News

The Charity and Security Network monitors U.S. and foreign government activities and a wide range of news sources to identify developments in national security policy that impact American charities and foundations. We collect and disseminate this information - with a focus on its impact on civil society and nonprofit organizations.

 

News

U.S.’s First Report to UN Human Rights Council Admits Shortcomings

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Date: 
August 30, 2010

On Aug. 20, 2010, the U.S. government made public its report on its human rights record to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report is one step in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process in which UN member-state’s human rights records is examined once every four years. This is the first time the U.S. has submitted a report on its human rights record, and its work drew mixed reviews from civil rights and liberty advocates who had hoped it would reflect more of the concerns and recommendations raised by the U.S. nonprofit sector. The U.S.’ review before the UN is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Letter to President Outlines Reforms Needed to Protect U.S. Charities and Donors

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Date: 
August 16, 2010

On August 11, 2010, more than 40 Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian charities delivered a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to reform federal charitable giving laws and regulations that restrict the humanitarian work of legitimate U.S. charities.  The letter identifies several barriers that harm humanitarian groups, their donors and the people they serve. It also outlines “concrete action” the President can direct the Departments of Justice, State, and Treasury to do to “protect innocent donors and charities.”  

Documents Reveal Rampant Government Surveillance on Washington State Activists

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Date: 
August 13, 2010

Documents released on Aug. 4, 2010 by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reveal widespread government surveillance of political activists in Washington State.   Obtained through records requests to several government agencies, the public documents demonstrate anti-war groups have been the target of repeated infiltration by law enforcement officials from 2006-2010. According to the ACLU, the documents "reveal a disturbing abuse and misuse of government resources.”   

Appeals Court Orders Due Process to Fix State Dept. Listing of Foreign Terrorist Organization

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Date: 
August 3, 2010

On July 15, 2010 a long running battle by an Iranian group to get off the State Department's (State) list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) reached a new stage when the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ordered State to reconsider listing of the People's Mujaheddin Organization of Iran (PMOI). The court said State must provide PMOI an opportunity to rebut the unclassified information State had relied on. The ruling reflects the same due process problems recognized by federal courts found in Department of Treasury (Treasury) designations of two U.S. charities, KindHearts for Charitable and Humanitarian Development and Al-Haramain Oregon. 

Analysis: In a Bad SPOT: Why a Military Database for NGOs Is Impractical

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Date: 
August 3, 2010

The U.S. army’s Synchronized Pre-Deployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) system is a military database that indefinitely stores detailed personnel data of contractors’ employees working in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Senate Hearing Looks at Problems with FBI Surveillance Guidelines

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Date: 
August 3, 2010

On July 28, 2010, FBI Director Robert Mueller faced questions from Congress about FBI guidelines that allow surveillance on Americans without evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Mueller also told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he did not know how many FBI agents may have cheated on an exam to demonstrate their understanding of the guidelines, called the Domestic Intelligence and Operations Guide (DIOG). Civil liberty advocates, already troubled by the wide discretion DIOG gives FBI agents, said the testing scandal only makes the situation worse. 

House Report Calls for Examining Details of USAID's Problematic Vetting System

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Date: 
August 3, 2010

A June 26, 2010 House of Representatives report says  the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is expected to engage with the charitable sector in constructing a “commonsense system” for vetting potential grantees. Related to the State, Foreign Operations, and related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2010, the report calls on USAID to provide “lessons learned” about the Partner Vetting System (PVS) used in the West Bank and Gaza to the Committee on Appropriations. PVS has been widely criticized by the charitable sector for being ineffective and potentially dangerous to aid workers in global hot spots. 

ACLU Requests FBI Records on Racial Profiling

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Date: 
July 28, 2010

On July 27, 2010, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) affiliates in more than two dozen states filed a request to view documents that would show what racial data the FBI collects, and how it is used. Concerns about unconstitutional racial profiling authorized by the FBI’s 2008 Domestic Intelligence and Operations Guide (DIOG) prompted the nationally coordinated Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by 32 ACLU affiliates. 

Analysis: Congressional Report Says Dept. of Defense Contracts Funding Afghan Insurgents

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Date: 
July 16, 2010

On June 21, 2010, the same day the Supreme Court upheld a federal statute that bans training in nonviolent dispute resolution as support to listed terrorists groups, a Congressional report was released saying U.S. taxpayer dollars are being funneled from the U.S. army contractors to insurgents, including the Taliban. What sense does it make to punish humanitarian groups who want to train terrorist groups to turn away from violence, but knowingly allow millions of dollars to flow uninterrupted to a designated terrorist group the U.S. military is battling everyday in Afghanistan?

Students Planning Peaceful Demonstration Target of Police Spying

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Date: 
July 15, 2010

Documents released by the Washington state American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) at a press conference on July 8, 2010 substantiate claims that a college campus police officer  infiltrated a student activist group in April. The ACLU says the documents identify alleged incidents of covert surveillance conducted by police without a “reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.” The ACLU also called on state lawmakers to curb illegal surveillance of political and religious groups by police officials.