FBI Shadowed Kerry During Activist Era

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-kerryfbi22mar22,1,5152259.story?coll=la-home-politics

FBI Shadowed Kerry During Activist Era

Records show agents and informants found no evidence of illegal activity. The extent of monitoring in the 1970s troubles the candidate.

By John M. Glionna, Times Staff Writer
March 22, 2004

As a high-profile activist who crossed the country criticizing the Nixon administration's role in the Vietnam War, John F. Kerry was closely monitored by FBI agents for more than a year, according to intelligence documents reviewed by The Times.

In 1971, in the months after the Navy veteran and decorated war hero argued before Congress against continued U.S. involvement in the conflict, the FBI stepped up its infiltration of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, the protest group Kerry helped direct, the files show.

The FBI documents indicate that wherever Kerry went, agents and informants were following — including appearances at VVAW-sponsored antiwar events in Washington; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City; and Urbana, Ill. The FBI recorded the content of his speeches and took photographs of him and fellow activists, and the dispatches were filed to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and President Nixon.

The files contain no information or suggestion that Kerry broke any laws. And a 1972 memorandum on the FBI's decision to end its surveillance of him said the agency had discovered "nothing whatsoever to link the subject with any violent activity."

...more...

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. But was the FBI cleared of any illegal activity?

That;s the question.

[brainoverload]

2. ABC news

So, one of the spins ABC news puts on this story is that they dug into the files and discovered that John Kerry has had a few facts wrong about where he was 30 years ago - shades of Al Gore coverage.

This on the very same day that in less than 24 hours the Bush administration went from denying the shrub-Clarke-Iraq-Saddam meeting ever took place to saying "of course shrub wanted Clarke to look into Saddam, all bases had to be covered."

un-f*ckin-believable

[Maccagirl]

10. I watched the story with amazement too

I couldn't believe the spin. And from another post it seems like CNN did the same thing. CBS reported it pretty much straighforeward.

[sadiesworld]

3. The whores seem very ambivalent about this story

I mean, they have started to cover it, but I see no enthusiasm at this point.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

4. I love how Judy Whoreruff

turned this into an anti-Kerry story.
No, nothing the government did was wrong concerning this story--but what about all the dirt on Kerry!?

[corporatewhore]

5. and nowhe'll have the fbi shadow activists and anybody of wrong skin color

re patriot cat

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. Yes, Kerry is notorious as a fascist racist

:eyes:

[corporatewhore]

8. read the patriot act

[corporatewhore]

9. read the patriot act

[Feanorcurufinwe]

14. Reading the Patriot Act will turn Kerry into a racist?

[WilliamPitt]

12. What does "nowhe'll" mean?

[VelmaD]

13. I'm more interested in seeing...

a patriot cat personally. :)

[T_i_B]

7. Guardian story

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1175731,00.html

The FBI spied on John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, for more than a year in the early 1970s, files released under US freedom of information legislation show.
The surveillance took place after Mr Kerry appeared before the Senate foreign relations committee in 1971 as a leader of the pressure group Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

"It's out of order," Senator Kerry told the Los Angeles Times, which broke the story yesterday. "I'm surprised by the extent of it. I'm offended by the intrusiveness of it. And I'm disturbed that it was conducted absent of some showing of any legitimate probable cause. It's an offence to the constitution."

The surveillance was authorised by the then FBI director, J Edgar Hoover, with reports issued to President Richard Nixon. It included phone taps, the infiltration of the VVAW, and the extensive following of activists. The VVAW was characterised as the "new left" by intelligence officers.

[MadHound]

11. The FBI kept tabs on all of the leaders/high profiles of the anti war

Movement. And they've done so ever since. Lord knows, they're keeping track of people marching against the war now, last three major anti war rallies, along with our weekly rallies all have been filmed. Some of it is done by the freepers, but some of it winds up in little manila folders in DC. No big deal.

It is a badge of honor, wear it with pride.