Are state troopers spying on you?

People's Weekly World 08/14/08 3:55 PM

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Are state troopers spying on you?

Author: Max Obuszewski

People's Weekly World Newspaper, 08/14/08 14:42

BALTIMORE -- Imagine getting a call from the Maryland American Civil

Liberties Union to inform you that the Maryland State Police’s

Homeland Security and Intelligence Division entered your name in the

“Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area”

(HIDTA) database. This happened to me, a pacifist, on July 16.

David Rocah of the ACLU informed me that my entry in the HIDTA database

indicates that my “Primary Crime” is “Terrorism-Anti

Govern[ment],” and my “Secondary Crime” is “Terrorism –

Anti-War Protestors.” This was revealed in heavily-redacted documents

released by the Maryland Attorney General’s office, after the ACLU

filed suit to obtain records of surveillance by the Maryland State

Police (MSP). The documents revealed that MSP agents in 2005-06 were

covertly watching peace activists and anti-death penalty advocates at

rallies and during meetings.

While these revelations are shocking, the fact that a police agency was

spying on nonviolent people is unsurprising.

Members of the Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore, listed as a “security

threat group” by the State Police, knew they were being watched

because of their protests at the National Security Agency (NSA). This

was eventually confirmed on August 23, 2004, in the discovery process

for two defendants, Cindy Farquhar and Marilyn Carlisle. These members

of the Pledge were on trial for an arrest at the NSA. The NSA documents

indicated members of Maryland ’s Joint Terrorism Task Force were

involved in keeping track of Pledge activities.

The revelations in the documents would eventually lead the ACLU to seek

other documents from the NSA and other state and federal agencies. Two

years after the ACLU filed Freedom of Information requests, we found out

that the state police were watching nonviolent demonstrators protesting

the Iraq War as well as the death penalty.

Members of the public expressed outrage, and legislators in Annapolis

and Washington , D.C. began to call for hearings. Col. Terrence Sheridan,

the current state police superintendent, said that the infiltration was

launched out of concern about possible violent protests around two

planned executions in 2005. In his opinion, the surveillance was legal.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced July 31 that former Maryland

Attorney General Stephen H. Sachs would head an “independent review”

of the spy scandal.

The activists who were the victims were skeptical of this “review”

and called a press conference at the State Police headquarters in

Pikesville, Maryland on Aug. 12. The activists announced that they were

sending a letter to Gov. O’Malley expressing their concerns: “[A]ny

comprehensive report, and any confidence to be given to its conclusions,

can result only from a broad, independent, non-politicized, and careful

examination of these activities.” Twenty-one organizations, and five

individuals, signed on to the letter. The groups, involved in a

multitude of issues, war, the death penalty, civil rights and the

environment, included the Communist Party of Maryland , the Defending

Dissent Foundation, Pax Christi-Baltimore, Viva House Catholic Worker

and Women in Black.

These are the suggestions listed in the letter:

1] need for more than 60 days to complete the investigation,

2] not limit the investigation to the 14-month time frame detailed in

the documents,

3] involve the victims in the investigation,

4] reveal the scope of the “intelligence sharing” with police and

government agencies,

5] detail other types of surveillance, electronic or otherwise, which

may have occurred,

6] remove the names from all watch lists,

7] get subpoena power,

8] publish a public report,

9] call for a written apology for the victims.

The activists are awaiting Gov. O’Malley’s response.

It should be noted that other police agencies have files as well. The

ACLU is working overtime to obtain the release of all documents which

focus on peace and justice activities held by members of Maryland ’s

Joint Terrorism Task Force. What else will be revealed? What other names

might be in watch lists or antiterrorism databases? I can guarantee

there will be further embarrassing disclosures about police agencies

spying on groups involved in constitutionally protected protest

activities.

Spying on peace groups and anti-death penalty advocates is a travesty

of justice, an absolute waste of taxpayer money and an unproductive use

of government employees. To ensure that such scandalous behavior is not

ongoing or will not be repeated in the future, the progressive community

in Maryland is demanding a full investigation to determine who ordered

the surveillance, how long it was ongoing, what government officials

were involved and what preventive measures will be taken. The activists

are prepared to take to the streets if there is an attempt to sweep this

scandal under the rug.

Max Obuszewski is a member of the Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore and

can be reached at mobuszewski at verizon.net.