NYT's...Intelligence Improperly Collected on U.S. Citizens

[rasputin1952]

December 17, 2009
Intelligence Improperly Collected on U.S. Citizens
By CHARLIE SAVAGE and SCOTT SHANE

WASHINGTON — In February, a Department of Homeland Security intelligence official wrote a “threat assessment” for the police in Wisconsin about a demonstration involving local pro- and anti-abortion rights groups.

That report soon drew internal criticism because the groups “posed no threat to homeland security,” according to a department memorandum released on Wednesday in connection with a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The agency destroyed all its copies of the report and gave the author remedial training.

That was just one of several cases in the last several years in which the department’s intelligence office improperly collected information about American citizens or lawful United States residents, the documents show.

In March 2008, the office produced a “terrorism watch list” report about a Muslim conference in Georgia at which several Americans were scheduled to speak, even though it “did not have any evidence the conference or the speakers promoted radical extremism or terrorist activity,” and such speech is constitutionally protected, an internal report said.

And in October 2007, the office sent a report, “Nation of Islam: Uncertain Leadership Succession Poses Risks,” to hundreds of federal officials. Department guidelines had called for the files to be destroyed because the assessment of the group had lasted more than 180 days without uncovering evidence of potential terrorism.

In all three cases, after other Homeland Security Department officials raised concerns, copies of the reports were destroyed. The agency also held a workshop on intelligence-gathering “while ensuring the protection of civil rights and civil liberties” after the Nation of Islam incident.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/us/17disclose.html?hp=&pagewanted=print




What we've said all along...Homeland Security is targeting Americans and legal groups here at home. It should be abolished. This is what happens when the "threats" outside of the US are routine, and people need something to do...:grr:

[Why Syzygy]

1. Wish I had something to add.

All I can do is k/r.

[babylonsister]

2. What also irks me is they're blithely destroying evidence.

Who told them to do that? :grr:

Rec'd.

[rasputin1952]

3. I have to wonder if it is actually destroyed...

paper documents might have been shredded...but copies are almost assuredly exist, and electronically, these things are saved in vast data bases.

When it comes to gathering evidence, the government is extraordinarily adept. Considering the vast aray they have to capture so much, and how it is "filtered", it makes me wonder just what is in those quadrillions of files. Years ago, the NSA had incredible networks to collect information. I recall several huge dishes outside of FT Irwin CA, that just sat innocuously there, collecting an incredible amount of data...what they can do with today's technology must be drop-dead incredible. I know of one instance personally where a visit came from the SS to an individual that had "mentioned" assassination during the bush administration. From what I gather, there wasn't much to the conversation, but apparently, when an assassination of bush was mentioned, it triggered something. The discussion was anti-assassination, but that didn't matter, something about "bush/assassination" came up.

FWIW...every time an electronic sales is made, data is collected. Cell phone calls are easily open to scrutiny, even wireless home calls are monitored. Net activity is monitored, there are devices in satellites that can be used to track people and even "see" into some structures. When I was in the Army, I had a Top Secret clearance. Way back in the '70's and into the 80's I knew of devices that could pick up conversations from voices bouncing of of, or reverberating through glass. Mullahs could be identified from space by the shapes of their beards...that's how discerning the pictures were back then. Today, they could probably identify them by acne scars as well.

If one leans toward paranoia, it is a scary world out there...then again, it's not paranoia if it is true...:scared:

Is this going to stop me from speaking out about injustice?...no. It's a cold fact that once these things exist, they are virtually impossible to become non-existent. The only defense we have, is that such data would not be allowed in a court of law if one were prosecuted...and that hangs by a thin thread.

[babylonsister]

4. Good point; if the records need to be resurrected, there are ways.

Big Brother is alive and kickin'. :(

[14thColony]

12. It's actually a legal requirement

Executive Order 12333 is pretty specific - as soon as a violation is discovered, all data pertaining to "US persons" (and they're not just US citizens) must be either a) utterly purged beyond recovery or b) properly conveyed to a federal law enforcement agency that can legally possess such information, such as the FBI, and THEN all remaining traces must still be purged. EO 12333 doesn't play around in this respect. You can keep an audit trail OF the information in order to investigate how illegal collection took place, but you can't keep the information itself.

As much as I dislike the very notion of DHS, they are at least giving the appearance of being in compliance with the rules. If they weren't, I doubt we would have heard the first whisper of any of this. At the same time I still think they should cease to exist.

[TexasObserver]

5. Recommend

[formercia]

6. If you can't identify a Bogey Man, make one up.

There are too many people in Homeland Security with too much time on their hands.

Idle minds make the Devil's work.

[Moochy]

7. I predict that dealing with the beast that is "Homeland Security"

would be one of those issues that Obama would classify as not forward looking. The past is when crimes might have occurred, and that kind of thing really bums him out, and so he and his chief adviser prefer to pretend that none of it happened.

K&R

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

8. You know, if I ever get busted for something. I'd love to use that defense.

"Your honor let's not look backward. Let's move forward. I am not committing any crimes right now. So if it's OK with you I'll just go back home where I promise not to commit any more crimes..... maybe."

[Moochy]

9. Good luck with that defense

It seems to only work when you are the guy in charge of the guy in charge at the Justice Dept.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. Hmm.

Intelligence ImproperlyIllegally Collected on U.S. Citizens

[14thColony]

13. Precisely...

"Improperly" would describe collection done inadvertenly or accidentally while collecting on an otherwise legal target, such as a non-resident foreign citizen in the US, or any foreign citizen outside the US. But this was neither inadvertent nor accidental given that the intended targets were in the 'illegal to target' category from the beginning.

[Moochy]

15. The good old "Liberal Media", showing its editorial bias

in favor of the criminals.

[OnyxCollie]

11. K&R. nt

[ThomCat]

14. Let's come out and say it. This is happening on OBAMA's watch.

It isn't just Bush's problem. Obama is allow and/or encouraging this.

What is he doing to stop this? Has he bothered to speak up about it at all? Has he expressed any discontent or disappointment?

So far all we have seen is him defending the practices of the Bush administration. :(

[arcadian]

16. True, Thom, Democrats can't claim innocence on anthing any more.

As if they ever could, in many cases they voted for this draconian legislation which created the Patriot Acta and Homeland Security.

[rasputin1952]

17. Both instances happened during the bush years...

I am not privy to any info that PO had anything to do w/any of this.

[ThomCat]

18. The article is about an incident in February of this year.

Obama was present all of this year.