When Political Activism Gets Treated as Potential Terrorism
PA’s Department of Homeland Security has employed an entity called the Institute for Terrorism Research and Response to monitor the web traffic of anti-drilling activists in that state. The effort was purportedly started to fulfill national requirements to protect critical infrastructure.
As more attention was focused on this yesterday, Governor Rendell said he was embarrassed by the news and fired the company engaging in the spying; but he didn’t fire the guy who had hired the company.
Rendell, who claimed he’d just learned about the practice, said Tuesday that the information was useless to law enforcement agencies and that distributing it was tantamount to trampling on constitutional rights. In recent weeks, several acts of vandalism at drilling sites spurred the inclusion of events likely to be attended by environmentalists and the bulletins began going to representatives of Pennsylvania’s booming natural gas industry.
[snip]
“I am deeply embarrassed and I apologize to any of the groups who had this information disseminated on their right to peacefully protest,” Rendell said at an evening Capitol news conference.
Rendell called the practice “ludicrous” and said the fact that the state was paying for such rudimentary information was “stunning.”
Still, Rendell said he was not firing his homeland security director, James Powers, but he ordered an end to the $125,000 contract with the Philadelphia-based organization, the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response, that supplied the information. [my emphasis]
But the first response from the Governor’s office–for the paper that first broke this story–was initially support for the program.
Gary Tuma, Gov. Ed Rendell’s spokesman, said, “It is part of Homeland Security’s responsibility to alert local law enforcement, local officials and potential victims” to any potential problems.
He said the inclusion of anti-drilling activity in intelligence bulletins “by no means brands groups that speak publicly on one side or the other of an issue as troublemakers.” The information has been included “because there have been acts of vandalism.”
Powers added that a lot of times anti-drilling activists show up without obtaining a permit to protest, “and that in itself is a violation of the law.”
When it was noted that citizens do not need a permit to attend public meetings and express dissenting opinions, Powers said, “You’re looking at it out of context. I get to see everything over time.”
Powers said that when anti-drilling activists attend public meetings, “their presence may spark something else.” He said he didn’t want to see public meetings “escalate to physical criminal acts.” [my emphasis]
Now, perhaps Rendell was ignorant about this effort. Perhaps his opposition to it is–as stated–that the information collected was not useful for law enforcement.
But I am rather curious by this detail: when the emails revealing the extent of the surveillance got sent to activists, James Powers–the guy Rendell didn’t fire–sent an email to (among others) the drilling industry’s lobbyist, saying he didn’t want this information to inflame anti-drilling activists.
He added, “We want to continue providing this support to the Marcellus Shale Formation natural gas stakeholders, while not feeding those groups fomenting dissent against those same companies.”Powers sent copies of his e-mail to the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response as well as to Pam Witmer, a lobbyist with the Bravo Group, which lobbies for the gas industry.
Which sure makes it seem like Powers was about monitoring political activities–those “fomenting dissent”–rather than potential terrorists.
Among the others included in this surveillance? Anarchists, “black power” groups, animal rights activists protesting a rodeo.
Because we all know rodeos are critical infrastructure.
How much of this goes on that we don’t know about? (Rhetorical Q)
Rendell would like to sell the PA turnpike to a private company,as well as put toll booths on other roads. He is not a progressive and has the odor of a Clinton/Ben Nelson philosophy, one that caters too much to the GOP ideas.
It is well to remember that the first person the TSA refused permission to fly is a mainstream environmental activist. Sorry. I can’t recall her name. Any expectation that these immense powers will not be used for corporate and political interests is misbegotten.
I’m not from PA, but from what I’ve seen of Gov. Rendell, he seems a bit too much of a blue dog for me. His TV appearances are filled with the usual dem talking points, but Pennsylvania keeps making news with its drip drip drip of strangely regressive (might I say “police-state-like”) policies, many of which were enacted under Rendell’s watch.
It could be that this is just how he comes across on TV. Since I’m not from PA and am not familiar with politics/life there, I can’t say. Anybody more familiar with him? Is he really the duplicitous bastard he seems to be?
He’s a politician through and through, a Clintonista, as a matter of fact and to prove his guilt by referring to his associates.
Ah, I remember fondly those days when hosting an anti-intervention speaker would bring out some of the ROTC folk, Young Republicans and a cop or two. You could tell who they were by their haircuts and the fact that they took detailed notes.
I am glad that the official leaders of these groups have come out with a statement opposing violence and the destruction of property.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/09/14-11
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/09/14-11
Check out the friday lunch club blog today for the outfit collecting this information for the state of Pennsylvania and where the info was being sent and analyzed. You might be surprised.
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 14 /PRNewswire/ — Pennsylvania Governor Edward
The Governor today signed House Bill 213 into law. The bill amends the
state’s crimes code to include the offense of “ecoterrorism.”
I’m from Pennsylvania and I’ve met the man twice. Fat Stinky Ed Rendell is bluer than any Blue Dog you ever met, but the EmEssEm pic is that he’s a “responsible liberal,” Bullshit. Everything in the first four comments is spot on. He actually is probably closer to republiKKKan leadership in reich strongholds like suburban Montgomery, Chester and Bucks Counties (rich, historically republiKKKan suburbs of Philadelphia) than he is to mainstream Philly Dem leadership, which is already pretty damn republicrat. But nationally, he’s a “liberal Democrat.” Most recently brought us casino gambling after jerking off the gaming interests at $10-12 million a year in campaign contributions for a good fifteen or twenty years. Now, miraculously, when he’s retiring and doesn’t need their contributions any more, BINGO, we have casino gambling. Absolute scum bucket, our Fat Stinky Ed Rendell.
For all the caterwauling about Rendel, he promptly shut this odious program down immediately. Already done and with a forceful statement too. I do not necessarily disagree that Rendell is a very moderate DLC type of Dem, but the KKK crap is just a little much. Bringing the Klan and the the Third Reich into every negative statement (not just you, others too) is tiresome.
Good Morning Emptywheel and Firedog
been reading of this on FB and I keep thinking of the events within the context of some other recent stories here
– were they going through phone books and looking for ‘dissident-sounding’ org names ?
– will they hold someone indefinitely, without charges and claim state secrets ?
the Marcellus Shale is Spindletop for the mother-frackers, thank dog there’s a Democrat and not some mean old Repub in charge, eh ?
Welcome to Gaslandistan !
From Huff Post
“Burn the Confederate Flag Day” is a product of The General himself.
As they say, “Teh stupid it burns”.
Here’s all that’s left of an October 2008 article that had appeared in the Herald Standard, but that has been scrubbed:
There’s also this: FBI Looking for Informants to Infiltrate Vegan Potlucks. And the hamburger libel law. The slippery slope has already slumped. The DHS was conceived as the enforcer of corporate rule.
………..
Governor Rendell: What’s the point of poisoning the ground water and land, in order to frack fossil fuel, such that when we’ve finally used up the last drop, there’s no unpoisoned place left to scratch out a human existence from the soil, like humanity had done for 10,000 years before the discovery of oil and gas? Despite your canceling of this contract, we now know that you are still violating the Pennsylvania constitution by selling off our Commonwealth, and poisoning our well water forever, for a few pennies. Heck, PA doesn’t even have a severance tax on the gas. How stupid is that, practically giving away the gas? And what about the rights of the landowners who don’t want to let the drillers on their land? Their property values (and potentially their water) are being affected too, without their consent.
‘certain private business concerns’ might deem it in their best interests to gin up such stories – naaaah, that’s just shrill :D
Replace Rendell with Tweety Bird?
Who are the Ecoterrorists?
Individuals have every right to be very concerned givin the lawless practice of mountain top removal and fracking. The PA and Federal Government are not protecting the people and the natural public resources.
There are no state taxes on extracting natural gas. There are no laws on what toxins a company can inject into a well. It will be the public that will end up with the bill to clean up the toxic environment disaster. And it will be Pennsylvania’s children who will end up suffering from cancer and other illnesses.
Notice the services provided by the Institute for Terrorism Research and Response:
With offices conveniently located in Philadelphia and a P.O. Box in Jerusalem, the institute is eager to answer all of your questions about terrorism and train you to successfully handle a terrorist event in your neighborhood.
Mark down October 22nd on your calendar because I’m sure all readers will want to attend the exciting full day seminar at Philadelphia University entitled, “The Scenario Challenge,” co-sponsored by Philadelphia University Disaster Medicine and Management and The Institute of Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR).
Check out ITRR’s three-page brochure.
Link.
EDIT: I corrected “office’s” to offices in the first sentence after the block quote. I hate lame grammar.
I forgot to mention that the ever popular James F. Powers, Jr., Director, Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security will be a speaker at the conference.
Oh, and one more thing. One must register to attend and attendees will have to provide acceptable ID before being admitted to the Sanctor Sanctorum.
Please secure your fake IDs and WMDs in the trunks of your vehicles so that ITRR’s trained professionals will know where to find them.
Well, I have been subjected to some very nasty silencing tactics in PA, an I hate this place now. :)
Rendell is only embarrassed because he got caught.
A couple of points:
– CBS says “Pennsylvania’s booming natural gas industry” as if the chief beneficiary to this industry were actually Pennsylvania. But to the extent that Pennsylvanians will benefit from this industry the benefits will be temporary and indirect. The profits will mostly flow out of state and the locals will be left with a blighted landscape and poisoned wells once the gas ceases flowing in 10-20 year’s time. In short, the residents of cbl2’s aptly coined “Gaslandistan” are treated as Third World citizens.
– I’m shocked, shocked! to find that government is protecting powerful private interests at the expense of the public, once again. As George Orwell put it “I have no particular love for the idealised ‘worker’ as he appears in the bourgeois Communist’s mind, but when I see an actual flesh-and-blood worker in conflict with his natural enemy, the policeman, I do not have to ask myself which side I am on.” (Homage to Catalonia 1938.)
And those damn peace groups protesting the war.
I was there almost every Tuesday after the invasion. The goons, with the black cars with tinted glass, showed up soon after we started. Don’t know how long they drove around till they could cop the parking spot with the unobstructed view of the weekly protest. What a waste, two clowns sitting there hour after hour, week after week snapping their stupid pictures.
These creeps have my picture with some interesting signs. The full color 3′ X 4′ poster of prime Abu Grabh torture photos should stand out nicely among the polite signs.
His nick name is “Fast Eddie’ so watch your wallet and privacy.
The terrorists hate us for our fracking.
Check out http://www.greenisthenewred.com for more reporting on this phenomenon.
Furthermore, this Homeland Security monitoring of green activists in Connecticut, at least, extended all the way to members of the Green Party.
See CNN’s report on Fusion Centers:
http://www.the40yearplan.com/CNN_on_Fusion_Centers.php
Ed Rendell shut down the practice of issuing bulletins about peaceful protests.
Lest we not forget, 3 of his high level staffers have left his office in the last year to go work for …… drumroll…… gas companies!
That kind of says it all.
Mostly off-topic: epa page of PA rcra sites links and map.
At what point does this cross into STASI territory?
Ah yes, PA the spying state.
School students know this quite well.
This district is near Philly. I found it interesting that the Homeland Security News Wire found this story interesting to cover and report on.
Maryland is a surveilance state too
http://www.aclu.org/national-security/aclu-maryland-lawsuit-uncovers-maryland-state-police-spying-against-peace-and-anti
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/17/AR2008071701287.html
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-te.md.spy18jul18,0,5659230.story
Unless you’re photographing police brutality, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Yes… but that was a school district, not the state.
Ah yes, one could make such a point. However, it has never been lost in communist nations to utilize children as an added “eye” or route to spying on parents in order to create a surveillance state.
And similar fairly off-topic PA also has superfund sites; no map linkinthis set.
I do not understand why this asshole is still on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania payroll:
James F. Powers, Jr., Director, Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security
He obviously has no idea what the First Amendment means and he’s as clueless as clueless can be when it comes to understanding the meaning of the term, “chilling effect.”
There is, of course, the possibility that he damn well knows about the First Amendment and acts that chill the exercise of First Amendment freedoms but he doesn’t give a damn.
Either way, unlike the vast majority of the 15 million unemployed in the United States today, this dude deserves to be rewarded with unemployment.
FOR. THE. REST. OF. HIS. LIFE.
Agreed. I find this quote of Powers (from comment #14) particularly concerning:
Ummm, the whole dismantling of the rule of law has been centered around ideas that one cannot treat terrorists as criminals, because criminals have all those pesky constitutional protections.
Now, while I would suggest that we would all be better served by a system wherein terrorists are treated as criminals, I am wondering just what sort of legal framework Powers thinks he is working in. I’m guessing that he assumes our quaint little constitution is no longer in force. As you might imagine, I have a problem with that.
Powers still has his job after making it undeniable that this is about chilling dissent:
[from article linked in main post]
Not good enough, Governor.
anyone have any doubt where the security state is going? morons that give lip service and obedience to it because it was begun in the name of stopping terrorism by sinister foreigners should be worried. Many of the same morons will no doubt cheer when corporations in collusion with law enforcement decide that acts of minor vandalism associated with legitimate protests carried out by environmentalist or LGBT groups now qualify as “terrorism”. When tresspasing becomes an act of terrorism will the morons still be cheering?
Come on, now!
You gotta spell it the way they do because they created the subcategory.
MORANS
See that you don’t make this mistake again or I’ll sick Dr. Laura on you.
Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields is asking for a probe of the non-profit that did the spying. Here’s the key quote IMO:
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find out some of those fingerprints have names like Koch or Scaife.
Like Shields, I can’t imagine that the Institute for Terrorism Research and Response is a legitimate non-profit.
Certainly should be interesting to see what’s going on with ITRR and who its directors are.
There is a very Frank Rizzo-ish repressive streak that pervades all forms of law enforcement here. Philadelphia cops are as trigger-happy as any, and a compliant review board lets them all walk, to the approbation of the citizenry. It is no surprise that PA was spying on legitimate protestors. As others have noted, politics in PA is all about self-service and it wouldn’t surprise me if some relative or crony of Rendell made money somewhere in this fiasco.
this comment is from DDay’s news roundup for today
We’re going to see more of this spying on activist groups as Homeland Security departments get more comfortable with the tremendous surveillance power at their fingertips.
he linked to http://www.centredaily.com/2010/09/14/2206710/documents-show-homeland-security.html
and as people have noted above, this Powers guy would be right at home in USSR or EGR / Stasi or current Red Communist China ( ChiCom ).
he is scary and clueless and very very borg like.
makes you want to talk to his parents and ask them did they program him to be a tool or did he get dropped on his head or something.
Note the POLL that the paper ran with the article – the readers understand.
too much $$$$$$$$$$$ too much power ( no pun intended whatsoever ) and in no way shape or form enough oversight.
who watches the watchers is still an age old question that has never been satisfactorily answered.
FDL. Taibbi. Scahill. Raimondo. Giraldi. Eland. Chomski, Klein. A few others.
Not nearly enough.
1984 KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR…”
These lovely people equate dissent with terrorism from the get-go (something increasingly common in Israel as public opinion has moved further to the right over the last decade). Think they’re not gathering intelligence for the Israeli govt? Good luck getting into Israel if your name turns up on one of their lists.
ITRR’s “campus outreach” is just another small part of the large network of Israeli-government-approved/directed programs of its kind, involving trips to Israel (see the testimonials).
From their website:
Reminds of of Kinsley’s “greatest generation” was the one my Dad’s from thing. You can’t have it both ways- you can’t call bullshit on part of the fake war on/of terror. especially the parts we like. the parts that make adults say things like “there are bad men that want to kill us.” There is no terrorism- well maybe the French Resistance, but it’s largely an eye of the beholder or Holder thing.
When the baby is cross-eyed with severe spinal deformation, speaking in toungues and promising 20 percent returns this year and forever- it’s actually a good idea to throw it out with the bath water.
Two out of three government gigs will be producing even less credible “intelligence” on the inside of five years I’m told.
This is the wagon we hitched our star to. And it will be the end of us.