FBI Memo Labels US Citizens as Terrorists
Critics of the U.S. Government’s assault on civil liberties might be surprised to learn that even before 9/11, individuals that cited constitutional rights were deemed “terrorists” by the FBI. A memo written by the Phoenix FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in 1999 was distributed to local law enforcement departments in Phoenix, AZ. The front of the memo states, “If you encounter any of the following, Call the Joint Terrorism Task Force.” The memo goes on to explain:
The FBI’s Join Terrorism Task Force is attempting to identify criminal activities with domestic terrorists.
In this regard, the purpose of this information sheet is to assist uniformed patrol officers in identifying potential domestic terrorism.
Domestic terrorism is defined as: Groups or individuals operating entirely inside the US, attempting to influence US government or population to effect political or social change by engaging in criminal activity.
In the event questionable activity is encountered, contact the individuals named in this brochure for clarification.
What qualities are used to determine whether a person is a potential domestic terrorist? Among others: “defenders” of the US Constitution against federal government and the UN, those who request authority for traffic stop when pulled over, those who make numerous references to the US constitution, those attempting to “police the police,” and lone individuals are all considered questionable. Since when did knowing your rights become a criminal activity? It is worth noting that this memo was distributed two years prior to 9/11. This only reinforces claims by some that the disintegration of civil liberties in the United States is not a result of 9/11, but has been an incremental policy for many years. The attacks of 9/11 were used as a catalyst to speed up the process of infringing on civil liberties, but the policy was in place years before.
