Colorado “Fusion Center” to Step Up Intelligence Gathering During DNC (Democracy Now!)

[struggle4progress]

Colorado “Fusion Center” to Step Up Intelligence Gathering During DNC; US Northern Command to Play Role

... ERIN ROSA: OK. Well, to start off with, what we would probably need to do is define what a fusion center actually is. And basically, they’re centers meant to facilitate communications between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to share information about, quote-unquote, “suspicious activities,” which can include taking pictures or taking notes. The definition is very broad when it’s defined by them.

And essentially, what the Colorado Independent has found out is that this fusion center, which is located in Colorado in the Denver metro area, they’re going to be increasing intelligence operations during the convention. And they will be sharing information with the US Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northern Command, which is actually stationed about approximately seventy miles from Denver ...

MIKE GERMAN: Sure. Our report in November was basically hoping to be a warning signal, that we saw some problems with these centers, these fusion centers, that were being created all over the country. And really, what they are is a collaborative effort between not just state, local and federal law enforcement, but also, as in Colorado, involving the military, private sector companies and other non-law enforcement government agencies. So it really is breaking down all the arm’s-length relationships and putting all these people together in an environment where it’s unclear who is actually in charge and whose rules apply to the information that’s being collected and shared and distributed through these fusion centers. And particularly where the military and private entities were involved, it seemed that it was inappropriate to incorporate them into what is essentially a law enforcement function. And in fact, there are some pretty longstanding laws that are supposed to prevent that sort of military intervention in law enforcement activities ...

ERIN ROSA: Well, it would appear, from records from a federal database, that the Colorado Army National Guard is apparently constructing a makeshift barracks in the far east region of the city that will be on-call. They’re not saying what the purpose is for nearly 400 people to be stationed in this private university. They’re actually going to be stationed at Johnson & Wales University in the eastern region of the city, you know, more than 400 troops in that one area. They rented more than 500 rooms across the city. And they’re not saying what the purpose will be for, but they have confirmed that it will be all Colorado National Guard personnel ...

http://i4.democracynow.org/2008/8/1/colorado_fusion_center_to_step_up

[Clear Blue Sky]

1. Big Brother will be watching and listening to us...nt

[gangstalking]

3. Big Brother is already listening.

Big Brother is in many cases, already watching and listening.

[flashl]

2. Fusing John Ashcroft's call to the public to spy for the Feds. nt