Justice Department Prepares for Ominous Expansion of "Anti-Terrorism" Law Targeting Activists

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.truth-out.org/justice-department-prepares-expansion-laws-targeting-activists


In late September, the FBI carried out a series of raids of homes and antiwar offices of public activists in Minneapolis and Chicago. Following the raids, the Obama Justice Department subpoenaed 14 activists to a grand jury in Chicago and also subpoenaed the files of several antiwar and community organizations. In carrying out these repressive actions, the Justice Department was taking its lead from the Supreme Court's 6-3 opinion last June in Holder v. the Humanitarian Law Project, which decided that nonviolent First Amendment speech and advocacy "coordinated with" or "under the direction of" a foreign group listed by the Secretary of State as "terrorist" was a crime.

The search warrants and grand jury subpoenas make it clear that the federal prosecutors are intent on accusing public nonviolent political organizers, many of whom are affiliated with Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), of providing "material support" through their public advocacy for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The Secretary of State has determined that both the PLFP and the FARC "threaten US national security, foreign policy or economic interests," a finding not reviewable by the courts, and listed both groups as foreign terrorist organizations (FTO).

In 1996, Congress made it a crime - then punishable by 10 years, which was later increased to 15 years - to anyone in the US who provides "material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization or attempts or conspires to do so." The present statute defines "material support or resources" as:

... any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safe houses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel and transportation except medicine or religious materials.


More at the link ---

[lib2DaBone]

1. The Obama Justice Department is worse than Bush..(if that is possible)

[ThomCat]

8. They made it possible. They are worse than Bush

at targeting and eroding rights. :(

This from the President who was going to restore the rule of law...x(

[Better Believe It]

2. K & R

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Do you think there will be a backlash from other countries?

[maryf]

4. keep this story alive...

these people aren't letting it stop them, thanks for helping them get the truth out...

[Downtown Hound]

5. Hey Obama! Thanks for the change!

Not, you sell out son of a bitch.

[kath]

6. Quelle surprise!

Not.
As Bush-era policies not only get continued, but become worse and worse...

[glitch]

7. Finally! The FBI gets their own gravy train (like the DEA has had for decades - lucky duckies!).

None of that messy Wall Street numbers stuff, back to the low-hanging fruit of peaceful citizens who won't fight back with those nasty high-priced lawyers. None of that white collar wussy stuff, pre-dawn armed raids on hippy (oh you know they are) homes, sweet!

Phooey.

[laughingliberal]

10. +1 nt

[snappyturtle]

9. OMG! 'More' at link....I don't think I can read any more. nt

[laughingliberal]

11. The Bill of Rights is like one big joke now. It'll be taught as a quaint little part of our past. nt

[jwirr]

12. Activist are not terrorists. If they were we should be explaining to our

school children the our founding fathers and mothers were terrorists. This is insane. Where the hell is Obama? Who and the hell is running this government anyhow?

[Odin2005]

13. I never expected a DEMOCRAT to be worse than Chimpy when it comes to dissent.

:grr:

[ladjf]

You know, after about two years of nothing but bad news coming

out of the WH (I mean Justice Department) you begin to wonder who's side they are on. nt

[DirkGently]

14. Wow. "Speech and advocacy" are expressly not "material support." How twisted can we get?

If this is what we're doing, the First Amendment is GONE. Political speech is the most protect category of speech, and for all legal purposes does NOT equate to any type of action or "material support." Americans have the right, if they wish, to march in the streets advocating the political views of the Taliban or Al Quaeda or anyone else, short of promoting violence.

This whole anti "terrorism" dynamic is a fascist's dream come true. They're always looking for an enemy so scary that no one dare protest any form of repression claimed to be for the purpose of fighting that enemy.

Jesus.

[old mark]

15. The Nazis used a faked "attack" by supposed terrorists to

solidify their hold on the German government...this came in time of economic crisis, and had the support of the rich and powerful, especially the banks and industrialists, but also had support from the huge number of unemployed who believed Hitler would create jobs if he were given enough of a mandate - and enough uncontested power.

Much of that sounds very familiar...


mark