiling files and lists of names...can you say Caging lists? Never mind the fact that this small select group of California National Guardsmen wear jackboots.

Dear California Young Republicans, The Governor has called a special election; it is time to rally the troops.

[BattyDem]

6. Uh-oh ...

this can't be good. :scared:

[slay]

8. Soon there will be a file on each and every one of us

All this BULLSHIT destruction of privacy in the name of terrorism is exactly that BULLSHIT - as is the entire "terrorist" scare these neo-con bastards have dreamed up. Remind anyone of McCarthy and the "communist" scare? How bout Hitler and the "Jew" scare? We all know how that turned out.

Well I know where the true terrorists are - they're in Washington and their names are Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Rice, Rove, etc.

[Daphne08]

11. I wonder if this is part of "Operation Garden Plot"

http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/000279.php

[ngGale]

12. IMO, you hit the nail right on the head...

No problem, George. The U.S. military already has something fittingly named Operation Garden Plot: detailed instructions on how to curb protests and other civil disorder within what the Department of Defense always so charmingly calls "CONUS" (the continental United States).

Oh well, I'm a tree hugger, in a way. Guess my name will be on the list. Remember, Eco-terrorist are at the top of their list. We don't have enough Guard, they will bring in mercs - for us. :scared:

[shance]

13. Looks like the links been blocked.

Wouldnt open.

[shance]

14. Wow. It's a MIRACLE. As soon as I post its been blocked.

It's unblocked.

;)