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Again, it's not really "news" that anti-war activists have been targeted as domestic terrorists. We were told this years ago when they were arrested and imprisoned (along with all the other legal protesters) during both the Democratic and Republican Conventions. The news then (pretty much totally ignored by the distracted populace) was why and who was benefitting from it?
What is new is that many lawsuits have been filed recently, and that there is a type of unique national focus on these events right now because of all the news surrounding the disappearance of (in addition to the controversy about the genesis of) Ed Snowden, and what his testimony means to the search for the truth about the pernicious government surveillance of regular citizens. Personally, I can't figure out how anyone thinks the Supreme Court, let alone the lower courts, would rule against the government spooks, which would break this whole affair wide open (although one judge has already).
Anti-War Activists Targeted as 'Domestic Terrorists'
June 24, 2013 by Common Dreams
Shocking new revelations come as activists prepare to sue the U.S. military for unlawful spying
- Sarah Lazare
Port Militarization Resistance
(Photo: Brendan Maslauskas Dunn)
Anti-war activists who were infiltrated and spied on by the military for years have now been placed on the domestic terrorist list, they announced Monday. The shocking revelation comes as the activists prepare to sue the U.S. military for unlawful spying.
"The fact that a peaceful activist such as myself is on this domestic terrorist list should be cause for concern for other people in the US," declared Brendan Maslauskas Dunn, plaintiff in the lawsuit. "We've seen an increase in the buildup of a mass surveillance state under the Obama and Bush Administrations."
The discovery is the latest development in a stunning saga that exposes vast post-9/11 spying networks in which military, police, and federal agencies appear to be in cahoots.
Documents declassified in 2009 reveal that military informant John Towery, going by the name 'John Jacob,' spent over two years infiltrating and spying on Olympia, Washington anti-war and social justice groups, including Port Militarization Resistance, Students for a Democratic Society, the Industrial Workers of the World, and Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Towery admitted to the spying and revealed that he shared information with not only the military, but also the police and federal agencies. He claimed that he was not the only spy.
The activists, who blast the snooping as a violation of their First and Fourth Amendment rights, levied a lawsuit against the military in 2009.
"The spying resulted in plaintiffs and others being targeted for repeated harassment, preemptive and false arrest, excessive use of force, and malicious prosecution," reads a statement by the plaintiffs.
The Obama Administration attempted to throw out the litigation, but in December 2012 the 9th Circuit Court ruled that the case could continue.
When the plaintiffs were preparing their deposition for the courts two weeks ago, they were shocked to discover that several Olympia anti-war activists were listed on the domestic terrorist list, including at least two plaintiffs in the case.
The revelations prompted them to amend their lawsuit to include charges that the nonviolent activists were unlawfully targeted as domestic terrorists.
"The breadth and intensity of the spying by U.S. Army officials and other law enforcement agents is staggering," said Larry Hildes, National Lawyers Guild attorney who filed the lawsuit in 2009. "If nonviolent protest is now labeled and treated as terrorism, then democracy and the First Amendment are in critical danger."
Plaintiffs say this case takes on a new revelevance as vast NSA dragnet spying sparks widespread outrage.
"I think that there is a huge potential for the case to set precedent," declared plaintiff Julianne Panagacos. "This could have a big impact on how the U.S. military and police are able to work together."
She added, "I am hopeful we will win."
Comments:Who gets money from Halliburton today?
As if we didn't know. (Did you know they were still around?)
Ask Alan Grayson Anthing! Did He Say "John Cusack?"
Not me.
Here's how Congress works for most of the Members: they sit in their offices, they cross the street to the Floor of the House to vote every once in a while, and, while in their offices, corporate lobbyist after corporate lobbyist comes to kiss their rings. They kiss that ring with their lips, and, with their hands, they hand over the language that they want inserted into a bill that will help their cause.
Then, after the Members of Congress do the bidding of their corporate masters, they walk across the street to the party HQ, pick up the phone, and ask those same corporations to raise tens of thousands of dollars for their campaigns.
These corporations aren't bankrolling my campaign, because I don't do their bidding. I rely on you. If you want me to keep fighting and keep legislating in the public interest, I need your support before the important June 30th deadline. I need you to pitch in $5, $25, $50 or more now.
Together, over the last few months, we built a populist coalition, and mobilized nearly three million Americans against dangerous cuts to Social Security and Medicare. We won. We mobilized tens of thousands more against unconstitutional NSA spying and against trade deals that hurt American workers. Reporter Glenn Greenwald “tweeted” about it. So did actor/activist John Cusack. Tens of thousands shared our petitions on Facebook and Twitter.
This is how we do this job. It's not about bowing before the corporate interests. It's about representing you. I don't carry water for corporate interests, and I'm proud of that. But without your support, those same corporate interests will stop at nothing to silence me and therefore, you. They did it after 2010. We fought back in 2012.
Let's make sure that they don't win in 2014. Chip in now before our June 30th deadline.
I'm not intimidated. But, I'm going to need your help. The June 30th deadline is hours away. Give what you can. Give now.
Courage,
Alan
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