Cointelpro: The Fbi's Secret War on Political Freedom

If you're concerned about the future of democratic rights under the so-called Patriot Act, just take a short glimpse back in American history with COINTELPRO, the code-name for FBI's covert and illegal counterintelligence program. This book takes a look at the program through the prism of the Socialist Workers Party and Young Socialist Alliance because it was those two groups that went to court against the FBI in 1974. Through the lawsuit these two organizations launched, an avalanche of documents came to light. You'll read how the FBI used every dirty trick in the book to discredit these groups--getting members fired from their jobs, discredited as candidates, how they sought to drive a wedge between the followers of Malcolm X and the SWP, how hard they worked to upset the antiwar movement and more. Many important copies of documents appear in the book. Must reading for anyone concerned with attacks on freedom of speech and association, and how to fight back against government disruption plans.

Cointelpro by Nelson Blackstock is a close and penetrating look at the illegal FBI counterintelligence program code-named COINTELPRO. Brought to light by a lawsuit filed in 1973 and settled thirteen years later, the COINTELPRO program, its methods for political disruption, techniques used by the FBI, CIA, and military intelligence, are all covered in-depth in this shocking and fascinating account. Enhanced with an introduction by Noam Chomsky, Cointelpro is especially timely reading in view of the radical measures being passed into law and implemented under the aegis of Homeland Security.