I have a bad feeling about this...

[khaosworks]

FBI interviewing Iraqis who live in U.S.
Opens command centers to monitor terror threats

Thursday, March 20, 2003 Posted: 3:46 PM EST (2046 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- FBI Director Robert Mueller Thursday confirmed his agents have begun interviewing Iraqis in the United States as part of the government's "Operation Liberty Shield" program to protect the home front during the war with Iraq.

The bureau also has set up command centers to monitor the latest intelligence about security threats and to be able to react quickly to any new information, officials told CNN Thursday.

Mueller said agents are being sent to interview "a number of Iraqi-born individuals and others in the United States to assure them of the FBI's responsibility to protect them from hate crimes and to elicit information on any potential operations of Iraqi agents or sympathizers."

"While our armed forces are leading the fight overseas, the FBI is ready to defend Americans from retaliatory attacks here at home," he said.

Officials say the FBI is interested in talking to the approximately 11,000 Iraqis living the United States. The bureau insists these interviews will be voluntary and are meant to solicit information that could be helpful during the war.

The interviews have drawn criticism from several Muslim rights groups.

"Knowing that you've done nothing wrong, that you're not connected to terrorism in any way, yet having the FBI come to your place of work, go to your neighbors, do all of these things, it's a very intimidating process," said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council of American Islamic Relations.

Of course, if they find anyone violating immigration laws during these voluntary interviews, they'll arrest them.

Call me paranoid, but this is setting off a red alert right at the back of my neck. I mean, I keep thinking - what happens when they decide that the best way to protect Iraqi-Americans from hate crimes is to evacuate them into um, protective camps?

Remember, if they're really out to get you...

Comments

Give them an inch

[surrdave.livejournal.com]

Also, there is a process for registration of Pakistani people in America.

I have been much reminded of WWII on the homefront, not just in terms of isolating "foreigners" but also in the rationing and Rosie-the-Riveter fronts. Eyes open, that's all.