FBI's War On Terror Includes Tracking Activists, Vegetarians

[JABBS]

The FBI, while waging a highly publicized war against terrorism, has also spent resources gathering information on a variety of Americans -- including antiwar and environmental protesters, and activists who feed vegetarian meals to the homeless, the agency's internal memos show.

For years, the FBI's definition of terrorism has included violence against property, such as the window-smashing during the 1999 Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization. That definition has led FBI investigations to online discussion boards, organizing meetings and demonstrations of a wide range of activist groups.

"They don't know where Osama bin Laden is, but they're spending money watching people like me," environmental activist Kirsten Atkins told the Los Angeles Times.

Atkins' license plate number showed up in an FBI terrorism file after she attended a protest against the lumber industry in Colorado Springs in 2002.

"It certainly seems they're casting a net much more widely than would be necessary to thwart something like the blowing up of the Oklahoma City federal building," said Mark Silverstein, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado.

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This item first appeared at JABBS.

[riona]

1. activists, environmentalists, VEGETARIANS??

i smell a plot to slow down the rapture.
:grr:

[JABBS]

2. well, you know those vegetarians! LOL

dangerous folks. especially if they order cous cous, falafel or hummus or some other vaguely arab-sounding foud.

[yellowcanine]

3. "They don't know where OBL is, but they're tracking vegetarians."

Good T shirt slogan. Run with it.

TODAY'S FBI:

They don't know where OBL is,

but they're tracking vegetarians.

[DFW]

4. I'd say

.

"They don't know where Osama bin Laden is, but they're spending money watching people like me," environmental activist Kirsten Atkins told the Los Angeles Times.

Kirsten Atkins, they don't know where Bin Laden is BECAUSE they are spending their time watching people like you!

(It's the old bird-in-the-hand trick)