Maryland caught putting non-violent activists on terrorists lists.

[vhx]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...7/AR2008100703245.html

The Maryland State Police classified 53 nonviolent activists as terrorists and entered their names and personal information into state and federal databases that track terrorism suspects, the state police chief acknowledged yesterday.

Police Superintendent Terrence B. Sheridan revealed at a legislative hearing that the surveillance operation, which targeted opponents of the death penalty and the Iraq war, was far more extensive than was known when its existence was disclosed in July.

The department started sending letters of notification Saturday to the activists, inviting them to review their files before they are purged from the databases, Sheridan said.

"The names don't belong in there," he told the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. "It's as simple as that."

The surveillance took place over 14 months in 2005 and 2006, under the administration of former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R). The former state police superintendent who authorized the operation, Thomas E. Hutchins, defended the program in testimony yesterday. Hutchins said the program was a bulwark against potential violence and called the activists "fringe people."

Sheridan said protest groups were also entered as terrorist organizations in the databases, but his staff has not identified which ones.

Stunned senators pressed Sheridan to apologize to the activists for the spying, assailed in an independent review last week as "overreaching" by law enforcement officials who were oblivious to their violation of the activists' rights of free expression and association. The letter, obtained by The Washington Post, does not apologize but admits that the state police have "no evidence whatsoever of any involvement in violent crime" by those classified as terrorists.
...

This has probably been going on for awhile (1 million people on the terrorist watch list. :roll but it seems some have finally been busted on the MSM. I can understand violent activists and things like that, but it doesn't seem to matter to these people. They admit there is no evidence, but they did it anyway. No apology either? Disgusting. If you speak out, you're a 'terrorist'. This administration and its supporters have beaten the terrorist horse to death so much that it's losing its effect very quickly.

 

[udneekgnim]

is PETA on the list?

 

[manowar821]

Is the bush admin on the list?

 

[Perknose]

They tried to fingerprint Cheney . . . turns out he has none! :shocked:

 

[SP33Demon]

Glad I moved out of that POS state.

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: Perknose
They tried to fingerprint Cheney . . . turns out he has none! :shocked:

HE'S A REPTILIAN

 

[NoStateofMind]

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Glad I moved out of that POS state.

I would like to believe that this was state specific, but sadly its probably not. This is more than likely widespread, its just that these guys were caught. Speaking out about government actions may be free speech, but that doesn't protect you from being put on a list.

 

[fallout man]

Great.

As of the last couple of days, we have the flagrant abuse of warrantless wiretapping, and now the clear abuse of 1st and 4th amendment rights under the guise of keeping us safe from "terrists."

The chickens is comin' home to roost, y'all!

 

[ElFenix]

you know how a tornado watch means there isn't a tornado? see, if they were on the terrorist warning list, then there'd be a real issue

 

[fallout man]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
you know how a tornado watch means there isn't a tornado? see, if they were on the terrorist warning list, then there'd be a real issue

I heard that a "tornado watch" is merely a symptom of "a lot of hot air in the area."

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: vhx
Topic Title: Maryland caught putting non-violent activists on terrorists lists.

Where have you've been?

Haven't you heard Hannity and Palin explain to you that everyone that does not adhere to the Republican montra is a Terrist now?

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I wonder just how much state taxpayer money was spent on all of this. Perhaps Sheridan should be made to repay every penny of it in addition to serving a long prison sentence.

 

[techs]

Sniff. Sniff.
I smell fascism in the air.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Originally posted by: techs
Sniff. Sniff.
I smell fascism in the air.

Totalitarianism.