revolutionary action movement (ram) - Michael Schwartz Library

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various military intelligence agencies, the general
directive, or strategy
of what to concentrate on domestically would be given . The FBI had informants
in Civil Rights organizations and at local and national demonstrations
.
An aspect of the military-police intelligence apparatus that has
received little attention is
the cooperation of local and state police
agencies with the FBI .
In the late 50's and early 60's, local and state police agencies
placed more emphasis on intelligence and counter-intelligence .
Traditionally
called 'red squads', the intelligence units of local police agencies
began taking pictures of people in demonstrations, at public rallies and
meetings, and at all gatherings identified with political protest . Sometimes
photographers for newspapers were approached and asked for copies of
photographs taken at various events .
Consistent activists, if not all participants, were indexed in local
and state "radical" dossiers and
information was shared nationally through
the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit (LEIU),
which consisted of 150 police
departments . The FBI had close communication and liaison with the LEIU .
Files from the LEIU often ended up in the radical index of the FBI . 3
A national intelligence system based on the cooperation and support
of national and local security agencies was established by the mid-60's
from major urban areas to the national government .
In 1965, the FBI started its secret COINTELPRO program . Much of the
COINTELPRO program was concentrated on disrupting the Communist Party .
But as the Civil Rights Movement began to intensify, the FBI became more
engaged in subversive activities to crush it as well .
3 Su plementar Detailed Staff Reports on Intelligence Activities and
the Rights of Americans , U .S . Senate, Book III Washington, D .C . : GPO,
1976), p . 791 .