Michelle Malkin » ACLU’s spying project: Operation CIA Paparazzi

ACLU’s spying project: Operation CIA Paparazzi

By Michelle Malkin • August 26, 2009 09:27 AM

Have you heard a peep from ACLU supporters about the group’s special spying project on undercover CIA agents? Me neither. It’s the subject of my syndicated column this week. IBD has an excellent editorial. Few other MSM papers have weighed in.

ACLU: Spying for America’s enemies
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2009

Savor the silence of America’s self-serving champions of privacy. For once, the American Civil Liberties Union has nothing bad to say about the latest case of secret domestic surveillance. Because it is the ACLU that committed the spying.

Last week, the Washington Post reported on a new Justice Department inquiry into photographs of undercover CIA officials and other intelligence personnel taken by ACLU-sponsored researchers assisting the defense team of Guatanamo Bay detainees. According to the report, the pictures of covert American CIA officers – “in some cases surreptitiously taken outside their homes” – were shown to jihadi suspects tied to the 9/11 attacks in order to identify the interrogators.

The ACLU undertook the so-called “John Adams Project” with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers – last seen crusading for convicted jihadi assistant Lynne Stewart. She’s the far Left lawyer who helped jailed 1993 World Trade Center bombing/NY landmark bombing plot mastermind Omar Abdel-Rahman smuggle coded messages of Islamic violence from the imprisoned sheik to outside followers in violation of an explicit pledge to abide by her client’s court-ordered isolation.

The ACLU’s team used lists and data from “human rights groups,” European researchers and news organizations who were involved in “[t]racking international CIA-chartered flights” and monitoring hotel phone records. Working from a witch hunt list of 45 CIA employees, the ACLU team then tailed and photographed agency employees or obtained other photos from public records.

And then they showed the images to suspected al Qaeda operatives implicated in murdering 3,000 innocent men, women, and children on American soil.

Where is the concern for the safety of these American officers and their families? Where’s the outrage from all the indignant supporters of former CIA agent Valerie Plame, whose name was leaked by Bush State Department official Richard Armitage to the late Robert Novak? Lefties swung their nooses for years over the disclosure, citing federal laws prohibiting the sharing of classified information and proscribing anyone from unauthorized exposure of undercover intelligence agents.

ACLU executive director Anthony Romero refused to comment on Project CIA Paparazzi and instead whined some more about the evil Bush/CIA interrogators. Left-wing commentators and distraction artists are dutifully up in arms about such “inhumane” tactics as blowing cigar smoke in the faces of Gitmo detainees. But it’s Romero blowing unconscionable smoke:

“We are confident that no laws or regulations have been broken as we investigated the circumstances of the torture of our clients and as we have vigorously defended our clients’ interests,” he told the Post. “Rather than investigate the CIA officials who undertook the torture, they are now investigating the military lawyers who have courageously stepped up to defend these clients in these sham proceedings.”

Courage? What tools and fools these jihadi-enablers be. Civil liberties opportunism is literally a part of the al Qaeda handbook. A terrorist manual seized in a Manchester, England raid in 2005 advised operatives: “At the beginning of the trial … the brothers must insist on proving that torture was inflicted on them by state security before the judge. Complain of mistreatment while in prison.” Jihadi commanders rehearsed the lines with their foot soldiers “to ensure that they have assimilated it.”

Since 9/11, the selective champions of privacy have recklessly blabbed about counterterrorism operations, endangered the lives of military and intelligence officials at Gitmo, and undermined national security through endless litigation. They accused Bush immigration officials of xenophobia for pursuing visa overstayers from jihadi-friendly countries. They accused local law enforcement, FBI, and other homeland security officials of “racial profiling” for placing heightened scrutiny on mosques and jihadi-linked charities.

Now, caught red-handed blowing the cover of CIA operatives, they shrug their shoulders and dismiss it as “normal” research on behalf of “our clients.”

But don’t you dare question their love of country. Spying to stop the next 9/11 is treason, you see. Spying to stop enhanced interrogation on Gitmo detainees is patriotic. And endangering America on behalf of international human rights is the ultimate form of leftist dissent.

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Posted in: Gitmo,Torture

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Comments

#1

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:32 am, Rogue Cheddar said:

Useful idiots, the lot of them!
#2

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:34 am, John Deaux said:

These morons are going to get somebody killed. Can we please get some grown-ups in charge?
#3

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:34 am, zorro said:

Excellent column. Keep exposing these hypocrites, shining that disinfecting sunlight on all these frauds!
#4

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:39 am, nbarry said:

#2, your message reminds me of the old safe driving ad slogan, “The life you save may be your own.”
#5

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:41 am, sonofdy said:

Whoes side are these morons on?

Never mind.
#6

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:43 am, twiggman said:

When will someone start taking pitchers of these ACLU pukes…lets see how they like it…
#7

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:51 am, no2pcbs1 said:

the aclu is a corrupt unethical orgainization made up of true gutter dwellers. taxpayer supported and completely unAmerican. this country has no reason to keep the aclu in existence.
#8

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:56 am, tiredofit08 said:

On August 26th, 2009 at 9:51 am, no2pcbs1 said:

the aclu is a corrupt unethical orgainization made up of true gutter dwellers. taxpayer supported and completely unAmerican. this country has no reason to keep the aclu in existence.

the country may not have a reason to keep them around but groups like la ratza have more than a few reasons to keep them around….the mclu supports them and their rights for illegal aliens agenda….
#9

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:00 am, ajmontana said:

a.c.l.u.N.a.c.o.r.n.

Pronunciation: acl unicorn
as in One.

Definition: Crapweasels out to destroy America from within.

Used in a sentence:
I saw the acluNacorn bullying the masses at a peaceful rally yesterday.
#10

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:05 am, 24Klady said:

The ACLU may be taxpayer supported, but they are not a gubment agency. They can be taken down a few notches. If I were a member of the group that wants to remove the teeth of the CIA, I think I’d hire some personal security.

If the assault against the CIA continues, supported by our fearless Won, I’d like to see the CIA pull a John Galt – just disappear or fail to send in reports of the thousands of threats they deal with on a daily basis.
#11

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:09 am, sgcwi said:

Thank you MM. Please keep the burners lit. These people are DISGUSTING!!!!
#12

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:11 am, jjmurphy said:

Remember that USA divorce email that was circulating a while back? I think it is time to do it for real. I am tired of living in the same country as these traitors. Let them set up their own country operating under their rules and see how long they last.

Our country keeps MM, of course.
#13

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:21 am, kwrxxx said:

I hope that the FBI investigates the ACLU lawyers and they are convicted of treason then given the maximum punishment.
#14

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:24 am, sonofdy said:

Exposing the name of an already blown agent who had already appeared in national magazines. BAD
Exposing multiple active agents in the field and giving out thier photos names and addresses to people who want to kill them and thier families. GOOD.

Liberal logic at work.
#15

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:26 am, BillB said:

Well said, Michelle! Shades of Jimmy Carter, Obama is looking more like the man from Georgia every day. First trashing the economy then trashing the intelligence community. The far left won’t be happy until America is weak and at the mercy of our enemies.
#16

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:30 am, iamsaved said:

There will be no convictions or investigations from a liberal Congress, MSM, and Attorney General. The ACLU (Anti Christian Lawyers Union) is another arm of the liberal left.

Caught in hypocrisy only brings a shrug of the shoulders with a “So What!”. They’ve proven over and over again what they are all about.

What I find amazing is that this nest of cockroaches is allowed to exist and influence anything in this country as they go around bullying school districts and small towns.
#17

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:47 am, battleaxe said:

Al-quaeda Civil Liberties Union strikes again.
#18

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:48 am, Jimmy Chowda said:

It’s ironic that as president, John Adams signed legislation which would have jailed these creeps.
#19

On August 26th, 2009 at 10:51 am, Cowboy said:

How about a congressional investigation? I doubt it will happen because is doesn’t meet the political requirements of the progressives.
#20

On August 26th, 2009 at 11:08 am, Flyoverman said:

Just think of them as enemy combatants.

Treat accordingly.
#21

On August 26th, 2009 at 11:14 am, cheapseat said:

just when you think lawyers should not be routinely drawn and quartered, up pops another travesty of justice perpetrated by some lawyer with more agenda than ethics.
#22

On August 26th, 2009 at 11:20 am, J S Ragman said:

“We are confident that no laws or regulations have been broken as we investigated the circumstances of the torture of our clients and as we have vigorously defended our clients’ interests,”

Translation; We are guilty as hell, but don’t expect to be prosecuted, as going to court will expose more highly classified information, and will be an even bigger breach of national security.
#23

On August 26th, 2009 at 11:33 am, Pat said:

The ACLU also had a sponsored, paid for link yesterday a.m. to urge people to support the investigation. Almost like they knew, right? Holder wouldn’t have been working with them, would he?
#24

On August 26th, 2009 at 11:54 am, Regulus said:

If leftist hypocrisy was a hole in the ground and you tossed a stone down into it, you’d never hear it hit bottom.

I have more respect for someone like Cindy Sheehan than for these ACLU types, who make me ashamed for ever having gone to law school. At least Sheehan is consistent. That the same people who decried the “outing” of Valerie Plame are now presenting photos of CIA personnel — photos that they took — to terrorists is beyond disgusting.
#25

On August 26th, 2009 at 11:57 am, tre said:

American Communist Lawyers Union.

Roger Nash Baldwin, who founded it, had been a communist. He later renounced it.

It still seems to be communist today.
#26

On August 26th, 2009 at 12:51 pm, Freddy said:

Clearly, the actions by the ACLU and the lawyers for the gitmo detainees HAS resulted in an INVESTIGATION!

Holder is protecting his old law firm, one of the gitmo law firms raking in government cast defending gitmo detainees, by initiating plans to prosecute the agents of the CIA!

Holder is going to bring JUSTICE to the TERRORISTS in the CIA!

Change we can believe in?
#27

On August 26th, 2009 at 1:32 pm, hawkeye54 said:

When will someone start taking pitchers of these ACLU pukes

Are you looking for starters or relievers, or both : )
#28

On August 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm, hawkeye54 said:

Anti-American Communist Lawyers Union.

FIFY. Absolutely nothing American about the ACLU, its name notwithstanding.

An organization devoted to the eventual destruction of Western Judeo-Christian civilization.
#29

On August 26th, 2009 at 1:56 pm, tre said:

On August 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm, hawkeye54 said:

You’re correct, Hawkeye54.
#30

On August 26th, 2009 at 2:04 pm, cheapseat said:

so when a democrat is in the whitehouse, our fbi agents can murder american citizens at waco and ruby ridge and face NO scrutiny from the doj. but in the midst of a war, cia agents are to be tried for scaring terrorists into confessions.
#31

On August 26th, 2009 at 2:17 pm, mattm said:

The ACLU supporting enemies of the US? Well I never would have suspected that from a Organization that was founded to get Communism in the US.
#32

On August 26th, 2009 at 2:23 pm, ammo john said:

Who will they photgraph next? Servicemen and their families at their homes?
#33

On August 26th, 2009 at 3:30 pm, Khyris said:

How is this not counterintelligence? And therefore anything less than treason?
#34

On August 26th, 2009 at 4:25 pm, Truesoldier said:

used lists and data from “human rights groups,” European researchers and news organizations who were involved in “[t]racking international CIA-chartered flights” and monitoring hotel phone records.

I do not know which is worse. The fact that the ACLU did this or how easily the ACLU obtained the information.
#35

On September 18th, 2009 at 9:39 am, nail49 said:

When will someone start taking pitchers of these ACLU pukes…lets see how they like it…

twiggman: My post from the parallel thread…

The CIA should start taking pictures of ACLU attorneys and showing them to jihadis with a little wink and a nod when they say, “These are NOT CIA agents.”

They would be telling the truth and doing us all a service.

Plus it shows even more sensitivity to the poor, downtrodden jihadis as it gives them more targets.