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# 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business INTERNATIONAL
Top 25 of 2009 British Petroleum’s
Source: (BP’s) Deep Secrets
The Progressive, February 7, 2008 Beware of Lead in Your
Title: “Exclusive! The FBI Deputizes Business” Soil and Food
Author: Matthew Rothschild Venezuela Resists Drugs
Without US Help
Student Researchers: Chris Armanino and Sarah Maddox
Vital E-mail Can
Faculty Evaluator: Josh Meisel, PhD Misinform U.S. Public
U.S. Government
More than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly Understates Poverty
with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to collect and
The Senate Stalls Again
provide information on fellow Americans. In return, members of this rapidly Petitions by Change.org | Get Widget | Start a Petition »
on Settlements To Black
growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats
Farmers
before the public, and at times before elected officials. “There is evidence that
InfraGard may be closer to a corporate Total Information Awareness The FBI Raids Restrict
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program (TIPS), turning private-sector corporations—some of which may be Free Speech You like this. Unlike · Admin
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in a position to observe the activities of millions of individual customers— Page · Error
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into surrogate eyes and ears for the FBI,” according to an ACLU report titled Page · Error
“The Surveillance-Industrial Complex: How the American Government Is
Conscripting Businesses and Individuals in the Construction of a 8,1408,139 people like Project Censored
Surveillance Society.”

InfraGard, with members from 350 companies of the Fortune 500, started in
Cleveland back in 1996, when the private sector there cooperated with the Elaine Wilhelm Carla Phil

FBI to investigate cyber threats. “Then the FBI cloned it,” says Phyllis
Schneck, chairman of the board of directors of the InfraGard National
Members Alliance, and the prime mover behind the growth of InfraGard over
the last several years. Sheryl Frank Albin Bryan Horacio
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FBI Director Robert Mueller addressed an InfraGard convention on August 9,

2005. “To date, there are more than 11,000 members of InfraGard . . . from THE DAILY
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our perspective, that amounts to 11,000 contacts . . . and 11,000 partners in
our mission to protect America.” He added a little later, “Those of you in the Hip Hop & Radical
private sector are the first line of defense.” Resistance
A FILM OFFERS
On May 9, 2007, George Bush issued National Security Presidential Directive INSIGHT INTO THE
51 entitled “National Continuity Policy.” In it, he instructed the Secretary of AMERICAN CHARACTER
Homeland Security to coordinate with “private sector owners and operators
Justice Department
of critical infrastructure, as appropriate, in order to provide for the delivery
Probe of CIA Torture
of essential services during an emergency.”
Evidence: Another
“They’re very much looped into our readiness capability,” says Amy Kudwa, Whitewash?
spokeswoman for the DHS. “We provide speakers, as well as joint “Quantitative Easing”:
presentations [with the FBI]. We also train alongside them, and they have What Does It Mean?
participated, sometimes hundreds at a time, in national preparation drills.” CENSORED 2001-
According to more than one interviewed member, an additional benefit to 2008: THE BUSH ERA
InfraGard membership is permission to shoot to kill in the event of martial
The Money Party Cat
law, without fear of prosecution.
Food Commission and
“We get very easy access to secure information that only goes to InfraGard Social Security
members,” Schneck says. “If you had to call 1-800-FBI, you probably
wouldn’t bother,” she says. “But if you knew Joe from the local meeting you
had with him over a donut, you might call. Either to give or to get
[information]. We want everyone to have a little black book.”

http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/3-infragard-the-fbi-deputizes-business/[11/13/2010 9:18:52 AM]

# 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business | Project Censored

Jay Stanley, public education director of the ACLU’s technology and liberty
program, warns that, “The FBI should not be creating a privileged class of
Americans who get special treatment. There’s no ‘business class’ in law RECENT COMMENTS
enforcement. If there’s information the FBI can share with 22,000 corporate
lamparas techo on # 2 Security and Prosperity
bigwigs, why don’t they just share it with the public? That’s who their real
Partnership: Militarized NAFTA
‘special relationship’ is supposed to be with. Secrecy is not a party favor to be
given out to friends. . . . This bears a disturbing resemblance to the FBI’s BP Successfully Disposed of the Oil … In the Gulf
handing out ‘goodies’ to corporations in return for folding them into its Food Chain « THE INTERNET POST on 18. Manhattan
domestic surveillance machinery.” Project Covered Up Effects of Fluoride Toxicity
aWo wrap it up then, The Leipzig Connection was/is
InfraGard is not readily accessible to the general public. Its communications indeed published by a Scientology organization. It is
with the FBI and DHS are beyond the reach of the Freedom of Information not clear whether the authors (Paolo Lionni and Lance
Act under the “trade secrets” exemption, its website says. And any J. Klass) were Scientologists or not. I think it's more
conversation with the public or the media is to be carefully rehearsed. subtle than this. As far as I've been ab on A Response
to Chip Berlet’s “Toxic to Democracy”
UPDATE BY MATT ROTHSCHILD

The Progressive sent out a press release on the InfraGard story, and I was
interviewed on Air America, Democracy Now! and lots of other alternative
radio shows. But the mainstream media have ignored this story, with the
exception of one small wire service report. The FBI hasn’t ignored it, though.

On February 15, the FBI issued a press release denouncing our article.

“The article’s claims are patently false,” said the FBI’s Cyber Division
Assistant Director Shawn Henry. “InfraGard members have no extraordinary
powers and have no greater right to ‘shoot to kill’ than other civilians.”

“No greater right”? That’s odd language, isn’t it? It reminded me of a quote
in my article from Curt Haugen, CEO of S’Curo Group, and a proud
InfraGard member. When I asked him about whether the FBI or Homeland
Security agents had told InfraGard members they could use lethal force in an
emergency, he said: “That much I cannot comment on. But as a private
citizen, you have the right to use force if you feel threatened.”

Note that the FBI did not deny that it ever told InfraGard members that they
could “shoot to kill.” All that Henry said was that InfraGard members “have
no greater right.” That doesn’t exactly blow a hole in my story.

The FBI seemed put out that I did not give enough information about the
meeting the whistleblower attended. “Unfortunately, the author of the
Progressive article refused even to identify when or where the claimed ‘small
meeting’ occurred in which issues of martial law were discussed,” Henry said
in the press release. “If we get that information, the FBI certainly will follow
up and clarify any possible misunderstandings.”

The reason I didn’t identify where or when the meeting took place is obvious:
I didn’t want to reveal anything that would expose my whistleblower.

Incidentally, the press release fails to mention that I received confirmation

about discussions of “lethal force” from another member of InfraGard, whom
I did name.

I stick by every single word of my story. And I call on Congress to investigate

InfraGard and to inspect the plans that the FBI may have in store, not only
for InfraGard, but for all of us in times of an emergency.

One final note: since the story appeared, I’ve received several new leads,
including one confirming that a private company has been given “lethal
powers.”

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7 Responses for “# 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business”

books on CD says: May 12, 2010 at 3:15 am

http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/3-infragard-the-fbi-deputizes-business/[11/13/2010 9:18:52 AM]

# 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business | Project Censored

Hey, just wanted to comment and tell you good post!

C. HODSON says: August 29, 2010 at 11:31 pm

the u.s. is a marixist-stasi nation now @ yes im a target! the ciminal acts
conducted by NSA-FBI ARE CIMINAL IN NATURE! WERE IN THE BEGING
OF ANOTHER NAZIE COUNTRY AND / OR MARXIST STATE INWHICH
WILL DESTROY THE U.S.!!!!

The “National Security” Apparatus September 17, 2010 at 3:49 pm

Has Been Hijacked to Serve the
Needs of Big Business says:
[...] And under the FBI’s Infraguard program, businesses sometimes receive
intel even before elected officials. [...]

The “National Security” Apparatus September 18, 2010 at 5:13 am

Has Been Hijacked to Serve the
Needs of Big Business | NW0.eu
says:
[...] is contractors.And under the FBI’s Infraguard program, businesses
sometimes receive intel even before elected officials.Of course, “no-bid”
contracts in Iraq and elsewhere are another example of how national [...]

the infinit yes » Top 25 Censored October 5, 2010 at 6:15 am

News Stories for 2009 says:
[...] # 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business [...]

ems says: November 1, 2010 at 4:22 pm

Full information re Fruad/ Negligence by FBI/ CIA/ Homeland security to date.

Same using forign intelligence source in UK defrauding US Personal/ Public/
Business/ E Commerce/ Cyber/ Network/ Homeland security; Information
assurance at taxpayer expense over 51 billion USD

ems says: November 1, 2010 at 4:23 pm

Full information re Fruad/ Negligence by FBI/ CIA/ Homeland security to date.

Same using forign intelligence source in UK defrauding US Personal/ Public/
Business/ E Commerce/ Cyber/ Network/ Homeland security; Information
assurance at taxpayer expense over 51 billion USD

comments? ems@asiamail.com

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# 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business | Project Censored

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