Inst of Terrorism Research & Response

<a href="http://www.terrorresponse.org/">http://www.terrorresponse.org/</a>

October 6th, 2010 10:21 PM

      <h2><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/attention-left-liberal-and-radical-groups-pennsylvania-has-been-monitoring-you">Attention Left, Liberal and Radical Groups -- Pennsylvania Has Been Monitoring You</a></h2>

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      By <a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/blogger/Bill-Quigley">Bill Quigley</a>
      
      
      
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Thank you, Institute of Terrorism Research and Response

(ITRR), for reminding us how many bad-ass, dedicated, and creative groups we

count as allies in our efforts to create a more just world!Our friends at <a target="blank" href="http://www.moveon.org/">MoveOn.org</a>, the <a target="blank" href="http://www.ruckus.org/">Ruckus Society</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ciw-online.org/">Immokalee

Workers</a>, the new <a target="blank" href="http://www.studentsforademocraticsociety.org/">SDS</a>, <a target="blank" href="http://www.jwj.org/">Jobs with Justice</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brandywinepeace.com/">Brandywine Peace Community</a>,

<a target="blank" href="http://www.answercoalition.org/">ANSWER</a>, <a target="blank" href="http://www.peta.org/">PETA</a>, <a target="blank" href="http://www.shac.net/">Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty</a>, <a target="blank" href="http://www.onamove.com/">MOVE</a>, <a target="blank" href="http://theyesmen.org/">The Yes Men</a>, <a target="blank" href="http://www.economichumanrights.org">Poor People’s

Economic Human Rights Campaign</a>, <a target="blank" href="http://climategroundzero.net/">Climate Ground Zero</a>, the <a target="blank" href="http://ran.org/">Rainforest Action

Network</a>, pro-Palestinian Groups, Puerto Rican nationalists, prisoners’ rights

organizations, citizen conservation groups, and immigration activists opposing

Arizona’s crazy attempts to criminalize all non-citizens should know –

Pennsylvania has been monitoring you.Just over a month ago, ProPublica broke the story that

Pennsylvania’s Office of Homeland Security contracted with the Institute of

Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR), a private Israeli-based company, to

assess terrorist threats impacting law enforcement priorities in

Pennsylvania.For almost a year, ITTR provided bi-weekly intelligence

briefings to Pennsylvania Homeland Security which focused in equal part on

“jihadist” communications and trainings throughout the world, and also social

justice organizing and protests across the country.Pennsylvania Homeland Security, in turn, distributed this

information to 800 federal, local and state law enforcement agencies, along

with “relevant stakeholders” like local businesses. Information provided included the political views and

movement building strategies of hundreds of law-abiding groups and individuals.

The targets of ITTR are not just Pennsylvania groups but

also a veritable who’s who of left and liberal groups, including MoveOn.org,

the Ruckus Society, Immokalee Workers, the new SDS, Jobs with Justice, the

Brandywine Peace Community, ANSWER, PETA, Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty, MOVE,

The Yes Men, Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, Climate Ground Zero,

the Rainforest Action Network, pro-Palestinian Groups, Puerto Rican

nationalists, prisoners’ rights organizations, citizen conservation groups, and

immigration activists opposing Arizona’s crazy attempts to criminalize all

non-citizens.In the scandal that followed PA Governor Rendell disavowed

ITRR’s focus on First Amendment protected activity, and promised to end the

contract. Pennsylvania State

Homeland Security Director Ed Powers resigned. And in response to significant public pressure, OHS

published the hundred-odd intelligence bulletins produced by ITTR over the last

year on its website. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/homeland_security/14251/pa_intelligence_bulletins/771845">These

bulletins</a> are posted on the home page of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management

Agency.As lawyers at the Center for Constitutional Rights, many of

these groups are longtime friends and allies.Indeed, even our organization, CCR, itself gets a mention,

as “Pennsylvania Actionable Intelligence Bulletin No. 106” includes a lengthy

discussion of an ALF press release reminding activists that: “Nobody Talks,

Everybody Walks” and suggesting as further reading CCR’s know-your-rights

pamphlet, “<a target="_blank" href="http://ccrjustice.org/ifanagentknocks">If an Agent Knocks</a>.”CCR is succinctly described as “a veteran legal advocacy

organization devoted to a plethora of radical causes.” Well said!But we shouldn’t joke too much.While ITTR frequently acknowledges that the groups whose

first amendment actions it has so closely monitored have no history of violence

or illegality, over and over they warn law enforcement of the risk of violence

and property destruction that accompanies protest.Bulletin No. 6, for example, provides the details of an

anti-war protest at Lockheed Martin.

“TAM-C analysis have found no indication that this protest will be

disorderly” ITRR reports, but “Lockheed Martin is an [sic] key

commercial-resource … The possibility exists that the high-profile nature of

the target will attract radical protestors from the ranks of local Communist

and/or Anarchist movements.”

Similarly, a Lancaster protest against the desecration of Native

American Graves appears to be a “peaceful protest designed to conform to legal

norms” but, “ITRR analysts note the

small, but present, risk that the above-mentioned issue may be taken up by more

radical elements, potentially including anarchists or lone-wolf Native American

rights supporters.”If there is one central theme to be taken from the

bulletins, it is this: dangerous anarchists are everywhere, and even the most

peaceful protest may turn violent.ITTR provides not just dates and times, but “strategic

analysis.” For example, the

November 20, 2009 Bulletin includes a lengthy and detailed account entitled

“the Return of Campus Activism.”

Students everywhere are organizing against increases in tuition, we are

told. Protests like one at UC

Davis, which included placards stating “Education only for the rich” are not

“spontaneous,” but rather are “part of an international Anarchist movement that

has been coordinated through Internet postings.” If “student are coordinating their activities” ITTR

ominously concludes, “it behooves law enforcement personnel from both the

campus environment and civil authorities … to start working on their

coordinated responses.”Another exceptionally creepy bulletin includes a segment

entitled “West Chester Activists Hope to ‘Build Momentum’” recounting an

anti-war activist group’s attempts to mobilize people to attend anti-war

demonstrations in DC. ITRR

recounts “thus far, the group has: lectured to college students, taken part in

a protest organized by the West Chester University branch of Students for a

Democratic Society in opposition to the troop surge in Afghanistan … and some

members have helped put out a radical newsletter.” Don’t worry: “ITRR is monitoring anti-war activist

communications for additional planning related to Pennsylvania assets.”The extent of the “monitoring” here is far from clear. Much of ITRR’s information clearly

comes from organizations’ own websites and press materials, but the bulletins

are laced with more sinister references to “intercepted internal

communications.”And not just groups are named, there are some references to

individuals too, including an inexplicably detailed bio and discussion of the

political views of the newly hired Executive Director of Rainforest Action

Network.The Bulletins are so outrageous as to be almost comical, but

the upshot is not funny.This is not an isolated incident. While ITRR claims to have no other governmental contracts,

it seems clear that they generally perform just this type of surveillance and

monitoring of protest groups for corporations who fear the impact of speech and

organizing on their bottom lines.

This explains the constant rants regarding the potential dangerousness

of animal rights and environmental activists: when successful, such groups

force corporations to internalize the harm they cause to the environment and to

the communities who stand in their way.

And yes, this contract may end shortly, but what has

happened to the hundreds of bulletins already distributed to law enforcement

across the country?There is a direct negative effect of consistently teaching

law enforcement that protestors pose national security risks has real effects

on policing and on enforcement respect for lawful protest.Since 9-11 we have seen increased hurdles to dissent in the

US. Every protest now not only

brings out local cops but also is a potential terrorist event monitored by

Joint Terrorism Task Force personnel.

These folks do not have any real terrorists to monitor so they are going

after First Amendment protected activities of freedom to assemble and freedom

of speech. For an example, we need look no further than the Office of

the Inspector General report released last month, detailing what happens when

an FBI agent has a slow day. It is

titled <a target="_blank" href="http://www.justice.gov/oig/special/s1009r.pdf">A Review of the FBI’s Investigations of Certain Domestic Advocacy

Groups</a>, Office of the Inspector General, Sept. 2010. Apparently the FBI has so little work to do they occasionally

tell new agents something like “you might as well go watch the crowd at a

protest, and hey, while you are there, be sure to photograph any folks who look

Middle-Eastern.” It is also

noteworthy that this report only discusses FBI surveillance which people

outside the FBI have documented.Reflect as well, on the recent series of FBI raids and grand

jury subpoenas issued to over a dozen anti-war and anti-imperialism activists. Going to Palestine or Colombia for a

solidarity trip and protesting at the RNC? Well, our country has FBI agents and Joint Terrorism Task

Force people to investigate you.Our advice to you: take a look at the bulletins for

yourself. If you or your group is

named, make a stink about it. Find

out if your local law enforcement offices have received the information, and

demand they destroy it. And

remember, at least you’re in good company.<a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/attention-left-liberal-and-radical-groups-pennsylvania-has-been-monitoring-you">http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/attention-left-liberal-and-radical-groups-pennsylvania-has-been-monitoring-you</a>--http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2010/11/too_many_questions_state_shoul_1.html
---wow even Reason mag appalled: http://reason.com/archives/2010/10/05/trickle-down-surveillance