2007-11-22 11:17:41 · 6 answers · asked by . 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Stands for FBI Counterintelligence Program. It involved infiltrating organizations which favored the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.
The idea was to give an early warning of terrorist and criminal activities, such as Communist Party member Angela Davis' smuggling of a shotgun into the Marin County Courthouse, or the Weatherman bombing of the Pentagon, UofW Chemistry dept., draft induction centers etc.
However, if we are to believe the documents released under FOIA, the only results were that a bunch of highly trained FBI and GIU (Gang Intelligence Unit) agents wasted a lot of time writing fanciful reports and bugging the offices of people and organizations that were about as dangerous as the garden society. If the program had any successes, we will never know.
2007-11-22 11:30:39 · answer #1 · answered by BruceN 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a federal government policy or program aimed at intimidating political dissidents to silence.
2007-11-22 11:29:57 · answer #2 · answered by elohimself 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
US secret police to silence dissidence, operated by the FBI.
2007-11-22 11:22:39 · answer #3 · answered by avail_skillz 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Wikipedia has a very comprehensive article on COINTELPRO, far better than anything that could be summed up here. I suggest checking it out.
2007-11-22 11:20:50 · answer #4 · answered by remove 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Just another means of stepping on free speech.
2007-11-22 11:27:07 · answer #5 · answered by smedrik 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
What the ladies named my Willy Ween. Heh! Heh! Don't tell Hillary now.
2007-11-22 11:20:37 · answer #6 · answered by Hey Monica! 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋