Pretty amazing how this document is now on the internet … probably not for long. It’s the “March 2013 Watchlisting Guidance,” a 166-page document issued last year by the National Counter terrorism Center, which spells out the government’s secret rules for putting individuals on its main terrorist database, as well as the no fly list and the selectee list.
Here are the highlights;
——- it allows individuals to be designated as representatives of terror organizations without any evidence they are actually connected to such organizations
——- the ONLY requirement is “reasonable suspicion” (page 48)
——- it gives a single White House official the unilateral authority to place “entire categories” of people the government is tracking onto the no fly and selectee lists.
——- It broadens the authority of government officials to “nominate” people to the watchlists based on what is vaguely described as “fragmentary information.” It also allows for dead people to be watchlisted.
——- the guidelines also define “destruction of government property” and “damaging computers” used by financial institutions as activities meriting placement on a list. They also define as terrorism any act that is “dangerous” to property
——- There are a number of loopholes [page 42] for putting people onto the watch-lists even if reasonable suspicion cannot be met.
————— 1)- The immediate family of suspected terrorists—their spouses, children, parents, or siblings—may be watchlisted without any suspicion that they themselves are engaged in terrorist activity.
————— 2)- ”associates” who have a defined relationship with a suspected terrorist, but whose involvement in terrorist activity is not known.
————— 3)- individuals with “a possible nexus” to terrorism, but for whom there is not enough “derogatory information” to meet the reasonable suspicion standard.
————— In other words, if you happen to purchase gas at a convenience store owned by a Mooslim using your credit card you may end up in the big government terrorist database.
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——- The fifth chapter, titled “Encounter Management and Analysis” details the type of information that is targeted for collection during “encounters” with people on the watchlists,
In addition to data like fingerprints, travel itineraries, identification documents and gun licenses, the rules encourage screeners to acquire health insurance information, drug prescriptions, “any cards with an electronic strip on it (hotel cards, grocery cards, gift cards, frequent flyer cards),” cellphones, email addresses, binoculars, peroxide, bank account numbers, pay stubs, academic transcripts, parking and speeding tickets, and want ads.
The digital information singled out for collection includes social media accounts, cell phone lists, speed dial numbers, laptop images, thumb drives, iPods, Kindles, and cameras. All of the information is then uploaded to the TIDE database.
Screeners are also instructed to collect data on any “pocket litter,” scuba gear, EZ Passes, library cards, and the titles of any books, along with information about their condition—“e.g., new, dog-eared, annotated, unopened.”
Business cards and conference materials are also targeted, as well as “anything with an account number” and information about any gold or jewelry worn by the watchlisted individual.
Even “animal information”—details about pets from veterinarians or tracking chips—is requested.
——- In other words, everything, (and they do mean EVERYTHING), about you will be collected, stored, and used against you at the appropriate time.
“Just shut the fuck up and trust us. If you’re not a terrorist you have nothing to worry about.” — Sincerely, Your Masters
Here is the full 166 page secret document: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/07/23/march-2013-watchlisting-guidance/
