New Yale Law School Report Shows Rapid Growth of Domestic Watchlists

terror alertBy Derrick Broze

A new report highlights the lack of oversight and exponential growth in the number of Americans placed on domestic intelligence watchlists.

A new analysis from the American Civil Liberties Union and a clinic at the Yale Law School is calling attention to the hundreds of thousands of individuals who have been placed on a variety of domestic terror watchlists. The report, “Trapped in a Black Box: Growing Terrorist Watchlisting in Everyday Policing,” details how the ACLU and the clinic at Yale Law School view this expansion of domestic watchlists as a potential threat to privacy and liberty.

The researchers reviewed 13,000 pages of information, including pages released from the Federal Bureau of Investigations via a Freedom of Information Act request and lawsuit by the ACLU and the Civil Liberties and the Civil Liberties and National Security Clinic at the law school. The team also studied  information obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the government’s Watchlisting Guidance.

They found that there were less than 10,000 entries in 2003 as part of the Violent Gangs and Terrorist Organizations File, but by 2008 that number grown to 272,198 individuals under a successor category, the Known or Suspected Terrorist File. The report states that the KST list, “is part of a vast system of domestic surveillance of people whom law enforcement labels suspect based on vague and loose criteria, with serious constitutional and privacy implications for those who are included in the file.”

“Such individuals may be stigmatized as potential terrorists and are vulnerable to increased law enforcement scrutiny, often without knowing that they are on a secret watchlist, and without a meaningful way to confirm or contest their inclusion,” the report said.

Alice Wang, a third-year Yale Law School student and an author of the report, said the report highlights the shift made by the FBI from law enforcement to domestic intelligence gathering. Wang said although it may be appropriate to have a file of people with arrest warrants, she said those numbers only make up a small portion of the list.

Wang told the NH Register that the authors were not taking a position on the watchlists in general, but rather focusing on the due process rights of individuals on the list. The report does state there is a lack of oversight and the list “utilizes a low ‘reasonable suspicion’ evidentiary standard” in adding a name to the list. The report concludes that the primary purpose of the list is “the surveillance and tracking of individuals for indefinite periods.”

Dave S. Joly, terrorist screening center spokesman in Washington, D.C., told the NH Register that, “The Terrorist Screening Center does not publicly confirm nor deny whether any individual may be included in the U.S. Government’s Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) or a subset list.”

The expansion of domestic terror watchlists has received scant media attention in the past. Even the two leaks (one, two) related to government watchlists were mostly ignored by the corporate media during the summer of 2014. The first leak dealt with a 2013 document from the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) which details the rules for placing individuals on terrorism watchlists, including the no-fly list.

The 166-page document covers two lists: the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE), and the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB). Chapters of the document include information on what triggers placement on the lists, and what type of information officials are to collect when encountering suspected individuals.

While that document details the vague and broad language used to ensnare individuals as possible terrorists, the latest leak covers another document from the NCTC: the Directorate of Terrorist Identities (DTI) Strategic Accomplishments 2013. DTI is a counterterrorism unit within the NCTC responsible for maintaining the TIDE. The document is essentially a highlight of what the NCTC deems as accomplishments by the DTI in their pursuit of counterterrorism goals.

As the Intercept notes, at the time of the document the TSDB listed 680,000 “known or suspected terrorists.” However, a whopping 280,000 are described as “no recognized terrorist group affiliation.” The groups listed alongside “no recognized terrorist group affiliation” include more well-known groups deemed terrorists by the U.S. government. Namely, Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Taliban, Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah. The documents show that under the Obama administration the number of people placed on the no-fly list has grown more than ten times.

The leading agencies behind placing individuals on the watchlists include the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The document also lists five cities where “known or suspected terrorists” are reportedly in large numbers. These include New York; Dearborn, Mich.; Houston; San Diego; and Chicago.

As the government continues to operate these lists in the cover of dark, the American people are left to wonder if they are yet another number being observed by the watchful eyes of Big Brother. Only by exposing the public to this information and choosing to speak boldly and courageously will we ensure that America does not succumb to tyranny.

Derrick Broze is an investigative journalist and liberty activist. He is the Lead Investigative Reporter for ActivistPost.com and the founder of the TheConsciousResistance.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Derrick is available for interviews.

This article may be freely reposted in part or in full with author attribution and source link.


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75 Comments on "New Yale Law School Report Shows Rapid Growth of Domestic Watchlists"

  1. Same totalitarian-tip-toe/ fascist incremental emergence happened in pre-war Germany / Russia under the Bolshevik’s etc…now it’s the USA’s turn …dividing people up & being put on lists by psychometerically selected ‘Kontrol freak’ black uniformed ‘authorities'[sic] that are in turn dictated to by totally programmed & indoctrinated stasi bureaucrats, deciding arbitrarily within their own now severely restricted & narrow fascistic world views, which FEMA Kamps they’ll separate you & your family members & friends into… as you get loaded onto arm & leg shackled railway cars that disappear ignominiously into the night.
    ..I’m not a pessimist …rather a ‘realist’ at this point….as the multi-faceted blueprint of the NWO juggernaut continues to roll over us all.

    • You will also find, that the majority of them, suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Only to take it out on those who are not of their ilk! Co-dependent, anyone?

      • Absolutely! …I can spot them a proverbial mile away… as I did 15 yrs hard time before running away from a brutal father that was so afflicted…very perspicacious on your part kyp…(narcississm is encouraged as part of the ‘spell-binding’ programming in the Matrix as part of social conditioning now…some of the kids growing up don’t stand a chance) (imo).

        • Thank you! I am a survivor of narcissism, myself. Very dangerous people!

          • look up ‘solipsism’ then imagine an unconscious ‘collective solipsism’ as an extreme manifestation of psychopathic narcissism…as a mental construct/concept to toss around & ruminate upon…cheers

          • keepyourpower | April 24, 2016 at 10:17 am |

            Well, Eddy..I see narcissism, in the majority of people in politics, medical fields, law, and law enforcement. Then the people..Most are so co-dependent, they cannot see straight! And, they do not even know it…such as the Trumpettes.. the Obamamites. (both psychopathic narcissists)..IMHO.

            The solipsism…I see that in the new generation, mostly in college. They think… each one of them..that they are the only “thing” that matters. Give me! Give me! You OWE it to me!

            And, I say, you can blame that all, on Marxism, being shoved down their throats, since elementary school (public) on up. Since teachers’ unions…and the Parents..for not checking on what their children are learning, in public school, and elsewhere. Also, the parents, who treat their children, as friends, instead of God given children, to be nourished, and disciplined!

          • keepyourpower | April 24, 2016 at 10:22 am |

            When did you go “private” in disqus?
            Look what Hayward Stewart wrote below my comment to you.
            What????

    • Spot on…unfortunately ‘bad history’ repeating itself. SMDH

  2. Kind of like the Nobel Peace prize- doesn’t mean anything anymore.
    Boys playing grownups in power and their little toys.

    • Right! The Nobel Peace Prize lost all remaining credibility the moment it was awarded to Obama pre-emptively. He hadn’t even done anything yet. It was awarded to him in anticipation for what people anticipated he was going to do! What propagandist garbage!

  3. The U.S. has been taken over by the Jesuit run Vatican as has been well documented in the book, “The Secret History of the New World Order”. The Jesuits brought the European fascists, Mussolini, Franco and Hitler into power, in a bid to recreate the Holy Roman Empire. As plan A began to fail with the defeat of the Axis powers, plan B, infiltrating and controlling the victorious nation – the U.S. was put into play. This was done with the help of the unconstitutional National Security Act of 1947 which created secret government agencies beyond the control of the people. The 9/11 attack was coordinated by Jesuits, using Israeli and Muslim actors to create different layers of apparent “reality” around the greatest unsolved crime of the 21st century.

  4. The answer to all this is for the people themselves to uphold the Constitution and Bill of Rights. That’s what this is going to boil down to.

    • Which is exactly why the 2nd Amendment exists.

    • Tennessee and 25 other States are starting to rebel against his executive orders and illegal use of them to make laws that don’t exist. It is Congress that makes the laws and he swore and oath to uphold those laws. He doesn’t have to like them but as President he doesn’t get to decide what laws will be obeyed and what laws he can ignore. It will be the States that have to assert their Independence from any illegal actions by this man. He is not king, he is a Dictator wanna be and the National Guards from each State serve at the pleasure of the Governors of that State and they can be used to uphold and defend the Constitution. The 10th Amendment says the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people. Obama could care less about the people but enough States band together to thwart any attempt to overthrow or override the Constitution. He can declare Martial Law but if the States ignore his declaration what is he going to do about it? Many in our military I believe will not fire on Americans even if instructed to if the enough States back the people and not a lawless Manchurian Candidate.

    • That is why they are called ‘Rights’, because they are endowed by Our Creator, not man or government. The uninformed lump ‘Rights’ in the same basket as privileges, which are state controlled. The majority of ‘sheeple’ don’t know the difference.

  5. Yeah, most of them are American patriots. We have 30 men in prison right now and they have done a darn thing, but ask our government to uphold their oaths and stand up for the Constitution. They are Christians and Ranchers, and military men in prison, some being beaten, some being in solitary and chained to a bench without food for days. It only all America would know what is happening in our Country they would be furious. I even know one lady who was put on this list because she goes around teaching our Constitution and she is a Christian as well. If you believe in our Constitution and love your Country, you are a domestic Terrorist. The Hammonds in Oregon were declared domestic terrorist and the terrorized no one, and now the father and son are both in Federal Prison for the second time for the same charges as before. They have not done anything and the charges they are accused of doing were what the BLM did! We also have 10 more men and women out west on house arrest, they cannot work and the trials for all these people in prison were requested speedy, but they will never see their trials this year!

    • That’s a disgrace. And yet he’s bringing Syrians here and speeding up the time to bring them and disperse them in our communities. They shouldn’t even be coming here. What watch list will they be
      on ? Oh, that’s right no watch list because they’re Obama’s Muslim brothers here to further destroy our country.

    • And the old man in Oregon, who was unarmed, and they murdered him, and kept shooting at the 2 unarmed women, in the truck. It is all on video. He was trying to get to a Constitutional Sheriff’s office.

  6. What can you possibly mean: “America does not succumb to tyranny.” We are already 2/3’s there. The last step will be martial law which Obama can implement at any moment he chooses because of our “wimpy, do-nothing” congress. Obama has been driving us down the road of tyranny for his entire reign.

    1. Senior officers in the military fired if they do not agree with Obama
    2. All of Obama’s gun control schemes that do nothing but eliminate 2nd Amendment rights
    3. Open borders for illegals and terrorists
    4. Programs that increases dependence on government paychecks
    5. Programs that hurt the economy
    6. Importation of Syrian muslims and Somali muslims (terrorists)
    7. Turning know terrorists loose from GITMO
    8. Jade Helm 2015 military training exercise to prepare for martial law
    9. Sever reductions in military capability (pre WWII levels)
    10. Support of muslim organizations worldwide
    11. No support for Israel, snubbed Netanyahu.

    • well put, John !

    • Yes, and unfortunately, it doesn’t all hinge on Obama. If he leaves office before the completion of this evil plan to fully decimate America and completely murder and enslave (the remaining) American people, the next presidential appointee will take up where he left off.

      • Presidential appointee..why did you use that term?

        • Roberto Enrique Benitez II | April 23, 2016 at 5:25 pm |

          Perhaps he believes that no matter whom we vote for, that person is already owned and controlled by the elite establishment.

          • Exactly.

          • disqus_TEnEO3I6QR | April 24, 2016 at 11:46 am |

            In the name of god, just look at the process within the RNC and what ACTUALLY is entailed in the ACTUAL selection of a U.S. president. You thought this was a democracy – yeah – good ole U.S.of idiots – thank god for Trump otherwise Americans would never have had a CLUE as to what a “rigged” “fraudulent” system America has, which they call their democratic presidential elections. Having heard the description of the process a MILLION times up to now, on radio, on TV and still, cannot fully comprehend/wrap it around my brain…. the “obvious” FRAUD which they call american democracy. We don’t select our leaders…the perpetual society of D.C. Elites control it all. Wake up America!!!!! What a joke!!!!

          • USNavyPatriot | April 24, 2016 at 1:00 pm |

            Exactly why our NWO owners won’t allow us elections by popular vote. ?

          • disqus_TEnEO3I6QR | April 24, 2016 at 1:46 pm |

            So, why do we not REBEL????????????

          • You tell us. Why are you paying federal taxes? Why are you buying the products of corportized industries? Why are your children in public schools? Why do you bother voting?

          • Roberto Enrique Benitez II | April 25, 2016 at 1:56 am |

            I’ve never thought the US was a democracy in the sense you think of the word, nor would I want it to be one. This is, or was supposed to be, a democratic (very small d) REPUBLIC under the rule of true Constitutional Law under the concept of federalism.

            But as we both know, our system has become quite corrupted, perhaps beyond the point where it can be corrected peacefully. I hope I’m wrong on that.

      • That is why America will be safer if Trump is Elected the next President!

    • It’s not only “Support of muslim [sic] organizations worldwide”. Muslims hold many positions in the White House. He a good little (Muslim) slave boy.

      • Wake up America – muslims have entrenched themselves into our society in more ways than you know,,,and it isn’t good!! They are now in all positions of govt. local and otherwise. This lazy, freeloading closet muslim in the white house and the extreme left have effectively destroyed America/Europe and unfortunately the brainless, YOUTH who have been systematically brainwashed for many decades now – they have the IQ of an AMOEBA…this is American youth today…college grads and they are a humiliating disgrace of pure ignorance!!!
        Wait for it – WWIII on it’s way!!

        • You are absolutely correct that they are firmly entrenched in OUR society. They are NOT being assimilated into our 73% Christian America. They hate our way of life and Constitutional freedoms.

    • Well thought and very well put, John!! Truer words were never spoken!

    • John, I gave you additions to that list, with some pertinent info, on how to find out more info..and this site would not put it up. I don’t have the energy to write it again..besides the moderator must be a leftist!

      • Roberto Enrique Benitez II | April 23, 2016 at 5:19 pm |

        If the moderator is a leftist then how did John’s list make it onto the site? Did your list include racial or ethnic bigotry or was it full of invectives? Or could it be, as it often is, a site problem?

        However, I’ll add an item or so;

        12. Allowing illegal immigrants access to state and federal benefits reserved for citizens.
        13. Forbidding States to prevent non-citizens from voting.
        14. Redefining words such as lawfully and legally so as to justify allowing known illegal
        immigrants to stay in the country.
        15. Allowing foreign firms and countries to gain controlling interest in companies and land.

        • I spoke on Rules For Radicals and gave more facts for his lists. Nothing outrageous.

          • Roberto Enrique Benitez II | April 23, 2016 at 6:39 pm |

            It’s hard to believe that’d be offensive. I believe it’s essential for patriots to be aware of Saul Alinsky’s rules for Radicals and also of the Cloward-Piven plan, both of which Mr. (intentional) Obama and the progressives are using to change the USA into the USSA.

          • Yup, United States Socialist America, dammit people we the people do not want this WAKE THE F–K UP…

          • keepyourpower | April 24, 2016 at 10:24 am |

            They finally put it up! Look below.

          • Roberto Enrique Benitez II | April 24, 2016 at 5:36 pm |

            Thanks for pointing it out. I liked it.

          • keepyourpower | April 25, 2016 at 1:03 am |

            Thanks!

        • Probably because I gave the website to Imprimis at Hillsdale College.

          • Roberto Enrique Benitez II | April 23, 2016 at 6:37 pm |

            Thanks for the info. Sometimes posting URLs gets comments deleted, although Hillsdale College is a great source for information on the Constitution and US history from a Christian perspective. I took their excellent online Constitution 101 course.

    • Re number 11: Why should we (I) be supporting Israel? Are they not a sovereign country? From what I can see, Israel is involved in covert and overt acts of terrorism, war, and destabilization all over the region and abroad. How about we STOP supporting Israel for real? What you are describing is political theater, and you’ve obviously been sucked in. As if all these problems began with Obama or even have much to do with him directly. Just a continuation of the same plan. Do you not ever ask yourself why Obama continued George Bush’s policies to a one when he got into office, along with adding a few that the Republicans also supported? There aren’t two parties. There is one party. And you and I will never be invited.

  7. A lot worse is going on than what this article alludes to. People on watch-lists are targeted for defamation of character, vandalism, death threats, harassment in commercial locations, FBI warrantless “Sneak and peek” searches during which rogue FBI agents will loot the targets residence (theft), pet posionings, cyber-harassment and on-line impersonation based on Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group (JTRIG) counter-terrorism tactics.

    The FBI utilizes InfraGrad, landlords, neighbors, illegal immigrants, ex-cons and criminals on the street level to do their dirty work. They run a never ending string of entrapment operations against the “target” and often will use pre-teens and minors for their illegal operations.

    This COINTEL Program is massive in scope and dwarfs what the Stasi and Gestapo deployed in Eastern Europe. For further information and a general explanation of the premise(s) which the US Domestic Soft-kill elimination program is based on, look up “Zersetzung.”

  8. Bring it on you fascist

  9. Put THIS on your “Domestic Watchlist”! Tyranny shall ultimately fail. Let’s keep our powder dry, fellow Patriots! NO FEAR!

  10. Where’s the list? I want to see if I’m on it.

  11. When the criteria for naming someone a domestic terrorist expands to include: patriots, Christians, organic food consumers, 2nd amendment and constitution supporters, preppers, people into natural healing methods, etc. the numbers of “terrorists” and suspected “terrorists” rises exponentially…. Filthy elitist pigs!

  12. Explain to me please why, exactly, you would trust anything put out by Yale?

  13. Knowing Obam, most of them are probably honorably discharged Veterans who have fought for this country and risked their lives to defend it!

    • That is why veterans where put on lists to keep them waiting to see specialists, hoping that those people who remember what true liberty was about and who fought and died to keep it, will die off. Read “The Professors” by David Horowitz who documents the so called Professor’s who are teaching your children right now. People like Ward Churchill from the University of Colorado who said after 9/11 that everyone who was in those buildings and died that day deserved it because they were all “Little Eichmann’s” He is just one of many of these left-wing radicals, such as Bill Ayers and his wife who killed and murdered and now teach at the University of Chicago. Even today he is unrepentant about his role in bombing the Capital and the Pentagon, saying he wish he had done more. These are but a couple of the hundreds of Communists and racists who hate our Country and are teaching our kids to hate it as well.

  14. How does one find out if they are on a no-fly list, or any other of these lists, without spending your money on an airline ticket, and going to the airline desk to get those tickets? Is there a way? The late Senator Kennedy had to find out the hard way…

  15. Not for long.

  16. TGFD here.
    My two cents….The DHS and the DOJ are FILTH, and so is every dam piece of Sh*t who works for them.
    I expect that President TRUMP!! will quickly end the careers of all those panty-boy retards who infest those two departments. LOL!!

  17. It’s too bad that the U. S. government doesn’t include itself on the terrorist watch list.

  18. obama will forever be a dark stain on the history of the USA,and hillary will only make it more indelible if elected. indicting the snake should be pursued more extremly

  19. If Obama’s name is not on the watch list, it should be. Hillary also, Pelosi, Holder, Lynch, you can continue the list.

  20. Thanks John and Roberto for the list and information. Each day, both the list and information will be outdated. Our congress will continue allowing the list to grow. As in “Gone With the Wind” most Americans and congress say “I will worry about that tomorrow”.

  21. Proof : America needs a Democratic/GOP RINO overhaul, and starting at the very top of each party.

  22. I,m guessing my name on the list too since I did mention I,m a patriot am ready to defend America.

  23. I’m very much afraid of our government.

  24. If speaking out that I don’t like Obama, Clinton, or Liberals (actually hate them) is terrorist related then by all means list me. I spent a L.E. Career with different gov’t agencies. They can do one of 3 things to you. Jail, Prison, or Kill you. 2 things in life are a guarantee. Death & Taxes. I’m done with taxes so only have one left.

  25. I will say this once and once ONLY ! these ‘lowly’usfederalgovernment GOONs had better show up at my doorstep for THEY ALL will be in for a very ‘rude’ awakening i assure you people ………… make NO mistake about it ………”MARK MY WORDS” !!!

  26. More of Obama’s backdoor gun control.

  27. After reading many of the comments here, I now know that I am not ‘crazy’ as some have accused when I expressed my fears of what Obama’s plan was for America. He began, even during his presidential campaign, with augmentation of racially motivated hatred and division to set his plans in motion. Then we all watched as he began tearing down our military and law enforcement practices, our political process in dealing with other countries, creating unsustainable debt and the dismantling of our Constitutional rules of law and freedom. While we were distracted with the civil unrest and destruction these actions created, he slipped in more and more people that hate America and all we stand for. They especially hate Americans and wish to either enslave or kill us. I am of the opinion that Obama does not have any intentions of ever leaving office, but instead is waiting to be crowned the first King of America, a nation now under Tyrannical Rule. Our world is rapidly changing, taking with it the futures of our children and grandchildren.

  28. Roberto Enrique Benitez II | April 24, 2016 at 5:34 pm |

    Excellent comments. Like you, I fear we’ve reached or ar near a point where only the people rising up will be once again as Jefferson said bind the federal government with the chains of the Constitution. And thanks for directing me to them. As you pointed out, there was nothing offensive about them, at least to a patriot.

  29. THEIR LIST WILL BE SHOVED BACK AT THEM

  30. right on that, Patriot. You’re only wrong about one thing…….some of us have to work! to support all the ones that won’t.

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