Sunday, April 26, 2009

Violating Americans' Privacy Rights

Intelligence-Gathering Centers Across The US Under Cloak Of Secrecy

April 19, 2009
Courtesy Of Global Research

America's Mysterious Fusion Centers Raise Alarm, Paradigm Could Unite All Americans

WASHINGTON — Intelligence-gathering centers sprouted across the US and acting under cloak secrecy are raising concerns for violating Americans’ privacy rights, while Muslims complain that the mysterious centers are particularly targeting them.

"Any domestic intelligence activity poses a potential threat to American values because it involves the government secretly peeking into the private lives of people," Mike German, Policy Counselor for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and a former FBI Agent, told IslamOnline.net.

Nearly 60 so-called fusion centers have emerged in cities across the country in the dying days of the Bush administration.

Established under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), their initial purpose was serving as a communication network to aid local, state and federal authorities in gathering information on possible gang, criminal and terrorist-related conduct.

But civil rights experts fear the centers have overstepped their intended purpose to secretly collecting and disseminating information about low-abiding citizens.

"We have documented many instances of improper intelligence activities involving fusion centers on our website," German says.

Whether the government has probable cause to justify this invasion of privacy is unknown because it is done under excessive secrecy.

"The law enforcement and intelligence agencies only answer to themselves, which is inherently undemocratic," contends German.

"It’s dangerous to give such a broad mission in an intelligence context because it will ultimately lead to over-collection."

The New York Times reported Thursday that the National Security Agency had engaged in "over-collection" of Americans' domestic communications on a scale that went beyond limits set by the Congress last year.

Congress authorized intelligence agencies to eavesdrop without court approval on foreign targets believed to be outside the US.

After 9/11, the Bush administration authorized a secret warrantless spying on Americans and tapping into the country's main communication networks without court warrants.

Dangerous



Imam Mahdi Bray, Executive Director of the Muslim American Society Freedom (MASF), agrees that the secrecy under which these centers operate poses a threat to civil liberties.

"Many Americans, including public officials, are not aware of these centers and the threat they pose on American society," he told IOL.

"Ironically, it might also be noted that even the Department of Homeland Security is recognizing that fusion centers represent a major problem.

Muslims rights groups complain that fusion centers are particularly eyeing their community, estimated at nearly seven million.

"Contrary to its original 'intent' of gathering information related primarily to gangs, criminals, terrorists, it is now abundantly clear that the real targets of the DHS fusion center network are members of the American Muslim community at-large," said Bray.

Muslims have become sensitized to an erosion of their civil rights since 9/11, with a prevailing belief that Bush's America was targeting their faith.

"Fusion centers collect information particularly about Muslims, generally from… Islamophobes, neo-cons and self-appointed right-wing terrorist experts," said Bray.

He regretted the data collected suggests that even activities such as Muslim boys' scouts, girls' scouts troops or voting registration should be viewed with suspicion.

Bray added that they also propagate stereotypes about mainstream US Muslim organizations, accusing them of disloyalty, being a "5th column", or a front for radical groups abroad.

"A clear example of the danger that fusion centers represent would be the information pertaining to mainstream organizations in Virginia. They’ve taken a youth organization like the Muslim Student Association and accused it of being a front for radical Islamic organizations," he explained.

"This is ridiculous, and would even be hilarious, if it wasn't for the fact that such inaccurate information gets filtered down to local law enforcement where it gains credibility because it came from a national government agency," lamented Bray.

"These centers are dangerous and detrimental to the civil liberties of not only Muslims but all Americans."

Additional Information:

FUSION CENTER

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

A Fusion Center is a terrorism prevention and response center that was started as a joint project between the Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs between 2003 and 2007.

The fusion centers gather information not only from government sources, but also from their partners in the private sector[1][2]

They are designed to promote information sharing at the federal level between agencies such as the CIA, FBI and Department of Justice) and at the state and local level. There are more than forty fusion centers with up to fifteen more are planned. Fusion centers may also be affiliated with an Emergency Operations Center that responds in the event of a disaster.

Contents

Criticism

MIAC Report

Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) made news in 2009 for targeting supporters of third party candidates (such as Ron Paul), pro-life activists, and conspiracy theorists as potential militia members[3]. Anti-war activists and Islamic lobby groups were targeted in Texas, drawing criticism from the ACLU [4].

According to the Department of Homeland Security[5]:

[T]he Privacy Office has identified a number of risks to privacy presented by the fusion center program:

  1. Justification for fusion centers
  2. Ambiguous Lines of Authority, Rules, and Oversight
  3. Participation of the Military and the Private Sector
  4. Data Mining
  5. Excessive Secrecy
  6. Inaccurate or Incomplete Information
  7. Mission Creep
Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment

In early April of 2009, the Virginia Fusion Center came under criticism for publishing a terrorism threat assessment which states that certain universities are potential hubs for terror related activity.[6] The report targeted historically black colleges and identified hacktivism as a form of terrorism.[7]

Existing Fusion Centers

  • The Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC)
  • Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC)
  • Terrorism Early Warning Center (TEW) in Los Angeles
  • Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center (NEORFC)
  • Michigan Intelligence Operation Center (MIOC)
  • Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC)
  • Washington Joint Analytical Center (WAJAC)
  • North Central Texas Fusion System (NCTFS)
  • Virginia Fusion Center (VFC)

See Also

References

  1. ^ Monahan, T. 2009. The Murky World of 'Fusion Centres'. Criminal Justice Matters 75 (1): 20-21.[1]
  2. ^ http://www.securitymanagement.com/article/smashing-intelligence-stovepipes?page=0%2C1
  3. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/23/fusion-centers-expand-criteria-identify-militia-members/
  4. ^ http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/fusion-centers-under-fire-texas-and-new-mexico-005314
  5. ^ Privacy Impact Assessment for the Department of Homeland Security State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative December 11, 2008 [2]
  6. ^ http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Virginia_terror_assessment_targets_enormous_crosssection_0406.html
  7. ^ http://rawstory.com/images/other/vafusioncenterterrorassessment.pdf

External links

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