Is the US Army Spying on US Citizens?

During the Vietnam War era, The US Military collected information on over 100,000 civilan Americans who voiced their opposition to the Administration as well as the Vietnam War.
It has been reported that in California that the National Guard was monitoring a Mother's Day Anti-War Protest. State Sen. Joseph Dunn started an investigation into this as well as other incidents after he received some emails question the National Guards activities.
A finding by the California Guard's acting adjutant general, Brigadier Gen. John R. Alexander, has determined that the National Guard has done no wrong.
That incidents such as their monitoring of the Mother's Day protest was their attempt to monitor media accounts.
According to the Guard, the unit merely tries to assess threats to bridges, buildings and other structures and does not spy on American citizens.

Sen Dunn, does not totally agree with the findings and beleives that the wording of the report could be used to hide indirect surveillance activity and record-keeping by the Guard.
In the Senator's words:

"I'm concerned that the Guard has been playing a game with us on this issue," the lawmaker said Monday.
As for the inspector general's conclusion, "This is a little bit like the fox saying there aren't any hens in the hen house -- at least not anymore," Dunn said.

Army report rejects Guard spying claims

I actually called into question the reliability of the source of a thread that was posted yesterday on PTS where a man who called Bush a liar on a radio program had a "law enforcement" helicopter land and "inspect a bush" .
Now witht hsi report, it looks like this guy may actually have had something to complain about. Has anyone seen anything of this nature in their area?

politics.abovetopsecret.com...'

I wouldn't be surprised if they were spying here and collecting our I.P. addresses.

I'd use my real name, Alexandra, for a user name, but it was taken. My reasoning is, they probably already know who I am anyway.

Im not suprised either. The army was just at my school, seriously. There was also a army truck at McDonalds.

What good would the army be doing spying on a mcdonalds? lol

The same reason that the New Mexico police landed a helicopter to investigate Krispy Kreme during their patrol. It was very suspicious and looked at them funny.

All of you who have been in the army and are worried about the army spying on us, raise your hands!

*No hands*

See? We know the Army hasn't the ability to tell you where all the privates are at this moment, much less keep tabs on all the civilians!

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
All of you who have been in the army and are worried about the army spying on us, raise your hands!

Agreed...lol

If Military Inteligence (and I use the term loosely) is the worst thing I have to worry about I will sleep like a baby

Military Intelligence?
Amuk, why are you mentioning a cryptozology topic in this forum?!?

I'd just as soon believe in the Yeti!

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
Military Intelligence?

Just Kidding

Anyone that ever saw them in action would never fear them again.

yes it happened during Vietnam and before. Now on to the topic. If we're to believe the reports in the press they can't meet the recruiting goals and they are stretched quite thin with Iraq and the war on terror. Are they capable of it? Yes Is it happening? Probably not. Worry more about Homeland Security and the myriad of agencies collected withinb that one Department The spies are in the local state and federal police agencies or potentailly so and also in the institutions of learning and business in this country. Everyone collects information on you and if the governemnt wants yuor stats badly enough it would be easy enough for them to get them. Neil

Oct. 5, 2005 - The Pentagon would be granted new powers to conduct undercover intelligence gathering inside the United States—and then withhold any information about it from the public—under a series of little noticed provisions now winding their way through Congress.

Citing in part the need for “greater latitude” in the war on terror, the Senate Intelligence Committee recently approved broad-ranging legislation that gives the Defense Department a long sought and potentially crucial waiver: it would permit its intelligence agents, such as those working for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), to covertly approach and cultivate “U.S. persons” and even recruit them as informants—without disclosing they are doing so on behalf of the U.S. government. The Senate committee’s action comes as President George W. Bush has talked of expanding military involvement in civil affairs, such as efforts to control pandemic disease outbreaks.

...late last month, with no public hearings or debate, a similar amendment was put back into the same authorization bill—an annual measure governing U.S. intelligence agencies—at the request of the Pentagon.

At the same time, the Senate intelligence panel also included in the bill two other potentially controversial amendments—one that would allow the Pentagon and other U.S. intelligence agencies greater access to federal government databases on U.S. citizens, and another granting the DIA new exemptions from disclosing any “operational files” under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

President Bush ratcheted the debate up Tuesday during his press conference when he suggested for the first time that the U.S. military might be used to quarantine members of the public in the event of an outbreak of the avian flu. “And who best to be able to effect a quarantine?” Bush asked during his press conference. “One option is the use of a military that’s able to plan and move. And so that’s why I put it on the table.”

But the move to expand Pentagon intelligence activities inside the United States carries special resonance—in part because of embarrassing disclosures about the U.S. military engaging in domestic spying during the 1960s and 1970s.

Bush said he put "on the table" the option of using the military so Congress could examine such a proposal. "Congress needs to take a look at circumstances that may need to vest the capacity of the president

www.msnbc.msn.com...

The Pentagon & White House are really pushing for this new additional military domestic secret surveillance power free from transparency as the CIA & FBI currently enjoy under the Patriot Act. With a dangerous precedent daily being set on the indefinite detention of a US citizen without right to due process (whether Padilla's guilty or not), and secret military tribunals still on the table - these latest domestic surveillance demands by the pentagon sure resemble the finishing touches for a star chamber w/gestapo that intentionally operates outside the bounds of the Constitution. In these treacherous times, citizens must be vigilant in all directions - you snooze, you lose-game over.





[edit on 6-10-2005 by Vajrayana]

The NSA does the spying they are the ones that eavesdrop on literally billions of communications worldwide including those in the US.

Originally posted by Withdrawn_Depression
Im not suprised either. The army was just at my school, seriously. There was also a army truck at McDonalds.

You will probably find this part of the desensitisation process-preparing citizens for marshal law and police states into the future.

I read on the net a while back that the US military were landing choppers in schools at lunch times as part of a process to desensitise the younger generation to their presence.

My 2x anyways ;-)