Category: Politics

The ex-FBI informant with a change of heart: 'There is no real hunt. It's fixed' | World news | guardian.co.uk. Craig Monteilh says he did not balk when his FBI handlers gave him the OK to have sex with the Muslim women his undercover operation was targeting. Nor, at the time, did he shy away from recording their pillow talk.

The best investigative reporting of 2011 worthy of a Pulitizer | Talking Points Memo. Let’s be honest: Most investigative reporting doesn’t get widely read because it’s dense, inaccessible and not very compelling. It lands with a thud and isn’t heard from again. That’s why I was rooting for a couple of guys this time around for Pulitzers whose work was doggedly reported, widely read, and forced the powers that be to react.

Separate Justice System for Muslims – NYTimes.com. Since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, genuine concerns about national security as well as politicking and fear have led to a shift in the balance between civil liberties and law enforcement. That much is indisputable, and widely discussed. Yet it’s rarely acknowledged that the attacks have also led to what’s essentially a separate justice system for Muslims.

Language Deemed Offensive Is Removed From F.B.I. Training Materials – NYTimes.com. The language suggesting that agents could bend the law was contained in 876 pages of training materials about Muslims and Arab-Americans the F.B.I. deemed to be offensive or inaccurate and removed after a review of about 160,000 pages of such material over the past six months, according to aides present at the briefing. Also removed was the admonition that agents should never stare at or shake hands with an Asian, and the assertion that Arabs had “Jekyll and Hyde” personalities making them more likely to have “outbursts and loss…

Go Back to Your Country – Global Experts. You never forget the first time you’re told to “go back to your country.” It’s like being punched in the heart and stomach simultaneously.

Six N.Y. Senators Don Hoodies for Trayvon Martin — Daily Intel. In Albany yesterday, the six hooded lawmakers read off a list of black men killed by New York police, tracing responsibility back to Rudy Giuliani. “It is horrific what happened to Trayvon,” Adams added. “But it happens every day in the city of New York.”

The Continued Politicization of the Trayvon Martin Case – National – The Atlantic Wire. Bryant’s criticism of Sharpton and Jackson is about race as well: That in focusing on this particular case, and this one example of “white men killing black young men,” we’re ignoring black on black crime, which is the true epidemic, says Bryant, “The greatest danger to the lives of young black men are young black men.”  While this may be true, it’s also somewhat akin to blaming a vegetarian for using a leather handbag. Which is to say, as individuals, we should all stand up for what…

Police Powers in New York – NYTimes.com. The Police Department’s tendency toward blanket surveillance is on vivid display in its stop-and-frisk program, which results in the stopping of more than 600,000 mainly minority citizens on the streets every year. The department credits the program with reducing crime, but there is no proof that it does. A study carried out in connection with a federal lawsuit against the department has found that only about 6 percent of stops result in arrest and that less than 1 percent turn up weapons. In addition to criminalizing the victims of these stops, the program…

American Islam – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education. Here’s what I know. These three men, all converts, appeal to young American Muslims. They appeal, in large part, because they were born and raised in this country and have a vision for Islam that is unmistakably American. Though they’ve all spent time studying in Muslim-majority countries—Imam Zaid and Sheik Hamza were away for years—their focus remains on building a Muslim community that looks and feels, in every way possible, American.

Brad Lander: NYPD Surveillance: What We Don’t Know, And Why It Matters. Every federal agency (including the FBI and CIA) has one, as do many city agencies. In fact, the NYPD — despite its size and operations — stands alone among major American police departments for lacking any meaningful independent oversight (L.A., Chicago, and Philadelphia all have broad independent bodies with subpoena power, for example). IGs help agencies work better. When they are following the law and doing the job right, IGs help provide independent confirmation and legitimacy. When there are ways to do it better, IGs suggest them. The…