From today's Washington Post comes a report that the Pentagon is increasing its spying on Americans within the United States.
The Defense Department has expanded its programs aimed at gathering and analyzing intelligence within the United States, creating new agencies, adding personnel and seeking additional legal authority for domestic security activities in the post-9/11 world.The moves have taken place on several fronts. The White House is considering expanding the power of a little-known Pentagon agency called the Counterintelligence Field Activity, or CIFA, which was created three years ago. The proposal, made by a presidential commission, would transform CIFA from an office that coordinates Pentagon security efforts -- including protecting military facilities from attack -- to one that also has authority to investigate crimes within the United States such as treason, foreign or terrorist sabotage or even economic espionage.
The Pentagon has pushed legislation on Capitol Hill that would create an intelligence exception to the Privacy Act, allowing the FBI and others to share information gathered about U.S. citizens with the Pentagon, CIA and other intelligence agencies, as long as the data is deemed to be related to foreign intelligence. Backers say the measure is needed to strengthen investigations into terrorism or weapons of mass destruction.
No surprise. Our sister site, Capitol Hill Blue, reported last year on expanded spying by the Pentagon using the Total Information Awareness (TIA) system that Congress scrapped but the Bush Administration simply moved to the Pentagon as a "black bag" operation:
Welcome to America, 2004, where the actions of more than 150 million citizens are monitored 24/7 by the TIA, the Terrorist Information Awareness (originally called Total Information Awareness) program of DARPA, DHS and the Department of Justice.Although Congress cut off funding for TIA last year, the Bush Administration ordered the program moved into the Pentagon’s “black bag” budget, which is neither authorized nor reviewed by the Hill. DARPA also increased the use of private contractors to get around privacy laws that would restrict activities by federal employees.
Six months of interviews with security consultants, former DARPA employees, privacy experts and contractors who worked on the TIA facility at 3701 Fairfax Drive in Arlington reveal a massive snooping operation that is capable of gathering – in real time – vast amounts of information on the day to day activities of ordinary Americans.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
I wonder what the ardent supporters of this administration have to say in defense of this activity? Well, I hope they spell my name right on thier documents, and when they come to "remove" me to a secure facility, they'd be well advised to send an entire SWAT team or something. One guy in a suit won't make it. He'll go back to the office battered and bruised, missing his badge and sidearm.
Support the 2nd Amendment!
They'd better bring the dog-catcher if they come for me. My "mutt" is VERY protective. That and have you ever been attacked by 8 cats at the same time? ((-; Shredded wheat should look so good. And since they are probably 'perusing' this site along with all the others, be sure you spell my name right as well. It will look good on the resume to have arrested a Reverend for crimes against the "Reich".
The activities of 150 Million Americans? That would be, quite literally, every adult.
Pisses me off when I go to a counselor because stuff like this makes me paranoid, and stuff that Bush does makes me angry, and the cluelessness of at least half the Ameican public (including this counselor) makes me crazy, and he suggests I get medicated for bipolar disorder.
Because we all know, don't we, that everything is just fine, and no one really needs to be worried about anything, and it's all just a serotonin imbalance, or a dopamine imbalance, or a norepinephrine imbalance--or maybe some combination of the three. And just look at all the pills we have for that! Limitless pharmacopeia!
People who care about politics? What's up with that? Who cares about politics? "It's just politics!" Truly emotionally healthy people with healthy psyches don't care about politics; they care about the new house, the promotion, the Christmas gifts they're going to buy. Their weight. Their home theatre.
Only sickos care about politics.