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Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

nbcsandiego.com

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Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#111

Post by boomboomsubban »

18pfsmt wrote: post #105
wallace_f wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's terrifying. Free speech should not be infringed upon. This is obviously happening more and more. High profile cases like journalists and activists caught up in association with Snowden, like Greenwald, Poitras and Lavabit's founder... Are probably known to most here. But I wonder if most are aware even a journalist covering the dakota pipeline protests was detained by the US government(1). 1- https://www.nytimes…

I wonder if that might have to do with foreign influence being involved with the protests? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/03/01...

No, it doesn't. Not only was that "influence" so minor to have had basically no impact, the posts were made months after the detention.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#112

Post by fredgrott »

wbg34 wrote: post #73
danesparza wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is incorrect. A criminal investigation would be legal. A quote directly from the article sums up the counterpoint nicely: “We are a criminal investigation agency, we’re not an intelligence agency,” the Homeland Security source told NBC 7 Investigates. “We can’t create dossiers on people and they’re creating dossiers. This is an abuse of the Border Search Authority.”

A quote from the official statement from the Customs and Border Patrol. It was also in the article. "CBP told our colleagues at NBC News that the names in the database are all people who were present during violence that broke out at the border in November. The agency also said journalists are being tracked so that the agency can learn more about what started that violence."

since when do we as a country track people over violence instead of say just oh doing an investigation of just asking wha5t happened? are we suddenly Communist China or Nazi Germany?

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#113

Post by culot »

mellow-lake-day wrote: post #7

>Documents obtained by NBC 7 Investigates show the U.S. government created a secret database of activists, journalists, and social media influencers tied to the migrant caravan and in some cases, placed alerts on their passports. It sounds like only people and journalists who are covering "the caravan" are being tracked. Not that it makes it any better. It also seems to have been started very recently, probably under…

Journalists make up a minority of those being tracked in that operation. Most of those tracked are involved in organizations that encourage and assist illegal immigration, like Pueblos Sin Fronteras and Border Angels. Founders of both of those organizations explicitly encourage illegal immigration, and have been organizing migrant caravans for some 15+ years.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#114

Post by huffmsa »

ionised wrote: post #88
huffmsa wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the same answer used by Mr Holder and Mr Obama to justify dropping hellfire missiles in a dozen countries.

This is argumentum ad verecundiam , an appeal to authority (a logical fallacy that in no way backs up what you are saying), and not a very good one.

As well, contrary to what your debate 101 professor might have taught you, appealing to authority is not always a fallacy.

If I had said "Mr Obama and Mr Holder think the border is dangerous" then sure.

But what I said was that a US president and attorney general have previously used the loose writing of the 2001 AUMF to expand the "War on Terror" to new theaters. Therefore it is likely a similar case can be made to expand the theater to the southern border.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#115

Post by akhilcacharya »

linkmotif wrote: post #104
akhilcacharya wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Former "National Security Advisor" is pretty senior.

Is Flynn actually in jail?

He would be if he didn’t collaborate with the FBI according to the sentencing documents.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#116

Post by specialist »

tomohawk wrote: post #31

Journalists are often harrassed when they dig into things the powerful want to leave burried. https://sharylattkisson.com/new-update-attkisson-v-doj-and-f... https://cpj.org/asia/china/

I did election integrity activism stuff for a while. Embarrassing the powers that be, pointing out the emperor has no clothes.

Had some minor victories.

I assumed I was gonna be harassed, maybe even spend time in jail.

Not entirely sure why I was spared. Worst I got was called names by the local press, politicians.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#117

Post by atomi »

CamelCaseName wrote: post #110
AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like a video game, if there are obstacles in your path then you're heading in the right direction.

Who is the obstacle, the wealthy or the journalist?

If you're attempting to keep facts from becoming public knowledge you are acting against the public good.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#118

Post by wsy »

rjf72 wrote: post #38
wsy wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please apply this to the case at hand. The case at hand is not about supporting or opposing the caravan, or its investigation. It is about how journalists reporting on it are marked for special treatment at the US border. I fail to see any complex pro/con political issue there. Free press is a constitutional right for a reason.

The first critical point is to classify the caravan. This is something you have to step outside of politics for, for a minute. This caravan had already illegally broken past the border between Guatemala and Mexico. [1] There's every reason to believe they planned to attempt similar behavior at the US border. This is the definition of criminal conspiracy. In this case it would likely have also been a politically desta…

If they want photos or videos as part of an investigation, there is a legal procedure: subpoenas.

What does it have to do with putting journalists on a customs control list for special treatment when re-entering the US?

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#119

Post by meowface »

wbg34 wrote: post #73
danesparza wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is incorrect. A criminal investigation would be legal. A quote directly from the article sums up the counterpoint nicely: “We are a criminal investigation agency, we’re not an intelligence agency,” the Homeland Security source told NBC 7 Investigates. “We can’t create dossiers on people and they’re creating dossiers. This is an abuse of the Border Search Authority.”

A quote from the official statement from the Customs and Border Patrol. It was also in the article. "CBP told our colleagues at NBC News that the names in the database are all people who were present during violence that broke out at the border in November. The agency also said journalists are being tracked so that the agency can learn more about what started that violence."

This doesn't make much sense. They would just interview the journalists after the event, and maybe do some follow-up interviews with a few. They wouldn't tag their passports for increased screenings, interrogate them at every border crossing, etc. They're treating the journalists like they helped organize the violence.

To me it just seems like a way to harass and disrupt journalists trying to closely cover the story.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#120

Post by cr1895 »

rjf72 wrote: post #19
pimmen wrote: post #10

As a European, this is something that could very well make my government resign because it would be illegal. Like, crazy illegal. Is this legal in the US or is the current US administration in hot water?

Caravans of thousands of people don't generally just organically form and find themselves able to transit thousands of miles. Even if you set aside the extensive funding required, there are some very serious logistical issues involved in this sort of thing. The caravan had already successfully and illegally overrun the border between Mexico and Guatemala. [1] It's reasonable to believe they aimed to attempt to do the…

>Aiding a signal unlawful entry into the US is a significant felony subject to up to 10 years in prison.

Upon first glance this doesn't seem true. Your link says that this punishment exists only if the alien is already convicted of an aggravated felony.

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