Chilling dissent

Bill Berkowitz
January 25, 2006

As the Bush Administration ratchets up domestic spying the FBI is collecting 'research' reports on 'direct action' environmental groups produced by right wing think tanks

Recently National Public Radio's show Living on Earth broadcast a segment called "Big Brother," that explored the FBI's program that spies on environmental activists. "Living on Earth" regularly focuses on a broad array of environmental issues, and guest host Jeff Young, sitting in for the regular host Steve Curwood, setup the segment by noting that the passage of the U.S. Patriot Act "expand[ed] the government's power to monitor U.S. citizens in its fight against terrorism."

According to a posting at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) website, documents they obtained via the Freedom of Information Act revealed that the FBI and local law enforcement agencies have been monitoring, infiltrating and targeting political, environmental, anti-war and progressive religious groups.