 |
| |
|
|
OneFootInTheGrave
|
 |
Kuzelj
Nov 2000
time: 05:20
|
|
whooo...
what are those Aussies writing about 
quote:
US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies
By Ritt Goldstein
July 15 2002
The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups.
The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity".
Civil liberties groups have already warned that, with the passage earlier this year of the Patriot Act, there is potential for abusive, large-scale investigations of US citizens.
As with the Patriot Act, TIPS is being pursued as part of the so-called war against terrorism. It is a Department of Justice project.
Highlighting the scope of the surveillance network, TIPS volunteers are being recruited primarily from among those whose work provides access to homes, businesses or transport systems. Letter carriers, utility employees, truck drivers and train conductors are among those named as targeted recruits.
A pilot program, described on the government Web site www.citizencorps.gov, is scheduled to start next month in 10 cities, with 1 million informants participating in the first stage. Assuming the program is initiated in the 10 largest US cities, that will be 1 million informants for a total population of almost 24 million, or one in 24 people.
Historically, informant systems have been the tools of non-democratic states. According to a 1992 report by Harvard University's Project on Justice, the accuracy of informant reports is problematic, with some informants having embellished the truth, and others suspected of having fabricated their reports.
Present Justice Department procedures mean that informant reports will enter databases for future reference and/or action. The information will then be broadly available within the department, related agencies and local police forces. The targeted individual will remain unaware of the existence of the report and of its contents.
The Patriot Act already provides for a person's home to be searched without that person being informed that a search was ever performed, or of any surveillance devices that were implanted.
At state and local levels the TIPS program will be co-ordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which
was given sweeping new powers, including internment, as part of the Reagan Administration's national security initiatives. Many key figures of the Reagan era are part of the Bush Administration.
The creation of a US "shadow government", operating in secret, was another Reagan national security initiative.
Ritt Goldstein is an investigative journalist and a former leader in the movement for US law enforcement accountability. He has lived in Sweden since 1997, seeking political asylum there, saying he was the victim of life-threatening assaults in retaliation for his accountability efforts. His application has been supported by the European Parliament, five of Sweden's seven big political parties, clergy, and Amnesty and other rights groups.
|
did the country of the free just become a bit more like dreaded USSR or what?
When Australian papers report it, it must be true 
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
drake
|
 |
Maine, US
Oct 2000
time: 00:20
|
|
Who let the morons out?
Like Aeson said, neighborhood watch type programs have been going atleast half a century, probably much longer. It's called keeping your eye on suspicious people and reporting them if one feels they are a genuine threat. Nothing new here.
Thats not being a police state, thats having common sense. Something some of these folks around here desperately need.
Last edited by drake on 16-07-2002 at 17:39
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Lincoln
|
|
This forum is being monitored, watch what you say about big brother or I will have to report this activity. *Yes, they recruited me, but the pay isn't that bad. I get to keep all of the property of anyone I turn in. LONG LIVE SECURITY. LONG LIVE STABILITY and LONG LIVE UNSANITY!!*
On the other hand, after the next terrorist attack the people will be begging for this. I really do not blame Bush. This war was brought to him. I think that our freedoms are lost forever though. I have a feeling that this nation will destroy itself eventually with the paranoia. In a sense, the terrorists have already won.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Lincoln
|
|
I am not scared either but the fact remains that people want more security regardless of the loss of freedom. The freedoms will not return anytime soon. They even search you now for visiting a national monument (at least they did on the 4th). Many people do not fly anymore because of the hassle. If there is another attack it will only get worse.
|
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:20.
Apolyton Time is 00:20. |
top of page
|
| archivepost |
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
16-07-2002 14:33
|