WASHINGTON -- A top Pentagon official has told Congress that the nation's military intelligence agencies did not spy on American protesters during the wave of nationwide demonstrations against the police killings of African Americans.In a letter Thursday to the House Intelligence Committee, Joseph
WASHINGTON — A top Pentagon official has told Congress that the nation’s military intelligence agencies did not spy on American protesters during the wave of nationwide demonstrations against the police killings of African Americans.
Without mentioning any specific role Pentagon spy agencies might have played in monitoring foreign activities during the recent protests, Kernan acknowledged that such clandestine efforts could be misconstrued. Kernan said that the directors of the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency “have all personally assured me they have not received or made any such requests” to spy on Americans.
The deployment of U.S. military intelligence units on American soil in support of domestic law enforcement operations is unusual, but it has happened before. Intelligence and Pentagon officials said they had been closely monitoring the protests for any sign of attempts by Russia or other foreign powers to seize on the racial tensions, but so far they have noted only public statements by Russian officials criticizing the United States for its handling of the demonstrations.
“Our country faces a myriad of foreign bad actors attempting to interfere in our political process, and those threats are only likely to increase as we approach the 2020 elections,” Schiff said in a statement. “Constant vigilance, robust congressional oversight and greater transparency will be necessary to combat that interference.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Can Makeup Be an Anti-Surveillance Tool?As protests against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement continue in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, protection against mass surveillance has become top of mind.
Read more »
Nonracist to antiracist: Seven rapid culture shifts since the killing of George FloydPrompted by the police killing of George Floyd, American culture has radically transformed in less than three weeks. Here are seven key shifts.
Read more »
New Orleans protesters knock down bust of slave owner, throw it into riverThe destruction is part of a nationwide effort to remove monuments to the Confederacy or with links to slavery as the country grapples with widespread protests against police brutality toward African Americans.
Read more »
Investigations into alleged officer misconduct not enough for man permanently injured during curfew'They're treating us like we're attacking the country, when they're really attacking us as citizens,' Jax Feldmann, a 21-year-old Denver resident, told ABC News.
Read more »
Black police officers discuss their experience during protestsFor the past few weeks, Sgt. Carla Havard of the Denver Police Department has been on the front lines of protests and demonstrations. But her experience differs from the white officers she works with.
Read more »