http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/28/broadcast_exclusive_declassified_docs_reveal_military
The U.S. military has been confirmed in the use of military spies to monitor the activities of peace groups in Washington state, including those who have opposed the Stryker Brigade up there.
This story broke this week on Democracy Now. URL for the video and transcript is above.
I heard this story on the radio on Tuesday and immediately began to wonder if Maoli activists have filed requests through the U.S. Freedom of Information Act - specifically to find out if the military is monitoring the various groups and people involved in the range of issues affecting Hawai'i, including pro-independence activitism.
A portion of the Democracy Now transcript of the show is quoted below. Please check out this story, which has important implications, and consider filing Freedom of Information Act requests to find out -- if anything -- may be similar there in Hawai'i.
<<Newly declassified documents reveal that an active member of Students for a Democratic Society and Port Militarization Resistance in Washington state was actually an informant for the US military. The man everyone knew as “John Jacob” was in fact John Towery, a member of the Force Protection Service at Fort Lewis. The military’s role in the spying raises questions about possibly illegal activity. The Posse Comitatus law bars the use of the armed forces for law enforcement inside the United States. The Fort Lewis military base denied our request for an interview. But in a statement to Democracy Now!, the base’s Public Affairs office publicly acknowledged for the first time that Towery is a military operative. “This could be one of the key revelations of this era,” said Eileen Clancy, who has closely tracked government spying on activist organizations. [includes rush transcript]
Guests:
Brendan Maslauskas Dunn, Olympia-based activist with Students for a Democratic Society and Port Militarization Resistance. He submitted the Freedom of Information Act request that revealed his friend and fellow activist “John Jacob” was actually military spy John Towery.
Drew Hendricks, Olympia-based activist with Port Militarization Resistance. Also worked with John Towery, aka “John Jacob,” on activist causes before Towery’s exposure as a military spy.
Mike German, National Security Policy Counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. He was an FBI agent specializing in domestic counterterrorism from 1988 to 2004.
Larry Hildes, Bellingham-based attorney and National Lawyers Guild member who has represented Washington state-based activists with Students for a Democratic Society and Port Militarization Resistance in criminal and civil cases.
Eileen Clancy, Founding member of I-Witness Video who has documented government surveillance of activist groups for years. Her group was targeted by police raids last summer during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.
ANJALI KAMAT: We begin with a Democracy Now! broadcast exclusive. Peace activists in Washington state have revealed an informant posing as an anarchist has spied on them while working under the US military. The activists are members of the group Students for a Democratic Society and Port Militarization Resistance, which protests military shipments bound for Iraq and Afghanistan.
Before his true identity was revealed, the informant was known as “John Jacob,” an active member of antiwar groups in the towns of Olympia and Tacoma. But using documents obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request [ed: public records request], the activists learned that “John Jacob” is in fact John Towery, a member of the Force Protection Service at the nearby Fort Lewis military base.
The activists claim Towery has admitted to them he shared information with an intelligence network that stretches from local and state police to several federal agencies, to the US military. They also say he confirmed the existence of other government spies but wouldn’t reveal their identity.
The military’s role in the spying raises questions about possibly illegal activity. The Posse Comitatus law bars the use of the armed forces for law enforcement inside the United States.
AMY GOODMAN: The Fort Lewis military base denied our request for an interview. But in a statement to Democracy Now!, the base’s Public Affairs office publicly acknowledged for the first time that Towery is a military operative. The statement says, quote, “John Towery performs sensitive work within the installation law enforcement community, and it would not be appropriate for him to discuss his duties with the media.” Fort Lewis also says it’s launched an internal inquiry. We invited John Towery on the broadcast, but he didn’t respond to our interview request...>>
Do watch the program or read the transcript.
Mahalo!
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I will do my best to read your citations, its going to take me awhile. It's not that I don't care as in 'so what' I do understand the Freedom ...Act. The Patriot Act (whatev'ahs) stole books from our libraries. All the Soviet Union books were discarded at Hamilton. And, I understand the privacy is dear to Americans, but we are out here totally naked, in the raw buttocks naked.
What I am concern about is idiots coming into our native communities and creating havoc and leaving us to clean up the mess.
Kaohi
Yes, I am sure that for many, many years -- perhaps even as far back as when Hawai'i was taken as a so-called "territory" -- there have been sneaky people monitoring and watching for signs of unrest. However Democracy Now has taken this "military spying on civilians" story very seriously and I believe they will be tracking it and revisiting it in the next few months. If you recall, the spying focused on peace groups in Washington State who were protesting the Strykker Brigade. Sound familiar?
Now, if we should find, through the Freedom of Information Act, that similar military spying was/is happening in Hawai'i, this would be news that Amy Goodman and her colleagues could include in follow up stories. It would also serve to focus attention on the struggles in Hawai'i, in a way that Goodman has not yet done. Democracy Now is still one of the best venues for progressive information ever. And I've been making noise about "activating the activists" here in Berkeley and elsewhere, as means to increase support for such things as anti-Akaka bill letter writing campaigns (for example). This would not be a bad thing. My goal for the SF Bay Area is for "Free Hawai'i" to become as well-known and as passionately evocative as "Free Tibet."
Just for the heck of it, I believe I'll make some FOIA requests and I will share what comes my way. But I heartily encourage others to do the same. The more people who have info, the better. And it would be great to see Maoli investigative reporting on this topic.
Haystack Committee has always been around in Hawaii, we just have to continue on as we have been since our parents kicked us out of the nest and into the world. For the sake of the children, just say 'so what' and continue our critical thinking. thanks for the info. Kaohi
I believe that you make an very good and important point!! I have always known that they do monitor "all' transmissions "to and from" the U.S.A but not "with-in” (yet!). Interesting to know if they consider Hawaii "within" or "outside"!? Thank you for this thought provoking post!
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson
On July 9, 2008 the Senate passed H.R. 6304 which amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes.
People like Senator Obama -- now President Obama-- voted to allow telecommunications companies to spy on US:
Replies
What I am concern about is idiots coming into our native communities and creating havoc and leaving us to clean up the mess.
Kaohi
"State" of Hawai'i Request to Access a Government Record
http://www.state.hi.us/oip/requestaccess.pdf
Honolulu Public Information
http://publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/HI_Honolulu.htm
Kauai Public Information
http://publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/HI_Kauai.htm
Maui Public Information
http://publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/HI_Maui.htm
A Guide to Getting Public Information
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Mar/13/ln/ln09p.html
http://howtoinvestigate.com/public_records/states/hawaii.htm
http://howtoinvestigate.com/hawaii.htm
Now, if we should find, through the Freedom of Information Act, that similar military spying was/is happening in Hawai'i, this would be news that Amy Goodman and her colleagues could include in follow up stories. It would also serve to focus attention on the struggles in Hawai'i, in a way that Goodman has not yet done. Democracy Now is still one of the best venues for progressive information ever. And I've been making noise about "activating the activists" here in Berkeley and elsewhere, as means to increase support for such things as anti-Akaka bill letter writing campaigns (for example). This would not be a bad thing. My goal for the SF Bay Area is for "Free Hawai'i" to become as well-known and as passionately evocative as "Free Tibet."
Just for the heck of it, I believe I'll make some FOIA requests and I will share what comes my way. But I heartily encourage others to do the same. The more people who have info, the better. And it would be great to see Maoli investigative reporting on this topic.
Contacts for Making a Freedom of Information Act Request
http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/foiacontacts.htm
Reference Guide for Making a Freedom of Information Act Request
http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/04_3.html
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson
On July 9, 2008 the Senate passed H.R. 6304 which amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes.
People like Senator Obama -- now President Obama-- voted to allow telecommunications companies to spy on US:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vot...
So yes... they are watching us... but then they always have.
Malama, Lana