Rights groups to sue FBI over monitoring

[me b zola]

Rights groups to sue FBI over monitoring
ACLU, others hope to find if agency monitored political activities

The Associated Press
Updated: 6:32 a.m. ET May 18, 2005WASHINGTON - Five civil rights, animal rights and environmental groups are joining together to sue the FBI to release records about monitoring of antiwar and other political activities by federal agents assigned to counterterrorism duties.

The American Civil Liberties Union said the decision to file a lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington came after the FBI ignored Freedom of Information Act requests for the documents. The other organizations involved are the American-Arab Anti-discrimination Committee, Greenpeace, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and United for Peace and Justice.

The groups say they have been subjected to scrutiny by task forces set up to combat terrorism.

“We think that if they have some reason to hide from the public the files they have on political and religious groups, we want to know right now what it is,” said Ann Beeson, the ACLU’s associate legal director.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7889336/