A Short History of FBI COINTELPRO

[Hannah Bell]

A study of COINTELPRO revealed four basic approaches...

First, there was infiltration. Agents and informers did not merely spy on political activists. The main purpose was to discredit and disrupt. Their presence served to undermine trust and scare off potential supporters. They also exploited this fear to smear genuine activists as agents.

Second, there was psychological warfare from the outside. They planted false media stories and published bogus leaflets and other publications in the name of targeted groups. They forged correspondence, sent anonymous letters, and made anonymous telephone calls. They spread misinformation about meetings and events, set up pseudo movement groups run by agents, and manipulated or strong-armed parents, employers, landlords, school officials and others to cause trouble for activists.

Third, there was harassment through the legal system, used to harass dissidents and make them appear to be criminals. Officers gave perjured testimony and presented fabricated evidence as a pretext for false arrests and wrongful imprisonment. They discriminatorily enforced tax laws and other government regulations and used conspicuous surveillance, "investigative" interviews, and grand jury subpoenas in an effort to intimidate activists and silence their supporters.

Fourth and finally, there was extralegal force and violence. The FBI and police threatened, instigated and conducted break-ins, vandalism, assaults, and beatings. The object was to frighten dissidents and disrupt their movements. In the case of radical Black and Puerto Rican activists (and later Native Americans), these attacks, including political assassinations, were so extensive, vicious, and calculated that they can only be accurately called a form of official "terrorism."

http://www.albionmonitor.com/9905a/jbcointelpro.html

[conscious evolution]

1. Required reading.

Knowing the enemy and how they work is something every DUer should be familar with.Especially since there are so many cointelpro operatives working this board.

[DireStrike]

2. K/R

[blindpig]

3. k&r n/t

[G_j]

4. kick

[pleah]

5. K&R

[byronius]

6. Abbie Hoffman wrote extensively about this. And it continues on.

Especially on a local level. Joe Arpaio does this kind of thing in Maricopa county everyday, when it's too difficult just to plant drugs and have the activists murdered in the goddamned Tent City.

The astonishing lack of moral compass -- the un-American nature of it -- it's disheartening.

[leftstreet]

7. Money quote:

Much of what was done outside the law under COINTELPRO was later legalized by Executive Order 12333 (12/4/81). There is every reason to believe that even what was not legalized is still going on as well.

No shit.

K&R

[lame54]

8. With friends like these who the fuck need cointelpro...

Great Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E73ZDQl2op0

Propagandhi With Friends Like These (Who the Fuck
Needs Cointelpro) Lyrics:

With friends like these, who the fuck needs
cointelpro? I'm punch-drunk on the sickening
cadence of iron-fists in velvet gloves. The
Cheshire grins. The crippling Judas kiss to
christen thee a sinking ship
the purpose of
this new counter-intelligence endeavor is to
expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or other
wise neutralize
any parades that you can't jump in
front of. Any long years of hard work that ain't
yours. Sometimes I wonder if you just can't help
yourself?
Overhead bloodthirsty vultures circle
patiently. They offer condolences (and whisper
bitter eulogies). Yes, "comrades" come as thick as
thieves. But you got another thing coming. With
friends like these, who the fuck needs cointelpro?

[Blue_Tires]

9. major kick

[moondust]

10. Anecdote.

I saw an infiltrator exposed by the crowd at an anti-war demonstration once. It was in 69 or 70 during the protests of Nixon's Cambodia bombing. I don't know if the guy was Cointelpro or what. It was a raucous place but I noticed some commotion off to one side. Several people had this guy sort of surrounded and were taunting him. Somebody grabbed his long hair and gave it a tug. Off came his long hair wig! The crowd howled and the guy ran off like a wounded animal.

K/R

[bleever]

11. That

is funny.

[Tashca]

12. People need to read this

K&R

then read it again...

[Liberation Angel]

13. k&r

[dusmcj]

14. 1. what motivates this post now and 2. do you have reason to believe this is happening at DU ?

lay it out

[Liberation Angel]

15. I would say only this...

One who forgets the past is condemned to repeat it.

My own family was a victim of COINTELPRO and I was targeted for my political activities trying in my work as a journalist and activist to expose illegal activities by the government .

It hasn't really ever stopped but has gotten worse since 9-11.

Is it here at DU?

You betcha!

[dusmcj]

17. not surprised, just wondering if there's some blatant indiscretion we could exploit /nt

[blm]

16. Doesn't have to even be direct at DU. Articles are brought here constantly that purport to be from

the left.

During the 2003-4 primaries, there was constant propaganda against Kerry that supposedly came from lefty vets who put up a site called Wintersoldier....turned out that site had the same web origins and backing as Swiftliars. The site only existed to stop Kerry during the primaries. How many times do you think that site's bogus attacks on Kerry were linked here by DUers completely unaware that it was NOT a legitimate site?