[Peace-discuss] Obama's FBI raids - intimidation, not investigation

[C. G. Estabrook]

  "This is about warning the ever-shrinking portion of the American population 
that still speaks truth to power that they'd better not embarrass the wartime 
president at his wartime convention. The raids are just the first swings of the 
war party's truncheon; more can be expected."

      Jason Ditz: FBI raids -- Intimidation, not investigation
      Last update: September 27, 2010 - 6:57 PM

Early Friday morning, FBI agents backed up by SWAT teams in Minneapolis, Chicago 
and other cities began smashing down the doors of people's homes. The crime of 
those targeted was dissenting from the mantra of the endless warfare state.

Antiwar activists from various organizations had their homes raided, their 
possessions ransacked, their computers stolen. Vague warrants accused the 
victims of "material support of terrorism."

Yet beyond longstanding opposition to America's disastrous wars, there appears 
to have been no actual evidence against these individuals. No arrests were made 
-- the FBI concedes that none are planned -- and no charges were filed.

These raids appear to have two distinct purposes. The first is a pure fishing 
expedition, the vague hope that these people and their irksome opposition to 
military force could be tied to something illegal. Yet I don't think even the 
FBI seriously believes that this is the case.

Rather, this is a ratcheting-up of the same police-state measures we saw in 2004 
and 2008 at the political conventions. The people raided will be at the 
forefront of organizing antiwar protests against the Democratic National 
Convention in 2012. Some are already working to that end.

This is about warning the ever-shrinking portion of the American population that 
still speaks truth to power that they'd better not embarrass the wartime 
president at his wartime convention. The raids are just the first swings of the 
war party's truncheon; more can be expected.

If these people had been arrested as terrorists and put on public trial, they 
might at least offer a defense of themselves. As it stands, they are merely "the 
subjects of an ongoing investigation," which means they may be harassed at any 
time, as may many others. The message has been sent, and there can be no legal 
recourse for the victims.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100928/ap_on_sp_ot/us_odd_bear_bagged_teen