FBI Spied on Peace Group

PITTSBURGH – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Pennsylvania today released new evidence that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting investigations into a political organizations based solely on its anti-war views.

Two documents released today reveal that the FBI investigated gatherings of the Thomas Merton Center for Peace & Justice just because the organization opposed the war in Iraq. Although previously disclosed documents show that the FBI is retaining files on anti-war groups, these documents are the first to show conclusively that the rationale for FBI targeting is the group's opposition to the war.

One of the FBI documents describes the Thomas Merton Center for Peace and Justice as "a left-wing organization advocating, among many political causes, pacifism."

Another document, headed "International Terrorism Matters," states that the Thomas Merton Center "has been determined to be an organization which is opposed to the United States war with Iraq."

Perhaps the most disturbing document is a 4-page document quoting a "source who is not ina position to testify." Unfortunately, everything the "source" related is redacted in its entirety. This suggests that the FBI had an informant inside the Thomas Merton Center.

I am sure this is not the only instance of this sort of activity by the Bush adminstration. Couldn't they put all this time, effort, and money to better use? Fighting terrorism, maybe?