An informant working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation was directed to infiltrate a mosque and violated the constitutional rights of the worshiping Muslims by conducting surreptitious "indiscriminate surveillance" because of their religion, according to a joint-lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, named the FBI and a number of its agents and supervisors, a source told the Law Enforcement Examiner.
The federal lawsuit alleges that FBI informant Craig Monteilh was ordered by his supervisors to target Muslims for surveillance, violating their First Amendment right to freedom of religion. The lawsuit seeks class-action status, unspecified damages and a court order instructing the FBI to destroy or return the information Monteilh collected.
However, several law enforcement officers disagree with the plaintiffs' allegationa claiming the surveillance did nothing to impede the Muslims' religious practices.
"Usually these cases are filed regarding the Fourth Amendment and unreasonable search and seizure. In this case the plaintiff is claiming there was a denial of a First Amendment right. It will be interesting to see how federal judges adjudicate this case," said former police detective and military intelligence officer Mike Snopes.
Monteilh admittedly visited a mosque in Orange County, CA, and helped build a criminal case against an Afghan-born man who was later arrested on terrorism charges.
The lawsuit claims that Monteilh's contacts, FBI special agents Kevin Armstrong and Paul Allen, directed him in the collection of e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and other information about the Muslims and "explicitly told Monteilh that Islam was a threat to America's national security," according to the ACLU's legal brief.
An FBI public information officer, Laura Eimiller, said when contacted that she not able to comment on the allegations contained in the lawsuit, but she stated that FBI agents do not target organizations or individuals based on religion.
The agency "does not investigate houses of worship or religious groups, but people who are alleged to be involved in criminal activity, regardless of their affiliations," she told reporters who contacted her office.
"A cold, hard fact is that several terrorist plots have been hatched in Mosques throughout the world. In fact, the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 emanated from a Mosque in Jersey City," said political strategist and attorney Mike Baker.
"In this case, the FBI agents were not monitoring the religious service or the religious practices of worshipers. They were monitoring the activities of a suspect on their radar," added Baker.
Jim Kouri, CPP, formerly Fifth Vice-President, is currently a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a columnist for Examiner.com and New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he's a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.
To subscribe to Kouri's newsletter write to COPmagazine@aol.com and write "Subscription" on the subject line.
Comments
"Monteilh admittedly visited a mosque in Orange County, CA, and helped build a criminal case against an Afghan-born man who was later arrested on terrorism charges."
Do you ever stop misrepresenting the truth? Oh, that's right -- you're a retired cop...
Monteilh, a petty crook recruited as a "terrorism facilitator" by the FBI, made a false accusation against Sais Niazi as an act of retaliation.
Monteilh, acting as an FBI provocateur, tried to entice Niazi into committing a crime. Niazi, worried that he was dealing with a terrorist, complained to CAIR, who complained to the FBI. Monteilh's handlers tried to blackmail Niazi -- who had reported what he thought was a potential crime -- to be a slimy stooge like Montielh, and then filed bogus charges against him when he refused.
This is Stasi-caliber nastiness you're defending, Kouri. Why do you so passionately hate the American concept of freedom?
Excuse me Will Grigg .........but Kouri isn't the one 'defending Stasi'caliber nastiness', that would be people like YOU!
"OHHHHHHHHH the BIG BAD FBI AGENT went INTO THE MOSQUE!"
Yeah he did. But of course YOU forgot that HE didn't deny anyone the right to practice their religion. He only did his job, and went after the TERRORISTS who were possibly going to blow up the home of LAW ABIDING AMERICANS (irregardless of whether they were Liberal or Conservative).
And for that YOU wrongly attack Couri for doing HIS JOB, and REPORTING THE FACTS.
Typical of what I expect from SELF HATING AMERICANS who think that OTHER AMERICANS are so ARROGANT because they revere the very document the 'SELF HATING Americans" consider to be a Document of NEGATIVE LIBERTIES!
YOU need to let the FBI do it's job, considering what the ISLAMIST DOMEST TERRORIST are capable of; the lives the FBI saves might just be YOURS!
@Debra: If your position is that the FBI's actions were acceptable only because the religion involved is Islam and the property involved is a mosque, then you would be a great star witness for the ACLU. Instead of spouting off about "self-hating Americans," try switching on your brain for a minute and think about the way our legal system works. It is set up by design to treat all individuals and groups the same way. If a legal basis is established for the FBI to treat Muslims inside a mosque a certain way, then that automatically would allow the FBI to do the same thing to Christians inside a church, Jews inside a synagogue, or even your people, Scientologists, while you are worshiping on the spiritual planet Eggnog or whatever. If you're not OK with it happening to you, then you should be with the ACLU on this one. Because you can bet your E-meter that if the court says it's OK in this case, the FBI will start doing people of all faiths the same way. And why shouldn't they?
http://www.islamicsolutions.com/propaganda-against-islam-and-muslims/
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!