Philadelphia firm wrongly targeted activists

[Divernan]

Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette

HARRISBURG -- Gov. Ed Rendell has terminated what he called a horribly misguided state contract with a Philadelphia firm that led to wrongful and improper reports being disseminated about environmental groups, tax protesters, people at gay and lesbian rallies and even supporters of more funding for education.

At a news conference Tuesday evening, Mr. Rendell said he hadn't known until Tuesday about a one-year, $125,000 contract between the state Office of Homeland Security and the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response. "I am appalled that this contract was entered into without my knowledge," he said. "I am appalled that information was disseminated about groups that were exercising their constitutional right to free speech and to protest. They shouldn't be on any list . This is extraordinarily embarrassing."

After Sept. 11, 2001, homeland security officials in each state were supposed to work with their counterparts in Washington to be on the lookout for potential security threats and then notify local police and emergency officials to watch out for attacks on infrastructure, Mr. Rendell said.

But somehow things went very wrong, he said, as the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response in Philadelphia began telling state homeland security officials about upcoming protests by environmental groups over drilling for natural gas in areas of Marcellus Shale, or tax protests, or gay/lesbian pride days, or even a "children and youth education rally" in Philadelphia.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10258/1087582-454.stm#ixzz0zbK6hYqW

Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10258/1087582-454.stm

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This headline (and the Huff Post article on this as well) misleadingly describes the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response as a "Philadelphia firm." Sounds like a little local business? Far from it. According to this organization's website, http://www.terrorresponse.org/

it is based in TWO cities:

ITRR Offices

UNITED STATES
P.O. Box 56555
Philadelphia, PA 19111
215.922.1080
202.657.6072

ISRAEL
P.O. Box 18356
Jerusalem 91182, Israel
+972.2.571.1526
Here are its services:
* Train to combat terrorism with experienced Israeli and American security professionals with ITRR's specialized training.
* Learn from highly-regarded Subject Matter Experts at professional seminars in the US and Israel tailored to your needs throughout the year.
* Gain access to real-time actionable intelligence using ITRR's Targeted Actionable Monitoring Center (TAM-C) and Ground Truth Network.
* Get hands-on emergency guidance during an unexpected crisis.

To me, "Israeli and American security professionals" for hire to this company's clients, translates to mercenaries. Are these the observers monitoring peacful protests and meetings? I'm so glad our esteemed Governor has been shamed into canceling this state-subsidized spying on his constituents.

[No Elephants]

1. Homeland Security, CIA, FBI, etc. Reich wing thugs, getting rich by robbing us

[JJW]

2. Rendell is totally responsible for this

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Governor Edward

G. Rendell said Pennsylvania will be better able to protect people from
intimidation and natural resources from unlawful acts of desecration with
his signing of an ecoterrorism bill into law.

The Governor today signed House Bill 213 into law. The bill amends the
state's crimes code to include the offense of "ecoterrorism."

[rfranklin]

4. Would that include prosecuting BP and other corporations for their crimes?

I suspect not.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

3. OK...... so wanting to protect the environment, have peace in the world,

and all of the other positive things that these people and groups wanted makes them fair game for mercenaries???

WTF is wrong with this state?

The oil, gas and coal industries pose a real threat to our state (among many) and yet we're the ones being spied on. Orwell's 1984 redux right here in good old PA.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Environmentalists and peace protestors pose a real threat

to the criminals running our private and public institutions.

[valerief]

6. To Homeland Security, terrorism is anything that negatively affects the

elites' immediate bottom line.

[fascisthunter]

7. Brown Shirts

who in their right mind would be this opposed to peaceful protestors or environmentalists.