The Pentagon's Domestic Spy Program
NBC reported in December that the Pentagon had a program for domestic surveillance of dissidents, after reviewing a secret 400 page Defense Department document.
....the Pentagon now collects domestic intelligence that goes beyond legitimate concerns about terrorism or protecting U.S. military installations, say critics.....The DOD database obtained by NBC News includes nearly four dozen anti-war meetings or protests, including some that have taken place far from any military installation, post or recruitment center.
Newsweek's Michael Isikoff has more on the program today, and says the Pentagon's spying on Americans is more widespread than previously believed.
Newly obtained documents show CIFA is tracking Americans by accessing a variety of information sources:
An internal CIFA PowerPoint slide presentation recently obtained by William Arkin, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst who writes widely about military affairs, gives some idea how the group operated. The presentation, which Arkin provided to NEWSWEEK, shows that CIFA (Counterintelligence Field Activity) analysts had access to law-enforcement reports and sensitive military and U.S. intelligence documents.....But the organization also gleaned data from "open source Internet monitoring." In other words, they surfed the Web.
The Pentagon recently acknowledged that CIFA had violated some regulations, particularly those with respect to storing information on individuals:
....an internal Pentagon review has found that CIFA's database contained some information that may have violated regulations.
The department is not allowed to retain information about U.S. citizens for more than 90 days—unless they are "reasonably believed" to have some link to terrorism, criminal wrongdoing or foreign intelligence. There was information that was "improperly stored," says a Pentagon spokesman who was authorized to talk about the program (but not to give his name). "It was an oversight." In a memo last week, obtained by NEWSWEEK, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England ordered CIFA to purge such information from its files—and directed that all Defense Department intelligence personnel receive "refresher training" on department policies.
Democrats are seeking an inquiry into the Pentagon program.
[Graphic created exlcusively for TalkLeft by CL.)
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