Pentagon Spying Targeted Church Meetings, Veterans Group

Amy Goodman reports:
Here in the United States, the American Civil Liberties Union has released new documents from a Pentagon database used to spy on groups opposed to military recruitment and the war in Iraq. In one case, defense department officials notified two California recruiting stations after learning activists were planning anti-recruitment protests. A database report also included information on anti-war meetings and non-violence training sessions planned for churches around New York City. Another report warned the group Veterans for Peace: “should be viewed as a possible threat to Army and DoD personnel.” In a statement, Veterans for Peace Executive Director Michael McPhearson said: “It is appalling that the Pentagon would label peace activists – including those of us who put our lives at risk defending this country -- as potential threats. The federal government should not be wasting valuable resources gathering files on peaceful protesters who disagree with the Bush administration’s policies.”