from:news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051223/ts_nm/security_usa_surveillance_dc

Mosques monitored for radiation: report


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials have secretly monitored radiation levels at Muslim sites, including mosques and private homes, since September 11, 2001 as part of a top secret program searching for nuclear bombs, U.S. News and World Report said on Friday.


The news magazine said in its online edition that the far-reaching program covered more than a hundred sites in the Washington, D.C., area and at least five other cities.


Nick Contos (R) uses a detector to measure potential radiation during an exhibition of how teams would respond to a terrorist attack that used radioactive material, at the Joint Information Center in Argonne, Illinois, May 13, 2003. U.S. officials have secretly monitored radiation levels at Muslim sites, including mosques and private homes, since September 11, 2001 as part of a top secret program searching for nuclear bombs, U.S. News and World Report said on Friday. (Frank Polich/Reuters)



"In numerous cases, the monitoring required investigators to go on to the property under surveillance, although no search warrants or court orders were ever obtained, according to those with knowledge of the program," the magazine said.

The report comes a week after revelations that the Bush administration had authorized eavesdropping on people in the United States. U.S.     President George W. Bush has defended that covert program and vowed to continue the practice, saying it was vital to protect the country.

Senior U.S. officials, including     FBI Director Robert Mueller, have repeatedly said Islamic militants appeared intent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction for an attack against the United States.

Mueller said in February he was "very concerned with the growing body of sensitive reporting that continues to show al Qaeda's clear intention to obtain and ultimately use some form of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-energy explosives material in its attacks against America."

An FBI spokesman declined to confirm or deny the U.S. News and World Report article and said, "We can't talk about a classified program."

"The FBI's overriding priority is to prevent, disrupt and defeat terrorist operations in the U.S. All investigations and operations conducted by the FBI are intelligence driven and predicated on specific information about potential criminal acts or terrorist threats, and are conducted in strict conformance with federal law," he added.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations advocacy group said the report, coupled with news of the domestic eavesdropping, "could lead to the perception that we are no longer a nation ruled by law, but instead one in which fear trumps constitutional rights."

"All Americans should be concerned about the apparent trend toward a two-tiered system of justice, with full rights for most citizens, and another diminished set of rights for Muslims," it said in a statement.

Federal officials cited by U.S. News and World Report maintained the program was legal and said warrants were not needed for the kind of radiation sampling it conducted. Officials also rejected any notion that the program specifically targeted Muslims, the magazine said.

According to U.S. News and World Report, the nuclear surveillance program began in early 2002 and has been run by the FBI and the     Department of Energy's Nuclear Emergency Support Team.

At its peak, the effort involved three vehicles in the Washington area monitoring 120 sites a day, nearly all of them Muslim targets such as prominent mosques and office buildings selected by the FBI, it said.

The program has also operated in at least five other cities -- namely Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, New York, and Seattle -- when threat levels there have risen, it said.

One source quoted by the magazine said the targets were almost all U.S. citizens.

Vice President     Dick Cheney was among those briefed on the monitoring program, the publication said.

Good.

"In numerous cases, the monitoring required investigators to go on to the property under surveillance, although no search warrants or court orders were ever obtained, according to those with knowledge of the program," the magazine said.

Although, how hard would it be to get a warrant? I'm sure they could have done it the right way.

This makes me warm all over. I would expect no less from a responsible government.

No one can claim intrusion, violation of rights, blah, blah, blah, on this one. It is the prudent thing to do. Those who claim different and espouse invasion have something to hide IMO.

Quoted: This makes me warm all over. I would expect no less from a responsible government. No one can claim intrusion, violation of rights, blah, blah, blah, on this one. It is the prudent thing to do. Those who claim different and espouse invasion have something to hide IMO.

"I expect my radiation levels to remain private."

"Keep your geiger counter off my rads."

Quoted: This makes me warm all over. I would expect no less from a responsible government. No one can claim intrusion, violation of rights, blah, blah, blah, on this one. It is the prudent thing to do. Those who claim different and espouse invasion have something to hide IMO.

I'm sure the ACLU would disagree with you.

But I would expect the government to monitor mosques when it's "muslims" that are giving the US a hard time.

Bout time the Federal stooges get proactive and not reactive.
Hooray!!! must remain one step ahead of these Islamobastards

Unless they were breaking in or trespassing, what law was broken?


Bomber

You know, one could have a hell of a lot of fun by planting radiactive source material at key ROP meeting places and then watch the ensuing raids.

I would expect no less from the ACLU.  I consider the ACLU a cancer in this country thus a major part of the problem. Their interest is in insuring mayhem/ strife as a tool of self preservation. Simply disgusting and truely un-American.

The ACLU, while not without its share of educated people, is well suited to shielding those of mal-intent. That is why I think the organization should have their actions scrutinized and accountable for high profile pukes/ causes they represent. The ACLU has morphed into to something that better represents the extreme feak rather than the common sense of the masses. Especially freedom loving Americans.

Their goal is not to defend civil liberties because many of the "liberties" they defend are not civil.

i bet the counts are higher after we nuke em

Job well done.

Quoted: You know, one could have a hell of a lot of fun by planting radiactive source material at key ROP meeting places and then watch the ensuing raids.

Heh. sweet.

Quoted: You know, one could have a hell of a lot of fun by planting radiactive source material at key ROP meeting places and then watch the ensuing raids.

In all honesty this should never be done, but to follow up on your joke. *  

http://www.unitednuclear.com/super.htm


* You were joking, right?

Quoted: Good. "In numerous cases, the monitoring required investigators to go on to the property under surveillance, although no search warrants or court orders were ever obtained, according to those with knowledge of the program," the magazine said. Although, how hard would it be to get a warrant? I'm sure they could have done it the right way.

If the purpose is to determine whether radiation is emanating from an apparently innocent place, it'd be impossible to get a warrant. How would you propose that one establish probable cause to believe that radiation will be found in a given place if the investigators' purpose is to determine whether radiation is given off?

Also, bear in mind that entry onto property does not always require a warrant.  There are a zillion ways to lawfully enter private property without the need for a warrant. Without a warrant, the cops can go wherever the mail man can go. They can certainly drive a truck loaded with radiation detection equipment into a parking lot that opens onto a public street.

Fine if they had a warrant to go into private property and run around with geiger counters, but apparently they did not.

What I find most disturbing is that we are searching AMERICANS simply because they are Muslim.

Quoted: Fine if they had a warrant to go into private property and run around with geiger counters, but apparently they did not. What I find most disturbing is that we are searching AMERICANS simply because they are Muslim.

Is a warrant always required for entry onto private property? Is a warrant always required for the use of equipment for the detection of radiation emanating from private property?

I assume that your reference to searching "AMERICANS simply because they are Muslim" is hyperbole rather than a reflection of gross ignorance. If that is so, why are you disturbed by the fact that adherence to the ideology underlying multiple violent attacks and ongoing worldwide incitement to violence against the US and its allies would subject a person to heightened scrutiny from the agencies charged with protecting American lives, property, and interests?

Based on where the 9/11 hijackers spent their time they should be checking strip clubs.

Quoted: Based on where the 9/11 hijackers spent their time they should be checking strip clubs.

Yeah. That's where they'd probably store nukes.