09.15.10

Why the ‘war on terror’ needs defunding

Posted in Stumble and Fail, War On Terror at 2:54 pm by George Smith

Particularly at the grass roots level, it needs a drastic haircut.

From my old homestate of Pennsyltucky, this bit of found humor, courtesy of the Associated Press:

Information about an anti-BP candlelight vigil, a gay and lesbian festival and other peaceful gatherings became the subject of anti-terrorism bulletins being distributed by Pennsylvania’s homeland security office, an apologetic Gov. Ed Rendell admitted.

Rendell, who claimed he’d just learned about the practice, said Tuesday
that the information was useless to law enforcement agencies and that
distributing it was tantamount to trampling on constitutional rights.
In recent weeks, several acts of vandalism at drilling sites spurred the
inclusion of events likely to be attended by environmentalists and the
bulletins began going to representatives of Pennsylvania’s booming natural gas industry.

A Philadelphia rally organized by a nonprofit group to support Rendell’s push for higher spending on public schools even made a bulletin, as did drilling protests at a couple of Rendell’s news conferences this month as he toured the state to boost support for a tax on the natural gas industry.

And who was getting the funding for this valuable intelligence on the state of homegrown terrorism?

Something called the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response, in Philadelphia, to the tune of $125,000.

It’s website is here, listing a POB in Philadelphia as well as a branch in Jerusalem.

It emits a bit of an unpleasant odor.

For example, to collect intelligence for its clients is relies, it says, on something called its Ground Truth Network.

And apparently the company’s Ground Truth Network, or analysts, have been eying the protest movement against gas drilling (and even a public showing of the documentary “Gasland,” a scathing look at the industry nationwide), now commonly called “fracking” in Pennsylvania.

In “Gasland,” the rural Pennsylvania community of Dimock is profiled. In great detail, it shows how the place was ruined and its water contaminated by drilling.

The intelligence document came to light when it was posted on a pro-drilling forum on the web, whereupon it was also seized by anti-drilling groups.

The company distributes its intelligence product to the Pennsylvania director of homeland security, law enforcement and gas drilling companies.

James Powers, the Pennsy director of homeland security was quizzed by the Harrisburg Patriot-News and that article is here.

PA governor Ed Rendell indicated to the Associated Press that James Powers would not be fired even though he was “appalled” by the news.

“I think I would have said `no’ to this contract before we ever spent a dime and before we sent out any information that was wrong and violative of, in my judgment, the constitution,” the governor said.

“Which public meetings the anti-drilling folks were planning to attend was supplied by the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response, a Philadelphia firm contracted with the state Office of Homeland Security to provide information for the intelligence briefings,” reported the Patriot News.

“When asked if ITRR was tracking groups — specifically, people opposed to drilling in the Marcellus Shale or attending showings of ‘Gasland’ — [James Powers, PA director of homeland security] replied, ‘I don’t know, I haven’t asked them.’

“Powers did indicate that someone — either ITRR or state employees, he wouldn’t specify which — was monitoring the ‘Web traffic’ of anti-drilling groups.”

Rendell said the firm’s contract would come to an end.

“Gasland” has also recently been showing on HBO and it has gained many favorable reviews.

Erik Miller, “the Director of Security Studies at the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR), where he serves as project-manager, case officer, researcher, and intelligence writer,” has an article in the recent issue of Counter Terrorism magazine.

On Sweden and alleged radicalism in that country, it begins:

To many, Sweden is a leading model for what a modern, liberal democracy should be; an exemplar of tolerance, humanitarianism, and diplomacy. To those who monitor global jihadism, however, Sweden has shown a severe lack of leadership in confronting the growing problem of Islamic radicalization within its own borders.

Even as newly-emerging evidence continues to expose this process of radicalization; the Swedish establishment fails to face the problem directly. In the name of multiculturalism and religious equality, leading Swedish figures have chosen not only to deny the issue but to seemingly embrace their homegrown Islamists.

This phenomenon is a new form of nationwide “Stockholm Syndrome” that is self-deceptive, self-defeating, and ultimately, suicidal.

That article is here.

And here is what looks like one of the company’s reports — originated perhaps from its Jerusalem office, posted on another website.

A sample ITRR intel briefing booklet from 2009 is posted here, on the company website.

It is not particularly insightful, seemingly only a .pdf collection of bits anyone interested in terrorism could assemble from sifting public news.

But it is probably the type of briefing book discussed by the AP and Harrisburg Patriot News.

The AP, on the material included in the ITRR intel report distributed by Pennsylvania’s homeland security office says:

It listed demonstrations by anti-war groups, deportation protesters in Philadelphia, mountaintop removal mining protesters in West Virginia and an animal rights protest at a Montgomery County rodeo. It also included “Burn the Confederate Flag Day,” the Jewish high holidays and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as potential sources of risk.

On page 11 of the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response’s sample May 2009 briefing book, the organization lumps a number of equally surprising activities under the topic “Domestic/Eco-Terror Alerts.”

Among these, “the Rainforest Action Network is holding training at campuses across the [continental United States]. The training is designed to inspire ecological activity — from legitimate canvassing to illegal direct actions.”

The very legit Rainforest Action Network is here. It looks like a happy place.

In another posting, the ITRR bulletin reads: “Ecological activists in [San Francisco, Phoenix, Tuscon and Sonora} will be protesting the intent of Mexico to build a toxic waste dump on land belonging to the O’odham Indians.”

Other “domestic/eco-terror alert” entries include notes on protests of the Bank of America bailout scheduled for Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office, “a protest march … held by people opposed to the closing of some schools in New York City, “eco-activists” from Earth First! holding a summer training camp, institute analysts monitoring “anarchists” who might protest an appearance by Karl Rove, as well as a variety of anti-war and anti-cruelty-to-animals protest events.

The intelligence booklet makes a practice of classifying people, groups and non-profits who protest corporate activities as “anarchists.”

“Working with organizations that refuse to surrender their domestic or international operations to terrorism,” reads the pamphlet.

Terrorism, in this case, seeming to broadly rope in constitutionally protected activities contrary to the interests of corporate and government clients.

Another article by ITRR experts, this time on al Qaeda’s use of the Internet is here.

It is, many will agree, a trifle underwhelming as an example of this type of counter-terrorism literature.

Pennsylvania’s director of homeland security, James Powers, characterized the leaked ITRR briefing .pdf in one embarrassing e-mail as “sensitive information” only for “those ‘having a valid need to know.’ ”

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