Pentagon Shifts Focus From Quakers And Hippies

Remember the Pentagon�s Counterintelligence Field Activity Office? [Washington Post]

That�s the creepy DoD program that, under the guise of collecting info on domestic threats, �included information about antiwar protests planned at churches, schools and Quaker meeting halls.�

More on the program�s excesses here: [SourceWatch]

Now, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is planning on shutting it down. Well, sorta. [New York Times]

The Grey Lady reports that the closure is �part of a broad effort under Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to review, overhaul and, in some cases, dismantle an intelligence architecture built by his predecessor, Donald H. Rumsfeld.� [New York Times]

The changes: The CIFA will be �dismantled� and �some of its operations be placed under the authority of the Defense Intelligence Agency.�

So… good news?

Unclear.

Civil liberties groups are concerned that �the change might be cosmetic and that the Pentagon might be closing the office to farm out its operations to other agencies that receive less scrutiny.�

And it seems like the Pentagon agrees.

A Pentagon spokesman said the move was �aimed at creating efficiencies and streamlining� and �had nothing to do with its troubled history.�

Quakers, keep a look out.

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