Well, kiddos, it appears that the FBI has been spying on “environmental extremists” in Houston, Texas. And the definition of environmental extremist is people who oppose the Keystone pipeline.
Internal agency documents show for the first time how FBI agents have been closely monitoring anti-Keystone activists, in violation of guidelines designed to prevent the agency from becoming unduly involved in sensitive political issues.The documents reveal that one FBI investigation, run from its Houston field office, amounted to “substantial non-compliance” of Department of Justice rules that govern how the agency should handle sensitive matters.One FBI memo, which set out the rationale for investigating campaigners in the Houston area, touted the economic advantages of the pipeline while labelling its opponents “environmental extremists”.
After The Guardian ran the story, Charles Pierce of Esquire Magazine picked it up and wrote —
… it is fair to conclude that what the FBI and TransCanada really were cooking up was a counter-propaganda operation using the investigative auspices of the FBI. In other words, the FBI office in Houston joined in ratfking the opposition to the pipeline. Gordon Liddy must be weeping for joy.
Okay, so why is the FBI conspiring with a foreign government to screw American citizens who oppose the foreign pipeline? Oh yeah, they justify it by asserting that the Keystone pipeline is “vital to the security and economy of the United States.”
The hell you say? It’s not our pipeline. We don’t even get the oil. I would suspect it would provide the same level of security as having a giant leaky x-ray machine in your backyard to check for burglars coming over your fence.
So what do we do about the FBI violating it’s own rules? Two game suspension?
You gotta wonder if they are also monitoring President Obama.
