Privacy advocates are asking lawmakers to investigate the Department of Homeland Security office in charge of protecting Americans' privacy, saying it has shown an extraordinary disregard for its duty.Privacy advocates are asking lawmakers to investigate the Department of Homeland... more
Attorney General Eric Holder says a lawsuit in San Francisco over warrantless wiretapping threatens to expose ongoing intelligence work and must be thrown out.Attorney General Eric Holder says a lawsuit in San Francisco over warrantless... more
Two Indiana teenagers whose sexually suggestive slumber party pictures made their way into the hands of the high school principal are fighting back against what they say is an unfair suspension from athletics for activities that took place off school grounds.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed suit on behalf of the two sophomore girls. The suit claims the Smith-Green Community School Corporation and Churubusco High School Principal Austin Couch violated the girls' First Amendment rights when they suspended them from extra-curricular activities and forced them to attend counseling sessions over a few racy photos that were posted on their MySpace pages.
For nearly a decade, naked pumpkin runners did their thing unmolested, stampeding through the frigid dark past crowds of admirers who hooted, hollered and tossed candy. But last year the run attracted more than 150 participants, and Police Chief Mark Beckner fears things are getting out of hand. "It's a free-for-all," he says.
An openly gay honor student in a small Louisiana town wants to wear a tuxedo in her yearbook photo instead of a traditional drape.An openly gay honor student in a small Louisiana town wants to wear a tuxedo in her... more
House and Senate conferees last week approved legislation that would preempt the Freedom of Information Act and permit the Secretary of Defense to withhold from release photographs and other visual media if he determines that their public disclosure “would endanger citizens of the United States, members of the United States Armed Forces, or employees of the United States Government deployed outside the United States.”
The new provision, contained in the 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, was adopted to thwart a successful FOIA lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking release of certain photographs documenting the abuse of detainees held in U.S. military custody. A federal appeals court ruled (pdf) last year that the unclassified photographs are not exempt from the FOIA and must be released.
The Obama Administration, prodded by Senators Lieberman and Graham and with the support of some senior military officials, petitioned (pdf) the Supreme Court last August to overturn the ruling. “The disclosure of those photographs could reasonably be expected to endanger the lives or physical safety of United States military and civilian personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan,” the Administration argued. But Congress acted first, and Solicitor General Elena Kagan asked the Court (pdf) on October 8 to suspend its consideration of the petition.
Meanwhile, a new military policy prohibits reporters embedded with forces in eastern Afghanistan from photographing U.S. troops killed in action, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press revealed last week. See “Afghanistan Command Confirms Policy Against Images of U.S. Dead” by John M. Donnelly, CQ Politics, October 14, 2009.
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Do they think they're fooling anyone? Doesn't everyone already know that we torture people? Doesn't al Qaeda already use that as a recruiting technique? The only reason to bar these photos from release is to save some fascist's ass. No surprise that it's the Democrats doing it.House and Senate conferees last week approved legislation that would preempt the... more
An 18-year Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Manager for the FBI has called for a Special Counsel to be appointed to investigate the allegations of FBI translator-turned-whistleblower Sibel Edmonds. John M. Cole, who now works as an intelligence contractor for the Air Force, made his comments during an audio interview released late last week with radio journalist Peter B. Collins.
He also offered a detailed insider's look at the concerns among high-level officials inside the Bureau as Edmonds' disturbing allegations began coming to light back in 2002, before they would be quashed for seven long years by the Bush Administration's unprecedented use of the so-called "State Secrets Privilege" to gag her.
Earlier last week, following the publication of a remarkable American Conservative magazine cover story interview with Edmonds --- detailing a broad bribery, blackmail, and espionage conspiracy said to have been carried out between current and former members of the U.S. Congress, high-ranking State and Defense Department officials and covert operatives from Turkey and Israel, resulting in the theft and sale of nuclear weapons technology on the foreign black market --- Cole had been quoted by the magazine confirming one of Edmonds' key allegations.
"I am fully aware of the FBI's decade-long investigation of" Marc Grossman, he said in response to the AmCon article/interview. Grossman had served as the third-highest ranking official in the Bush State Department and was alleged by Edmonds in the interview, and in a sworn, video-taped deposition a month earlier, to have been the U.S. ringleader for a massive Turkish espionage scandal reaching through the halls of power and into top-secret nuclear facilities around the country to the benefit of allies and enemies alike. Cole said that the FBI's counterintelligence probe "ultimately was buried and covered up," and that he believes it is "long past time" for an investigation of the case to "bring about accountability."
In his subsequent interview with Collins last week (audio and text excerpts posted below) Cole elaborated on those comments in much greater detail, noting that Edmonds has been "one hundred percent right on the money, on the mark" and confirming the existence of an "ongoing and detailed effort by Turkey to develop influence in the United States" through various illegal activities.
"Yes, I can confirm that," Cole told Collins, "That's true."
The FBI veteran executive also offered an insider's account of the panic that ensued inside the highest echelons of the bureau following Edmonds' first disclosure of information in 2002, recounting how an executive assistant director admitted to him at the time, just after the story first broke, "Well, all I know is that everything that Sibel is stating is true. I read her file. Everything she stated is, in fact, accurate."
Cole further describes how the concerns about Edmonds ultimately led to the Bush Administration's two-time use of the Draconian "State Secrets Privilege" in hopes of keeping her extraordinary information from becoming public. "Everybody at headquarters level at the bureau knew that what she was saying was extremely accurate."
"I know they didn't want her to go out and speak about it at all," Cole revealed, "and I know they were trying to figure out ways of keeping this whole thing quiet, because they didn't want Sibel to come out."
He also offered information which directly counters one of the criticisms of Edmonds' allegations as frequently offered by skeptics. Namely, that as a short time FBI contract translator --- even though she was tasked to review some seven years of counterintelligence wiretaps made from 1996 to 2002 --- she couldn't have had enough understanding of the full scope of the investigations to understand what was really going on.
More...An 18-year Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Manager for the FBI has called for... more
Congress is set to allow the Pentagon to keep new pictures of foreign detainees abused by their U.S. captors from the public, a move intended to end a legal fight over the photographs' release that has reached the Supreme Court.
Federal courts have so far rejected the government's arguments against the release of 21 color photographs showing prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq being abused by Americans.
The Obama administration believes giving the imminent grant of authority over the release of such pictures to the defense secretary would short-circuit a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union under the Freedom of Information Act.
The White House is asking the justices to put off consideration of the case until after a vote on the measure in the House and Senate, as early as this coming week. The provision is part of a larger homeland security spending bill and would allow the defense secretary to withhold photographs relating to detainees by certifying their release would endanger soldiers or other government workers.
The ACLU said the court should not disturb a ruling by the federal appeals court in New York ordering the photographs' release. The pending congressional action "does not supply any reason for delay," Jameel Jaffer, director of ACLU's national security project, told the court.
The dispute is on a list of cases the Supreme Court could act on Tuesday.
Lower courts have ruled that a provision of FOIA allows documents to be withheld from the public for security reasons only in instances where there are specific threats against individuals.
President Barack Obama initially indicated he would not fight the release of the photographs. He reversed course in May and authorized an appeal to the high court.
The president said he was persuaded that disclosure could further incite violence in Afghanistan and Iraq and endanger U.S. troops there.
The photographs at issue were taken by service members in Iraq and Afghanistan and were part of criminal investigations of alleged abuse. Some pictures show "soldiers pointing pistols or rifles at the heads of hooded and handcuffed detainees," Solicitor General Elena Kagan said in the appeal to the high court.
In one, "a soldier holds a broom as if 'sticking its end into the rectum of a restrained detainee,'" Kagan said, quoting from an investigation report prepared by the Pentagon. Two investigations led to criminal charges and convictions, she said.
Kagan said the military has identified more than two dozen additional pictures that could be affected by the court's ruling.
The government made much the same argument to prevent the release of 87 photographs and other images of detainees at detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, including Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
International outrage resulted when photographs from the Iraqi prison showing physical abuse and sexual humiliation of inmates that took place under the Bush administration were revealed. One picture showed a naked, hooded prisoner on a box with wires fastened to his hands and genitals.
The government dropped its appeal related to those photographs after they were made public and posted on the Internet.
The ACLU, in seeking the other pictures, said the government had long argued that the abuse at Abu Ghraib was isolated and was an aberration. The new photos would show that the abuse was more widespread, the ACLU said.Congress is set to allow the Pentagon to keep new pictures of foreign detainees abused... more
In this day and age, most large companies monitor your tweets, email, IM and voip messages, sent from their network, for insurance and HR reasons. This surveillance typically includes employee information on public profiles and social networks. This is legal in most states and rarely mentioned in employee manuals or other company documentation.
And now, this cell phone application monitors photos of the workplace, keystroke events, when workers are checking in and out, latest work memos and their billing status (profitability).
I know, few people have anything to hide, however... I think this is an issue about privacy and how new technology used by corporations is affecting it.
By the way, the company who made this application is backed by Benchmark Capital to the tune of $29 million. They also back Twitter, AOL, Linden Lab, Yelp, Ebay, Art.com & Mint, Among others.In this day and age, most large companies monitor your tweets, email, IM and voip... more
I really wish President Obama and Hollywood celebrities would give me a reason to stop bashing them but they make it to easy.I really wish President Obama and Hollywood celebrities would give me a reason to stop... more
If you haven't called your representatives about opposing the Patriot Act renewal, do it now.If you haven't called your representatives about opposing the Patriot Act renewal, do... more
This is the story the news didn't show you about the protests in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Police responded with overwhelming force on a group of students who were convening in a park for an impromptu concert. Over 1000 officers made over 42 arrests to a gathering of people that weren't protesting or demonstrating to any extent. The students, and innocent bystanders, including children, were corralled like sheep into alleyways, and buildings, where they were tear gassed, shot with rubber bullets, and blasted by deafening LRAD devices. The majority of people caught in the standoff were Pitt students trying to find their way back to the saftey of their dorms. The Pittsburgh Police and SWAT forces violated our constitutional rights to assemble and protest. There was never physical provocation from the gatherers towards the cops, yet they were met with weapons, agents, and devices that are used against insurgents in Iraq. If you feel strongly about this video, please contact the ACLU and refer them to this video.
As US citizens, we cannot, and will not give up our constitutional rights. We will not be bullied by police officers for standing up for our beliefs, and causes. We will not allow law enforcement to use weapons on us without provocation. Our voices will not be hushed by the media who refused to cover this story from our eyes. We will not be herded as scared sheep into an alley way. We will march for what we believe in, and fight for our basic constitutional rights.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Use of this footage is not permitted without written consent of Thomas Larkin. If you would like to use this footage, please contact tom@tlarkinproductions.comThis is the story the news didn't show you about the protests in Pittsburgh.
The... more
The Patriot Act -- a favorite tool in the George W. Bush administration's fight against terrorism -- may be renamed later this year as the Justice Act.
THE JUSTICE ACT???The Patriot Act -- a favorite tool in the George W. Bush administration's fight... more
President Obama has appointed Chai R. Feldblum to the Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency which enforces workplace civil rights laws. If confirmed, Ms. Feldblum would serve five years on the EEOC and issue edicts that will impact all areas of employment.
Feldblum has worked for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the pro-homosexual Human Rights Campaign Fund and she founded something called the Moral Values Project, a “gender equity” group.
Mr. Obama’s new appointee is a lesbian and has played a major role in pushing the LGBT agenda in American culture for the past 20 years . . .President Obama has appointed Chai R. Feldblum to the Employment Opportunity... more
GIRALDI: And Grossman received money as a result. In one case, you said that a State Department colleague went to pick up a bag of money…
EDMONDS: $14,000
GIRALDI: What kind of information was Grossman giving to foreign countries? Did he give assistance to foreign individuals penetrating U.S. government labs and defense installations as has been reported? It’s also been reported that he was the conduit to a group of congressmen who become, in a sense, the targets to be recruited as “agents of influence.”
EDMONDS: Yes, that’s correct. Grossman assisted his Turkish and Israeli contacts directly, and he also facilitated access to members of Congress who might be inclined to help for reasons of their own or could be bribed into cooperation. The top person obtaining classified information was Congressman Tom Lantos. A Lantos associate, Alan Makovsky worked very closely with Dr. Sabri Sayari in Georgetown University, who is widely believed to be a Turkish spy. Lantos would give Makovsky highly classified policy-related documents obtained during defense briefings for passage to Israel because Makovsky was also working for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
GIRALDI: Makovsky is now working for the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy, a pro-Israeli think tank.
EDMONDS: Yes. Lantos was at the time probably the most outspoken supporter of Israel in Congress. AIPAC would take out the information from Lantos that was relevant to Israel, and they would give the rest of it to their Turkish associates. The Turks would go through the leftovers, take what they wanted, and then try to sell the rest. If there were something relevant to Pakistan, they would contact the ISI officer at the embassy and say, “We’ve got this and this, let’s sit down and talk.” And then they would sell it to the Pakistanis.
GIRALDI: ISI—Pakistani intelligence—has been linked to the Pakistani nuclear proliferation program as well as to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://amconmag.com/article/2009/nov/01/00006/
Who’s... more
A new report by Berkeley Law’s Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Race, Ethnicity and Diversity reveals that Hispanics in Irving, Texas were unjustly targeted as part of an effort to enforce federal immigration laws.
From January 2006 through November 2007, Irving’s police department worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of the federal Criminal Alien Program to deport serious criminal offenders. During the program’s most intense phase, the number of Hispanic arrests for minor crimes increased by nearly 150 percent.
The report, from data first obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, provides the first analysis of the effect of local police involvement in immigration enforcement—historically a federal function. More information about the report is available here.
Although the Criminal Alien Program purportedly sought to target serious criminals for deportation, just 2 percent of those detained by immigration authorities over a 14-month period were charged with felonies. Irving police arrested Hispanics for misdemeanors in far greater numbers than Whites and African-Americans, and in July 2007 the number of Hispanic traffic arrests went up 223 percent compared to just three months earlier.
The Criminal Alien Program in Irving was scaled back in November 2007 amid complaints of racial profiling—and that Hispanics were being arrested for minor charges as a pretext to examining their citizenship and immigration status.
The Warren Institute’s report issued several recommendations to improve the program before it expands nationwide: examine the impact of local partnerships with immigration enforcement, bar criminal alien screenings of individuals arrested for petty offenses, and mandate that local police partnering with federal immigration authorities record arrest data by race, ethnicity, and level of offense.
Pace High School principal Frank Lay, and athletic director Robert Freeman are accused of violating a consent order on prayer and could face prison and fines.Pace High School principal Frank Lay, and athletic director Robert Freeman are accused... more
DALLAS — As immigrant children and their parents depart a disparaged former Texas prison that housed them while they awaited decisions in their immigration cases, advocates are questioning if the government has fully thought out what happens to the families now.
Federal officials announced last month that the T. Don Hutto facility in Taylor would no longer hold immigrant families and they instead would be detained at the much smaller Berks Family Residential Center in Leesport, Pa. But with only 84 beds — and more than 100 people once housed at Hutto — some advocates wonder if there will be enough space, or if immigrants will be released.
"We still have a lot of questions and would like to hear more details," said Denise Gilman, of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, which along with other advocates filed a lawsuit contending that family detention at Hutto was inhumane.
Hutto is set to stop holding immigrant families by the end of the year, government officials say, and families have slowly been leaving. Instead of transferring the families to Berks, the government has been trying to process the cases of families at both facilities.
The Texas facility went from holding 127 men, women and children last month to just 22 people this week. They were either deported to their home countries or released while they pursue asylum or another immigration status to remain in the U.S.
As the change takes place, advocates are watching to see if the Pennsylvania facility has better conditions, if cases are handled fairly and if new problems arise because of the shift.DALLAS — As immigrant children and their parents depart a disparaged former Texas... more
