PINCUS WAPO: More Cops Than Robbers: Pentagon Spying Without Oversight

[kpete]

More Cops Than Robbers
There are more people watching Americans than we thought. Way more. The big revelation on Friday was that the National Security Agency was eavesdropping on citizen telephone conversations without a warrant. Today, we have confirmation that the Defense Department is keeping an eye on us as well, holding the Posse Comitatus law to be as outdated as the US Constitution. Walter Pincus's story in the Washington Post indicates not only is the Pentagon spying on us, it is doing so without Congressional oversight.


Pentagon's Intelligence Authority Widens
Fact Sheet Details Secretive Agency's Growth From Focus on Policy to Counterterrorism

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 19, 2005; Page A10

The Pentagon's newest counterterrorism agency, charged with protecting military facilities and personnel wherever they are, is carrying out intelligence collection, analysis and operations within the United States and abroad, according to a Pentagon fact sheet on the Counterintelligence Field Activity, or CIFA, provided to The Washington Post.



CIFA manages the Pentagon database that includes Talon reports, consisting of raw, unverified information picked up by the military services on suspicious activities that could involve terrorist threats. The Pentagon acknowledged last week that the Talon database contained reports on peaceful civilian protests and demonstrations that should have been purged long ago under Defense Department regulations.



He added, noting that there had been no congressional oversight of CIFA, that the Defense Department is "too big, too rich an organization and should not be left unfettered. They rush in where there is a vacuum."

A former senior counterterrorism official, also familiar with CIFA, said, "What you are seeing is the militarization of counterterrorism."



http://cabdrollery.blogspot.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/18/AR2005121801006.html?referrer=email&referrer=email

[leftchick]

1. Yes and the THREATS include Peace groups in the USA......

<snip>

Another CIFA directorate, the Counterintelligence and Law Enforcement Center, "identifies and assesses threats" to Defense personnel, operations and infrastructure from "insider threats, foreign intelligence services, terrorists, and other clandestine or covert entities," according to the Pentagon.

CIFA manages the Pentagon database that includes Talon reports, consisting of raw, unverified information picked up by the military services on suspicious activities that could involve terrorist threats. The Pentagon acknowledged last week that the Talon database contained reports on peaceful civilian protests and demonstrations that should have been purged long ago under Defense Department regulations.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Thanks, leftchick, for your holiday greeting, in the midst of all this --

its good cheer, and a strong cup of coffee, made my morning!

[leftchick]

5. My pleasure DeepModem Mom

You know if I did not have two young sons I believe I would really just ignore the holidays. They keep me going through this awful time.

[indepat]

2. Erases any doubt that this administration is corrupt to the very core of

its essence without an iota of redemption. :grr:

[rodeodance]

3. we are in big trouble unless this is stopped in its tracks now.