Date: Sat, 2 May 1998 07:07:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gerald Levy <glevy-AT-pratt.edu>
Subject: M-TH: Re: Out of the ashes of Jefferson Village


Those who believe that the FBI and CIA would tell us if they were spying
on us as a result of a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) inquiry don't
know how the FBI and CIA operate and what the FOIA allows for.

To begin with, the CIA doesn't reveal any information about its actions
unless it wants to. Period. Moreover, to believe that one could use the
FOIA to get information on the CIA's current initiatives is at best naive.

One can use the FOIA to obtain (some) information from the FBI. For
instance, one can ask for one's file if one was a subject of
investigation during the COINTELPRO program. I did this myself back in
'80 or '81. *HOWEVER* it is a matter of FBI policy not to name the names
or otherwise implicate current or past FBI agents or informers. They also
refuse to reveal any information on current investigations (including
whether they are conducting an investigation). All such information,
unless they slip-up (which sometimes happens) is when photocopied
"blacked-out" with a magic marker prior to sending out the documents in
response to the FOIA request.

Thus to believe that the FBI and/or CIA would tell us if they were spying
on us and what the names of the agents and informers are is, quite
frankly, idiotic.  On the other hand, an appeal to the FBI and CIA would
almost certainly *attract* attention by those agencies to us *if* they
were not already here. 

But, do you believe that P was actually going to inquire about a FOIA
appeal to the FBI and CIA "this weekend" (i.e. 2 weekends ago?)? Of course
not. It was just an empty threat. We can infer this since we know from
P's past writings that P had some prior familiarity with the FOIA and P
consequently knows the absurdity of such an effort.

Jerry  
 



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