This article was written in response to the FBI’s newest slant on the “war on terrorism” which includes 25 flyers which are being distributed to local businesses across the U.S. to help “promote suspicious activity reporting.” Of particular interest was the flyer regarding internet cafes: always paying for your coffee with cash, trying to protect your identity and screen from others, etc. The article reads as follows:
CAT, SLATT, and Yet More Security Measures
The FBI and Department of Justice, under the Communities Against Terrorism (CAT) initiative, are distributing flyers to local business owners throughout the nation in an attempt to “promote suspicious activity reports.”
Under the Communities Against Terrorism (CAT) initiative, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are asking owners of certain types of businesses to assist in counter-terrorism efforts. In conjunction with the Department of Justice, the FBI has produced 25 flyers that are being “distributed to local businesses in a variety of industries” in an attempt to prevent acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. These flyers are not being released to the general public.
While attempting to prevent terrorism on our nation’s soil is definitely admirable, upon review of the list of flyers being distributed by the FBI and their “potential indicators and activities” listed, it appears that many of these activities could be used to target average citizens. Some of the 25 businesses and industries listed include military surplus stores, financial institutions, motels and hotels, shopping malls, agricultural and home improvement supply stores, hobby shops and paintball stores, internet cafés, and even tattoo parlors. Oddly, businesses such as firearms stores and demolition companies were not listed directly.
Funding for CAT is provided through SLATT (State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training) as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, which encourages local business owners to assist in the fight against terrorism. SLATT provides both on-site and off-site training on how to spot potential terrorists.
The flyers are fairly general in their wording, and much of what is contained in them is common sense. However, some of the “potential indicators” almost seem outlandish. Flyers distributed to internet cafés , for example, suggest that (with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy), You Might Be a Terrorist If “you always pay for your coffee with cash, are overly concerned about your privacy, or attempt to shield the screen from view of others.” Also, you need to be concerned if you log onto Comcast, AOL, or “other residential-based internet providers,” as that may target you as well. Need we remind the FBI and government there is something called “identity theft” that is rampant, and that “shoulder surfing” is a real hacking problem?
Other somewhat ambiguous and possibly confusing “indicators” include using Google maps to look at public venues or to view photos of large cities, taking “inappropriate photographs or videos” of “symbolic targets” (monuments, memorials), and being “overdressed for the weather.” Apparently what this means is that if you took your family on vacation to Washington, D.C. and you Googled maps of Washington and all the sites to see, “you might be a terrorist!” Then, when you posed the family in front of all the memorials and monuments and took pictures and videos, “you might be a terrorist!” And if you happened to see a homeless person sitting on the sidewalk with one too many pieces of clothing on, “he might be a terrorist!” Oh yes, and if you paid for those McCoffees with McCash, “you might be a terrorist!”
You can view a complete list of the types of businesses and suspicious behaviors and activities listed for each at: http://publicintelligence.net. A word of warning, however; when viewing more than a couple of the categories, my computer froze up and required a complete reboot. Perhaps yet another way you flag yourself as a potential terrorist!
What’s happening in America that we are allowing such outright fear-mongering and paranoia to become the norm? Where are common sense and wisdom? Through the use of “security” measures for our own good, we are becoming dehumanized. The Department of Homeland Security has the “See Something, Say Something” campaign; TSA has its “First Observer” citizen-spy program as well as Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR), which was used during this past Superbowl. We’ve become a country divided, it’s “us versus them,” with “them” being an enemy not yet fully defined but requiring more and more drastic security measures like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the proposed Enemy Expatriation Act. Enough already!
Oh, and did I mention I enjoy reading physics books at the local library where I researched this article after paying cash for a cup of hot chocolate at my local internet café? That’s odd…a police car just slowly cruised past my house.
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