Quaker Organization Calls for End to Government Spying;("new McCarthyism,"

[RedEarth]

Quaker Organization Calls for End to Government Spying; American Friends Service Committee Says Surveillance of Peace Groups Is 'Outrageous'

12/20/2005 12:51:00 PM


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To: National Desk

Contact: Janis D. Shields of the American Friends Service Committee, 215-241-7060

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- An organization at the forefront of combating illegal FBI surveillance tactics in the seventies now urges Congress to undertake a complete and thorough review of reports that the Pentagon is spying on "peaceful anti-war and counter-military recruitment groups."

Calling it a "new McCarthyism," the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) also likened the troublesome revelation to the notorious COINTELPRO, an acronym for Counter Intelligence Program -- the covert FBI project aimed at undercutting Vietnam anti-war organizing and the civil rights movement. COINTELPRO was publicly unmasked through congressional hearings in 1975, leading to stronger congressional oversight of federal law enforcement. Many of the protections instituted then have been eroded in recent years under the US PATRIOT Act and other domestic surveillance activities authorized by the President. Concerned Americans are encouraged to write their Congressional representatives in Washington.

"Clearly the constitutional right of free speech and peaceful assembly is not a criminal offense," states Mary Ellen McNish, general secretary of AFSC, an international social justice organization and co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. "It's an outrage."

Early last week, NBC reported the existence of a secret Department of Defense (DOD) database related to "potential terrorist threats." One example of identified "threats" is a group in Lake Worth, Florida that included five Quakers and a 79-year old grandmother who met at their local Quaker meeting house to discuss how to protest military recruiting at an area high school. Other examples of "threatening" events in the database included handing out literature in front of military recruiting stations and commemorating the second anniversary of the Iraq War.


http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=58445

[54anickel]

1. "Good night and good luck". Gotta admit Clooney's timing of that

film was perfect!

[mom cat]

5. I can't wait to see it. So timely.

[0007]

8. It sure slow coming to MIdland Texas

[mom cat]

16. Big hug to any DUer in Midland!

:grouphug: You sure nuf deserve it!

[Maat]

2. I'm glad to see them speak up.

Shame on those who spied on them. I believe that there will be an inevitable kharmic-type consequence to their unconscionable behavior.

I wonder how many tax dollars were wasted on this type of activity; the money could have gone to providing families with health insurance or food or child care services.

[drhilarius]

3. You'll not find a worse den of liars, thieves,...

and cutthroats than you'll you find a meeting of fucking quakers :sarcasm:

[Shallah Kali]

6. What are they going to do? Pray at people? I feel so safe

knowing tax dollars that could be going to actually finding real criminals are being used to track down quakers, nuns, and the like.

[Quakerfriend]

4. * co. going after Quakers, animal rights grps and

vegan grps is very relvealing.

[Patiod]

7. True story - the Quaker and the US Park Service Ranger

Several months ago, Dave, who functions as a pastor at our Friends Meeting, was standing outside the Liberty Bell as he does almost every Sunday. As always, he carried a sign saying "Pray for Peace".

A National Parks ranger approached him, and he thought the ranger was going to ask him to move.

Instead, the ranger said "I just wanted you to know I see you here every Sunday. My son is in Iraq, and I've been wanting to thank you for your prayers for peace. We just want him to come home."

Needless to say, Dave was stunned. Kind of makes all those Sunday afternoons in all sorts of weather feel worthwhile.




/shameless shill: by the way, if you appreciate the AFSC's action urging Congress to undertake a review of Pentagon spying, why not show your support with a donation? http://www.afsc.org/

[Cults4Bush]

9. Nice, what a cool thing to read this morning.

Thank you for sharing and theres nothing wrong with shilling for such an awesome group as the AFSC.

[gratuitous]

10. And while Bush was spying on Quakers

Four hundred pounds of high-powered explosives have gone missing in New Mexico:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1421579

Now, just for fun, let's all sit down and imagine which item is of more danger to the average American: An anti-war group meeting in Lake Worth, Florida or 400 pounds of explosives in the hands of a person or persons unknown. Hmmm, think, think.

[Patiod]

11. Yikes! My friend mentioned this, but I didn't know what she meant

She said the stuff could be hidden really easily, even in a book :scared:

I'm sorry, airline crew people, but I am 100% for the new procedures at airports.

Forget the nail scissors or sewing scissors, and look for BOMBS. I don't WANT screeners looking for lighters for God's sake, and missing a cleverly concealed bomb.

I am DELIGHTED when they swab my laptop for explosives - seriously - I want them vigilent, but not for stupid petty stuff. And I like the idea that they're going to do things randomly - one day, shoes come off, another day random people are pulled out and searched. Random is good - unpredictable is good. Stupid predictable procedures like "everyone with any ticket that isn't roundtrip always gets searched, others never do" don't help at all. Terrorists simply make sure to buy a roundtrip ticket - duh. They're fanatics - they might be psychotic, but they're not brain-dead.

:rant:

[Boojatta]

13. Might they be cagey fanatics?

Re: Stupid predictable procedures like "everyone with any ticket that isn't roundtrip always gets searched, others never do" don't help at all. Terrorists simply make sure to buy a roundtrip ticket

Isn't it possible that stupid predictable procedures help a bit? For example, a certain percentage of terrorists might be hedging their bets just in case it turns out that God and Mammon are the same after all.

[Uncle Joe]

12. Be careful Quakers,

lest Katie Couric or Tim Russert refer to you as other than Americans.:sarcasm:

Personally, I think Quakers rock. :yourock:

[primavera]

14. Or Fucker Carlson refer to you as a "retarded cousin" n/t

[faithnotgreed]

15. continued love to afsc - those are my people

i need to send them a donation

[Voltaire99]

17. COINTELPRO!

Leave it to the brilliant Quakers to remind America of where its nasty security fetish leads: unbridled government viciousness.