Document revealing military spying on RNC protesters leaked to ACLU

[Bjorn Against]

Revealing RNC document leaked

For Immediate Release
November 21, 2008

The American Civil Liberties Union recently came across a revealing RNC Homeland Security Document. This official document was uncovered by the website Wikileaks, which according to its website "We help you safely get the truth out". This document outlines the planning leading up to the Republican National Convention and how security forces would be working together during the RNC. Many federal, state and local organizations were mentioned in this document, a number of which the ACLU did not know were involved. A number of these agencies are military based, which may directly conflict with Federal law that prohibits the military from engaging in domestic intelligence gathering.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), is one of the organizations that is mentioned in the report that is particular cause for concern. NGA provides mapping tools and imagery intelligence that are obtained from the United State's military spy satellites which are controlled by the National Reconnaissance Office. In other words during the RNC, these top spying tools could have been utilized to gather intelligence on the homes of activists and media workers who were a part of the demonstrations. That information could have then been relayed to local officials.

A second agency that was involved in the planning is the Pentagon's Northern Command, NORTHCOM. Having NORTHCOMM at the table, assisting in the planning is troubling because it could mean that the military was involved in the crowd control strategies and dealing with potential civil unrest. According to a report in Army Times, it said that an active military unit has been deployed by NORTHCOM in the United States. This deployment marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment within U.S. Borders.

Furthermore it appears that the FBI may have been using a station faking technology that would allow them to locate an individual through their cell phone. The ACLU is concerned with how this technology is used and if there was proper judicial oversight. In the USA Patriot ACT, this process for obtaining a track was made easier, and could allow for little to no judicial oversight. This tracking via cell phones could have been used during the RNC without the knowledge of even the phone companies.

"These behaviors are a radical departure from separation of civilian law enforcement and military authority, and could, quite possibly, represent a violation of law," said Teresa Nelson, ACLU of Minnesota. The ACLU-MN will continue to investigate and will use their findings in future lawsuits against law enforcement officials.

http://www.aclu-mn.org/home/news/revealingrncdocumentleaked.htm

[Metta]

1. Ah, fascism in action. The smell of napalm in the morning is next.

This is the military-corporate-industrial complex at work with *our* tax money. Happy karma one and all.

[aquart]

2. On this basis, NO CITY should ever accept the RNC convention again.

[gratuitous]

3. I never see this in the military recruiting ads

"Be all you can be - a spy on American citizens!"

[DBoon]

4. I recall a mock poster for the NSA

"We listen to our customers" with a creepy picture of a guy in headphones tapping a call

[leveymg]

7. And, then there's: "Your World Delivered - to the NSA" Love the AT&T Deathstar Logo>

[bertman]

5. You thought it was the good lord watching over you, when in reality it was the NGA.

And as the Beatles so aptly put it, "and the BBC and the CIA . . . "

[annm4peace]

6. I wonder how much money this cost

as one of the protesters for the whole RNC, I am not surprised.. but when I think of how much just ONE of the riot suits cost, and think of how much all these illegal survillence cost it makes me want to throw up.

I was/am still part of Peace Fresno that was spied/infiltred by Joint Terrorism Task Force.
we have never ever received the report of information gathered on our group.

What a huge waste of tax dollars.

[MadMaddie]

8. For the Freepers who said since they were doing nothing

wrong and they wouldn't care if they were spied on, I am wondering how they feel now that their rights have been violated?

Stupid is as stupid does...be careful what you wish for!!