http://www.azcentr...uidelines0816.html

Thought crime is bad mkay....

"Quietly unveiled last month, the proposal is part of a flurry of domestic-intelligence changes issued and planned by the Bush administration in its waning months."

Scary stuff people. Too bad the mass population don't have a clue what is happening.

Under the Justice Department proposal for state and local police, published for public comment July 31, law enforcement agencies would be allowed to target groups as well as individuals, and to launch a criminal intelligence investigation based on the suspicion that a target is engaged in terrorism or providing material support to terrorists. They also could share results with a constellation of federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, and others in many cases.

I see nothing wrong with that. It doesnt affect me or my family or my friends in the least. I dont know why anyone would have a problem with silly policies like this, unless they are doing something wrong in the first place.

Well Dave, I know this is a bit of a stretch, but what if Urban Explorers were suddenly classified as terrorists, because we sometimes frequent old military bases or drains? Then you are on the watch list for nothing. Not for being a bad guy, but for pursuing a hobby that you have enjoyed safely for years.

Posted by Jonsered Well Dave, I know this is a bit of a stretch, but what if Urban Explorers were suddenly classified as terrorists, because we sometimes frequent old military bases or drains? Then you are on the watch list for nothing. Not for being a bad guy, but for pursuing a hobby that you have enjoyed safely for years.

Not so much a stretch, because all things are possible.

I read recently that a group of day hikers discovered an old ammo box stuffed under a bridge, and being the fear-saturated meat puppets they (we) were (are), they called police, HAZMAT, fire, ambulance, etc and everyone did the crazy dance and blew the thing up, only to discover that it was a geocache.

Anything involving intelligence gathering on our own soil during the Bush presidency just makes me nervous.

Nervous isn't the word.
It makes me paranoid.

Primarily because many of the "groups" infiltrated are groups that are against the war in Iraq. For instance, there is a story out there of the infiltration of an anti war activist group by agents from Homeland Security and local law enforcement in California that was doing absolutely nothing wrong. All they were doing was planning protests, nothing violent or illegal, just exercising their right to free speech with permits for lawful public gatherings.

What's worse is that the agents brought up violent ways of protesting, asking questions such as, "Don't you want to use explosives?" or "Come on, killing a few people in the process would get their attention, wouldn't it?"

All these folks were planning was marching on the local state and county offices, peacefully.

Guess you can't even protest around here anymore.

Shael