The American Civil Liberties Union today released an FBI document that designates a Michigan-based peace group and an affirmative action advocacy group as potentially "involved in terrorist activities." The file was obtained through an ongoing nationwide ACLU effort seeking information on the FBI's use of Joint Terrorism Task Forces to engage in political surveillance.

"This document confirms our fears that federal and state counterterrorism officers have turned their attention to groups and individuals engaged in peaceful protest activities," said Ben Wizner, an ACLU staff attorney and counsel in a lawsuit seeking the release of additional FBI records. "When the FBI and local law enforcement identify affirmative action advocates as potential terrorists, every American has cause for concern."

The document released today is an FBI report labeled, "Domestic Terrorism Symposium," and describes a meeting that was intended to "keep the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies apprised of the activities of the various groups and individuals within the state of Michigan who are thought to be involved in terrorist activities."

Among the groups mentioned are Direct Action, an anti-war group, and BAMN (By Any Means Necessary), a national organization dedicated to defending affirmative action, integration, and other gains of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The FBI acknowledges in the report that the Michigan State Police has information that BAMN has been peaceful in the past.

"Labeling political advocacy as 'terrorist activity' is a threat to legitimate dissent which has never been considered a crime in this country," said Kary Moss, Executive Director of the ACLU of Michigan. "Spying on people who simply disagree with our government's policies is a tremendous waste of police resources."

United Way Services of Greater Cleveland officials say they are just doing what the parent organization, United Way of America recommended. And, they say, they're complying with the USA Patriot Act.

The U.S. Justice Department can't find any reference in the act that specifically requires nonprofits to check employee names against its suspected terrorist lists.

Either way, United Way Services won't risk its affiliation with United Way of America for failing to comply with the "recommendations," said United Way Services Executive Vice President Bill Plato.

So far, nearly all of the charities have agreed to check their employees against a list of suspected terrorists kept by the federal government, and each has signed a form saying so.

For some charities, it was a request they couldn't refuse. They cannot afford to risk losing the United Way funding.

Only the American Civil Liberties Union said no. It will forfeit $10,000 to $20,000 in potential donations from across the state.

In June and again in July, United Way Services of Greater Cleveland mailed out "Counterterrorism Compliance" forms to nearly 600 charities.

United Way asked the charities to compare their employees names against several master lists of suspected terrorists kept by the U.S. Department of Justice and the state.

United Way also asked the charities to sign a form affirming they had made the checks.

The form distributed by United Way states that it intends to be "in compliance and with the spirit and intent of the USA Patriot Act."

U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Kimberly Smith said that although there is no nonprofit requirement in the act, nonprofit groups are not immune to what she calls the "Material Support Statute" that existed before the Patriot Act did.

For the whole scoop

Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 11:21:30 AM

Thursday, August 04, 2005