Says Illegal Spying Violates Constitutional Protections Guaranteed Every American
Philadelphia
– June 14 (( The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) today became
plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties
Union that challenges the Pentagon’s failure to turn over information
detailing secret surveillance of peace groups and private citizens.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, June 14, in U.S. District Court in
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The suit seeks disclosure of all
documents maintained by the Department of Defense (DOD) on the
individual groups named in the suit. It alleges the Pentagon has
ignored national Freedom of Information requests made earlier this year
in the wake of evidence that it had been secretly conducting illegal
surveillance of protest activities, antiwar organizations and some
individuals whose only reported ‘wrong-doing’ was ‘attending a peace
rally.’
‘Spying on citizens for merely executing
their constitutional rights of free speech and peaceful assembly is
chilling and marks a troubling trend for the United States,’ states
Joyce Miller, assistant general secretary for justice and human rights.
‘These actions violate the rule of law and strike a severe blow against
our Constitution.
‘If the government has avowed pacifists under surveillance, then no one is safe,’ she adds.
The
Service Committee, a Quaker organization, was at the forefront of
combating illegal FBI surveillance tactics in the 1970s. At that time,
under the Freedom of Information Act, AFSC secured hundreds of federal
files detailing illegal government surveillance projects and
intelligence documents targeting U.S. peace groups.
Late
last year news reports detailed the existence of a secret DOD database
related to ‘potential terrorist threats.’ At least four of the events
listed are believed to be activities coordinated or supported by the
Service Committee, including handing out literature in front of
military recruiting stations and holding protest rallies on the second
anniversary of the Iraq war. Each was later deemed ‘not credible.’
‘The
Bush administration maintains that the threat of terrorism mandates a
change in Government policy. However, we believe trampling the Bill of
Rights and dismantling our Constitution will not erase the threat of
terrorism,’ Miller emphasized. ‘Conversely, eroding the Constitutional
safeguards and destroying the principles of democracy on which our
country was founded make us less safe and less secure.’
In
addition to the Service Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union
filed suit on behalf of Veterans for Peace, United for Peace and
Justice and Greenpeace, as well as dozens of local groups in Florida,
Georgia, Rhode Island, Maine, Pennsylvania and California.
‘The
ACLU has long been one of the nation’s leading advocates for free
speech and civil liberties,’ Miller explains. ‘By challenging
unconstitutional laws and practices, we keep our system of government
and the rights of its citizens in balance.’
With
national headquarters in Philadelphia, the American Friends Service
Committee is internationally recognized for its humanitarian work and
long history fighting for human rights and against injustice. The
Service Committee is a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf
of all Quakers for work to heal the wounds of war, especially efforts
to feed starving children and help Europe rebuild during and after
World Wars I and II.
‘Our country is governed by
the rule of law, not the politics of hysteria and fear,’ Miller
concludes. ‘This is the President’s second term of office. He has twice
sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States. By spying on
legitimate First Amendment activities he has not only broken the law,
he has broken his word to the American people.’
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The
American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that
includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice,
peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the
worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome
violence and injustice