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Spying on Pacifists, Environmentalists and Nuns
An undercover Maryland State Police trooper infiltrated nonviolent groups and labeled dozens of people as terrorists.
TAKOMA PARK, Md. - To friends in the protest movement, Lucy was an eager 20-something who attended their events and sent encouraging e-mails to support their causes.
Max Obuszewski talks about being one of the targets of spying by the Maryland State Police. Obuszewski is one of 53 activists wrongly added to a database of suspected terrorists. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun) Only one thing seemed strange.
"At one demonstration, I remember her showing up with a laptop computer and typing away," said Mike Stark, who helped lead the anti-death-penalty march in Baltimore that day. "We all thought that was odd."
Not really. The woman was an undercover Maryland State Police trooper who between 2005 and 2007 infiltrated more than two dozen rallies and meetings of nonviolent groups.
Maryland officials now concede that, based on information gathered by "Lucy" and others, state police wrongly listed at least 53 Americans as terrorists in a criminal intelligence database -- and shared some information about them with half a dozen state and federal agencies, including the National Security Agency.
Among those labeled as terrorists: two Catholic nuns, a former Democratic congressional candidate, a lifelong pacifist and a registered lobbyist. One suspect's file warned that she was "involved in puppet making and allows anarchists to utilize her property for meetings."
"There wasn't a scintilla of illegal activity" going on, said David Rocah, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a lawsuit and in July obtained the first surveillance files. State police have released other heavily redacted documents.
Investigators, the files show, targeted groups that advocated against abortion, global warming, nuclear arms, military recruiting in high schools and biodefense research, among other issues.
"It was unconscionable conduct," said Democratic state Sen. Brian Frosh, who is backing legislation to ban similar spying in Maryland unless the police superintendent can document a "reasonable, articulable suspicion" of criminal activity.
The case is the latest to emerge since the Sept. 11 attacks spurred a sharp increase in state and federal surveillance of Americans. Critics say such investigations violate constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and assembly, and serve to inhibit lawful dissent.
In the largest known effort, the Pentagon monitored at least 186 lawful protests and meetings -- including church services and silent vigils -- in California and other states.
The military also compiled more than 2,800 reports on Americans in a database of supposed terrorist threats. That program, known as TALON, was ordered closed in 2007 after it was exposed in news reports.
The Maryland operation also has ended, but critics still question why police spent hundreds of hours spying on Quakers and other peace groups in a state that reported more than 36,000 violent crimes last year.
Stephen Sachs, a former state attorney general, investigated the scandal for Gov. Martin O'Malley -- a Democrat elected in 2006. He concluded that state police had violated federal regulations and "significantly overreached."
According to Sachs' 93-page report and other documents, state police launched the operation in March 2005 out of concern that the planned execution of a convicted murderer might lead to violent protests.
They sent Lucy to join local activists at Takoma Park's Electrik Maid, a funky community center popular with punk rockers and slam poets. Ten people attended the gathering, including a local representative from Amnesty International.
"The meeting was primarily concerned with getting people to put up fliers and getting information out to local businesses and churches about the upcoming events," the undercover officer reported later. "No other pertinent intelligence information was obtained."
That proved true for all 29 meetings, rallies and protests that Lucy ultimately attended. Most drew only a handful of people, and none involved illegal or disruptive actions.
Using the aliases Lucy Shoup and Lucy McDonald, she befriended activists. "I want to get involved in different causes," she wrote in an e-mail, citing her interest in "anti-death penalty, antiwar and pro-animal actions!!!"
Max Obuszewski, a Baltimore pacifist who leads antiwar protests, said Lucy asked about civil disobedience, but didn't instigate any. "She never volunteered to do anything, not even hand out leaflets," he said. "She was not an agent provocateur."
Greg Shipley, a state police spokesman, said that no one in the department had been disciplined in connection with the spying program. Lucy, who has not been publicly identified, would not consent to an interview, he said.
The surveillance, Shipley said, was inappropriate. And the listing of lawful activity as terrorism "shouldn't have happened, and has been corrected."
Most of the files list terrorism as a "primary crime" and a "secondary crime," then add subgroups for designations such as antiwar protester.
Some contain errors and inconsistencies that are almost comical.
Nancy Kricorian, 48, a novelist on the terrorist list, is coordinator for the New York City chapter of CodePink, an antiwar group. She serves as liaison with local police for group protests, and has never been arrested.
"I have no idea why I made the list," she said. "I've never been to the state of Maryland, except maybe to stop for gas on the way to Washington."
Josh Tulkin, 27, a registered lobbyist with the Virginia state Legislature, is cited under "terrorism -- environmental extremists." Tulkin was deputy director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network, an environmental group that claims 15,000 members and regularly meets with governors and members of Congress.
"If asking your elected officials a question about public policy is a crime, then I'm guilty," he said.
Barry Kissin, 57, a lawyer who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2006, heads the Frederick Progressive Action Coalition, a group that works "for social, economic and environmental justice," according to his police file. Their protests "are always peaceful," it added.
He was labeled "Terrorism -- Anti-Government."
Nadine Bloch, 47, runs workshops for protest groups that seek corporate responsibility and builds huge papier-mache puppets often used in street marches. Her terrorism file indicates she participated in a Taking Action for Animals conference in Washington on July 16-18, 2005.
Animal rights, Bloch said, is one of the few causes she doesn't actively embrace. Besides, she was attending an educators conference in Hawaii that week as a contractor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"This whole thing," she said, "is so absurd."
- Posted in
38 Comments so far
Show AllIt would not be surprising if the police spy in question has changed employers to either Blackwater USA or the Dep't of Homeland Security. Both "organizations" are full of clueless operatives like her sucking on the taxpayer tit.
www.wunderman-comics.com
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..."
This is the first part of the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution. Being spied on by the US government violates what should be a fundamental right. Lest we forget, similar infiltrations were made of groups before the Democratic and Republican Conventions. Unless those responsible are held accountable and punished for these violations, the US will sink further and further toward a total police state.
Sioux Rose
DFAIRLEY: Thank you for reminding us of our heritage and rekindling our Constitutionally GUARANTEED right to privacy in our homes! The dummies would make more legalizing and taxing pot, anyway; and give up this sick need to imprison everyone that doesn't model their lives like ducks after those that believe they hold a monopoly on the RIGHT way to live for all of us. Prison building and war making while the "empire" capsizes from within... schools failing with bridges close behind, no money to feed the hungry, but billions spend so the big boys with Rolex watches can party on. It makes me wax nostalgic for guillotines for the royal rulers who show such contempt for the members of the kingdom they so wontonly rule or should I say run aground.
This is minor.
The real scary stuff is when they waste police powers to attack eco activists.
I.e. the Uk adopting police state laws to protect research scientists because people go up to them for having been videotaped punching puppies in the face on and laughing as they torture a monkey.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with telling people to express your outrage at their actions, to the psychotic scientists themselves or their family members.
Saying: your father is a sadistic coward.
or
You are a disgrace.
That isnt terrorism in the slightest-expect that vivisectionists are cowards and so they scare easily.
Probably the best way to fight it is to get little kids or elderly people to do it. Maybe the scientists wont be so scared-but it will sure make the police look good if they take action against such protestors.
I dissent regarding approaching a family member of a person documented for animal abuse - or any form of abuse. Sticking to the facts, making them common knowledge, drafting and fielding a petition, etc...
The tactics you propose involve exploitation of young and elderly, and as Gandhi noted, exploitation is the root of violence.
old goat
Good for you.
"Because absent DEMOCRACY, we don't HAVE a "HOME"-land"...
From the Department of Homeland DEMOCRACY Security:
BLOGGERHOOD WATCH ~ A Modest Proposal
WELCOME WHISTLEBLOWERS
"You have the harnessed resource of our protection"
http://flickr.com/photos/kiad/2989689327/
This sort of McCarthyism will cause these people troubles for the rest of their lifetime.
May "Lucy" and the other Maryland State Police troopers be barren forever.
There's a recent comment somewhere on CD complaining, with some truth, that the label "terrorist" has been done to death, so to speak.
But this standard practice of the authoritarian security state is exactly that-- low-level terrorism designed to keep citizens in a permanent state of uneasiness and fear of openly expressing dissent.
"Fahrenheit 9/11" was one of an infinite number of reports of government agencies-- local, state, and federal-- snooping on and hassling the most innocuous, harmless activists one can imagine. But it's a tactic that has been practiced for over a century in the Land of the Free.
It's almost comical because of the arrant absurdity and ludicrousness of the officious, bumptious actions and rationalizations of the perpetrators. But there's nothing funny about state security services, or vigilante volunteers, intentionally threatening and intimidating those who express perfectly legal and legitimate disagreement with government policy with the prospect of being classified as Enemies of the State.
· Yr Obd't Servant
Sioux Rose
OBEDIENT: Another component of this puzzle is that persons like "Lucy" are such true believers, likely born authoritarians who possibly believe that persons who use their legitimate rights to dissent ARE in fact threats to the state. The verbiage in one significant bill related to Homeland Security was diagnosed on THIS site, wherein it was explained that the language of what constitutes the "terrorist" is so loose as to cast a very large drift net over just about anyone doing what some robot "Mr. Smith" takes offense at. There are a lot of newly programmed people (by the rising Theocratic church-state) who really believe that patriotism = following orders, and NOT questioning authority. These are very scary people... and like "Mr. Smith" our Matrix has plenty of them!
Now you know why activist groups are so small - people are afraid to even come to meetings, fearing they will end up on some 'terrorism list' or 'no-fly list' - and I've had people tell me as much! They're afraid they'll lose their jobs, for gods sake!! Now THAT is TERRORISM - Which is exactly what the police-state wants - terrified citizens, afraid to even talk to each other, for fear of ending up in jail or losing their jobs!!! And they claim this is a 'free' country ??? Come again??? (I'm also guilty of being intimidated - I've been told that I could lose my Social Security and medication assistance, or that police might come to my home and kill my dog!)
Sioux Rose
ARMYBRAT: Your analysis is right on. It's so interesting WHAT the Mars-rules state finds threatening: peace groups, those that advocate for sane animal rights, environmentalists fighting for policies that will SUSTAIN (rather than Mars' preference, which is to efficiently destroy) life, and those that seek 3rd party candidates. The types of persons pursued says so much about the homeland security state and its twisted priorities.
The person[s] who gave the orders to conduct such warrantless spying against legally-gathered citizens needs to be publicly identified and chastized (possibly fired) by Marlyland officials.
This will also have the effect of rendering the perpetrating parties vulnerable to civil lawsuits by the wronged parties.
This kind of police conduct is prima facie unconstitutional and statutorily illegal in all states.
But each time such official lawbreaking fails to be challenged and slapped down by successful citizen lawsuits filed in the courts, the procedural hand of criminally acting police/government is strengthened.
Assuming the facts are accurately stated in the lead article above, the Maryland ACLU and the wrong parties need to zero-in on this incident, immediately.
They should wait for the government to correct itself --because, as we all know: too often it doesn't.
The suggestion that the ACLU would be interested in real civil liberty violations is hilarious. Thanks for the laugh!
What a dumb thing to say. I'm sure you fight for liberties much more effectively than does the ACLU.
What is wrong with some of the posters here??
I'd say I do actually.
"What is wrong with some of the posters here??"
Frankly I'd ask that of you if you believe their BS.
Would you care to elaborate on this comment? What's your point?
drift
Certainly. As near as I can tell the main agenda of the ACLU has been to put American workers out of work. They have spent their time suing and bullying cities that are trying to protect their citizens. Suing to protect illegal aliens rights to take jobs from American workers. Suing to help cities break the law. They sold out just as the Unions did.
They have totally lost my respect and I'm no longer a member. The names the same, but they are not.
Can you think of any "civil liberty" they have protected for Americans lately? I can't.
Check their funding sources. They are owned by big business.
drift
My apologies. I realized I didn't answer your question. You asked what my point was and I gave you my reason.
My point is that its time for progressives to stop accepting statements as true simply because of what someone or something used to be. The ACLU was a wonderful organization during the sixties and seventies, then started to go off track in the early nineties. Late nineties to now, they serve other interests as far as I can tell.
Like MoveOn.Org....started as a terrific idea, did great work and have degenerated into slime as bad as any neocon dirt machine over the last 4 years.
Ideology will not serve, truth matters.
Well for one thing the ACLU does not help animal rights activists. I guess they'll defend civil liberties as long as they're not "controversial".
I didn't know that. But I'm not surprised.
Spying on pacifists, environmentalists, nuns and Tony Blair
Such stories are not limited to Maryland.
After managing the Green Party's campaign for governor in Connecticut in 2006, CT state police placed me on a violent terrorist watch list and jailed me for being on this list.
Complete story is here:
http://www.the40yearplan.com/Ken_Krayeske_InauguRell_Arrest_Story_Repository.php
Essentially, before Gov. M. Jodi Rell's inaugural parade, the state police trolled the blogs, and found a comment I made intimating protest at the ball. I also suggested that the Governor was unfit to govern based on her being Lt. Gov. for convicted felon ex-Gov. John G. Rowland.
When I showed up to photograph the parade, the police jailed me for 13 hours on ludicrous bond. When read my mirandas, the cop said "If you waive your rights, we'll tell you why you're here." I asked for counsel and ended the interview upon hearing that.
My suspicion is that the state police in Connecticut were surveilling the Green Party during the 2006 election, and may still be monitoring the CT Greens. This Maryland preemptive surveillance program and my detention in Connecticut matches what happened in Minnesota during the Republican National Convention and Colorado during the DNC.
Obama's failure to criticize the unconstitutional law enforcement tactics in the Twin Cities and in Denver shows that progressives cannot count on him to stop executive branch abuses of power.
I have filed a civil rights lawsuit attempting to determine the machinations which placed me on such lists, and whether or not Connecticut state cops have a similar list like the one in Maryland.
But my bet is that states police organizations across the country operate from a similar playbook. Therefore we need people across the country to initiate FOI complaints to determine the extent of this resurrected COINTELPRO so that we can end it. The Maryland ACLU homepage has an excellent FOI request template that can be tailored to your home state.
Peace,
Ken Krayeske
Hartford, CT
ken krayeske - In some states there are statute-of-limitations (quite short, ie, 90 days) on filing against police. It can take that long just to line up legal. And they can stall by citing 'security concerns' - trust me, I've been there. Plus, you get your name on the blotter as a 'trouble-maker' - but just try to prove it...
Right now all these intelligence departments are probably concentrating more on preventing Obama from being assassinated by some right wing racist crackpot.
...or having him assassinated and creating a "right wing" scapegoat.
Fellow victim of the Hegelian Dialectic
The war on terror has become a serious threat to Americans and our Constitution.
I have been writing for over a year, if your town has no terrorist suspects, to get DHS grants and funding, they will create suspects.
If you live in a city like New York , millions have been spent on more law enforcement agents, community watch groups, local Infragard Business's .
The latest terror level threat in New York is no surprise , they have one every 6 months to mobilize their forces and run exercises.
Each event insures the next go around of money. Its a big power and money grab.
And every major city is in line and building their own spyocracy.
If you complain you will be Patriot Acted into oblivion.
BornFreeMen
Survivor of Home Grown Domestic Gang Stalking surviellance torture by the DHS and community watch groups of Bradenton Florida.
Live Free Or Die.
It doesn't say much for this country when nonviolent groups, nuns, and people who care about the environment are spied upon. Unbelievable!
At a time when the US and the entire world community face the threat of international terrorism, it beggars belief the authorities would waste their time and resources picking on innocent people because of their political views. Why can't the fight the real terrorists ?
Perhaps it is because you labor under the assumption that there actually are real terrorists "out there" ( who hate us for our freedoms ), and that the purpose of the "War OF TERROR" was something other than ( primarily ) manipulation and control of Americans ( who might just hanker to become free thinking ( aka "terrorists" ) in the mistaken belief that the Constitutional still -- as a practical matter -- guarantees such thoughts ).
Namaste
If you don't know there are folks out there (terroists) that hate us for many reasons and are determined to hurt us as much as possible in any way they can you simply aren't paying attention.
The "War on Terror" BS is just that. But that there are Muslim terrorists determined to institute a Muslim dominated world, is beyond doubt.
I agree that there are evil people in the world and you need a strong military, but our nefarious and obstreperous foreign policy makes us evil too. The U.S. needs to take the mote out of their eye and then maybe real terrorism can be mitigated. The hegemony and hubris of American foreign policy is at the root of the problem.
Oh not so well doubting T H O M A S,
You're welcome to fearful propaganda, if it really floats your boat -- but it's just a new "bomber/missile/… gap" incarnate load of crap.
Have you so well lost memories of OUR ( no long ago ) eminent dire enemies in Communism, to have been aware of being re-programmed ?
If you look at real history, it was our ( CIA ) buddy the Shah of Iran that actually created what is today, this blow-back of Muslim fundamentalism.
Our system of adversarial "free market" capitalism, mandates the perennial creation of ( many ) new enemies -- so much so, that we strive desperately from one end of the Earth to the other -- in overlapping disasters of intervention to make these BACKDROPS to justify our MIC profiteering and to continue pumping the war-based economy.
I know you so love the military, and this concept of it actually creating the basis for it's own justification is crazy sounding and irrational -- " SO ? ".
Oh, yes there are a few crazies out there who think they'll achieve world dominion, through various causes -- but a pack of boy scouts could likely sway most of them to relent -- wherefore the need for Mutually Assured Destruction of atomic devastation ?
¿ Where exactly is this PROOF of real risky world domination eminently coming upon us ?
¿ What is the source with balanced researched, independent of MIC, and ensured credibility, for these obviously self-justifying claims ?
Namaste
Sioux Rose
Well said, but possibly over some heads, particularly those that wear blinders and don't recognize what it does for/to their vision.
Why can't they fight the real terrorists? Because they are the real terrorists!
Do you really find this kind of incompetence in surveyance that is intended to remain covert? I doubt it. It smacks of being a straw man, set up to be knocked down in a public display to divert attention from the real surveillance activities.
Fellow victim of the Hegelian Dialectic
Insightful, but I'm afraid some of our elected and appointed officials really are that incompetent.
Put some teeth in your complaints. No teeth, no progress :) No organization, no teeth. We need to organize and start biting the ass of .. not sure what to call it, I used to call it BushCo. CorpUSA? McAmerica? McUSA? U$A?
As Frederick Douglas put it:
The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions, yet made to her august claims, have been born of earnest struggle. (...) This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what a people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.
Read it again: "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." And we know, power concedes nothing. Can you imagine the assorted fat-cats, politicians, corporate whores, and wealthy war industrialists waking up one morning and saying, "You know .. this is just wrong. We shouldn't put the almighty dollar ahead of human life and wellbeing. Let's fess up and give back all the money we're stealing."