U.S, Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, D.C. 20835
September 30, 2015,
MR. JASON LEOPOLD
VICE NEWS:
589 VENICE BOULEVARD
VENICE, CA 90291
FOIPA Request No. 1281214-000
‘Subject: "MOHAMMAD RAGHEAD"
Dear Mr. Leopold
The enclosed documents were reviewed under the Freedom of information/Privacy Acts (FOIPA), Tile 5,
United States Code, Section 552/552a. Deletions have been made to protect information which is exempt from
disclosure, with the appropriate exemptions noted on the page next to the excision. In addition, a deleted page
information sheet was inserted in the file to indicate where pages were withheld entirely. The exemptions used to
withhold information are marked below and explained on the enciosed Explanation of Exemptions:
Section 552 Section 8528
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184 page(s) were reviewed and 56 page(s) are being released
F Document(s) ware lacated which originated with, or contained information concerning, other Government
agency(ies) [OGA].
T This information has been referred to the OGA(s) for review and direct response to you.
¥ Weare consulting with OGA(s). The FBI will correspond with you regarding this information when the
‘consultation is finished.
"In accordance with standard FBI practice and pursuant to FOIA exemption (b)(7\(E) and Privacy Act
‘exemption ()(2) [5 U.S.C. § 552/552a (b)(7)(E)/G)2)], his response neither confirms nor denies the existence
fof your subject's name on any watch istsFor your information, Congress excluded three discrete categories of law enforcement and national security
records from the requirements of the FOIA. See 5 U.S. C. § 562(c) (2006 & Supp. IV (2010). This response is limited
to those records that are subject to the requirements of the FOIA. This is a standard notification that is given to all our
requesters and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist. Enclosed for your
information is @ copy of the Explanation of Exemptions,
F vou have the right to appeal any denials in this release. Appeals should be directed in writing to the Director, Office
of infrmaton Poicy(OIP), US. Department of uston,1425 New York Ave., NW, Sisto T1050, Weshington,O.C
£20530-000", or you may submit an appeal hyough OIP's eFOIA porta thier i 7
Your appeal must be received by OIP within sty (60) days rom the date of ts ltr in oder tobe considered timely
‘The envelope andthe letlershoUld be clearly marked Freedom of information Appeal” Please cle the FOIPA
Request Number assigned to your request so that may be easy dented
T The enclosed material is from the main investigative file(s) in which the subject(s) of your request was the focus of
the investigation, Our search located additional references, in files relating to other individuals, or matters, which may
‘oF may not be about your subjec(s). Our experience has shown when ident, references usually contain information
similar tothe information processed in the main file(s). Because of our significant backlog, we have given priority to
processing only the main investigative files). you want the references, you must submit a separate request for them
inwting, and they willbe reviewed at a later date, as time and resources permit
‘See additional information which follows.
Sincerely,
Shir
David M, Hardy
Section Chief
Recordiinformation
Dissemination Section
Records Management Division
Enclosure(s)
In response to your Freedom of information (FOIA) request submitted to Records Management Division at
Winchester, VA, enclosed is a processed copy of the documents responsive to your request.
‘As previously indicated, document{s) were located which originated with, or contained information concerning
other Government agency(les) [OGA]. We are consulting with those OGAs and are awaiting their response. Due to
the fact that our office has processed all other information Currently in our possession, your request is being
‘administratively closed at this time, pending the completion ofthe outstanding consultation by our office. The FBI will
correspond with you regarding those documents when the consultation is finished.
‘This material is being provided to you at no charge.FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
FOT/PA
DELETED PAGE INFORMATION SHEST
FOI/PAH 1281214-0
Total Deleted Page(s) = 28
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Page
Page
Page
Page
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Page 16 ~ b5;
Page 20 ~ Referral/consult;
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RIANA
X Deleted Page(s) x
X No Duplication Fee X
X For this Page x
XXXXKK XXX AKER KHAKI,ALL FBI IGFORMATION CONTAINED
EEREIN 18 UNCLASSIFIED
DAME 1-12-2014 BY P2muenKes usiee
(OPA) (FBI)
(or) BN)
i4 10:28 AM
(OPA) (FB)
Tew arlicles coming from the intercept?
UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
SentinelCaseld: NON-RECORD
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
Lwas iust asked an odd question by a CTD counterpart. He has been asked a few questions about a program called
Jo prepare a brief for the EAD. He was told it is because of either a new Greenwald or new intercept article. He
wasn’t certain.
Do you know if the Intercept has informed us about any new releases?
Any help/context would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
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All: attached please find The Intercept article with the leaked NCTC document and slide.
b6
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Office of the General Counsel
Federal Bureau of Investig
Tel: (571) 350-4201
Cell
Unclassified email:
Blackberry|
Confidentiality Statement
This message is transmitted to you by the Office of the General Counsel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The
‘message, along with any attachments, may be confidential and legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient of this message, please destroy it promptly without further retention or dissemination (unless otherwise
required by law), Please notify the sender of the error by a separate e-mail or by calling 571-350-4201,
Fro crayon bs
Sent Tuesday, August 05,2014 2:48 PM ere
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Subject: Intercept Article "Watch Commander” — SECRET///NOFORN
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From: (OPA) (FBI)
Sent Thursday, July 10, 2074 3:74 PM
Te HARDY, DAVID (RMD) —— (OPA) (FBI)
Ce: Ce ENT)
Subject: RE: Snowden Leaks Identify Muslim-Americans Under FBI And NSA Surveillance —
UNCLASSIFIED/FOUO
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Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
TRANSITORY RECORD
‘This is great David, thanks for thinking of us.
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From: HARDY, DAVID (RMD) (FBI) ae
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 10:18 aM
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‘Subjeck Sowden LESks Identify Muslim-Americans Under FBI And NSA Surveillance —- UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
TRANSITORY RECORD
‘Thought somebody might ask you about whether we've had any requests for the five individuals in the articles.
‘Snowden Leaks Identify Muslim-Americans Under FBI And NSA Surveillance. The Washington Post (7/10,
Nakashima, 4.22M) notes that on Wednesday morning, Glenn Greenwald and Murtaza Hussain of The Interceot (7!) reported that
the NSA and the FBI ‘monitored the e-maiis of several prominent Muslim American activists and attomeys,” which
“prompi{ed}..protest ‘rom chil liberties advocates and strong pushback from the government." The Post notes that The Intercept's
reporting is “based on documents leaked by...Edward Snowden, which included a spreadsheet sting thousands of e-mail addresses
‘monitored between 2002 and 2008.”
The New York Times (7/10, Savage, Subscription Publication, 965M) reports that ‘among those identified by First Look as
having been subjected to survellance were Hooshang Amirahmadi, a Rutgers University professor who is the president ofthe
‘American iranian Council" Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Isiamic Relations, Asim Ghafoor, ‘a
defense lawyer who has handled terrorism-related cases,” Faisal Gill, a former Department of Homeland Security lawyer who First
Look said later did some legal work with Mr. Ghafoor on behatf of Sudan in a lawsuit brought by victims of terorist attacks,” and
‘Agha Saeed, the national chaiman ofthe American Muslim Aliance.
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pic
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Subject: FW: Fwd: Broad Coalition Urges ‘Full Public Accounting’ for Government Surveillance of U.S.
Muslim Leaders
CAIR response to the Greenwald story is below,
Fronf b6
Sent : prc
To|
Subject: FW: Fwd: Broad Coalition Urges ‘Full Public Accounting’ for Government Surveillance
of U.S. Muslim Leaders
You may be aware of the most recent CAIR communication but I thought I'd send it in case you
have not seen it.
Public Affairs Specialist
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Sacramento Field Office
450 Orange Grove Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95841
desk b6
cell b7c
www. fbi. gov/sacramento
Original Message:
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 9:15 AM
To!
Subject: Fu Fwd? Broad Coalition Urges ‘Full Public Accounting’ for Government Surveillance
of U.S. Muslim Leaders
sent this to me last night.
Fror
TC
ce:
Sent: Thu Jul 10 00:14:59 2014
Subject: Fwd: Broad Coalition Urges ‘Full Public Accounting’ for Government Surveillance of
U.S, Muslim Leaders
FYI
Sent from my iPhoneBegin forwarded message:
. 6
From: ae
a ™
Subject: Broad Coalition Urges Full Public Accounting’ for Government Surveillance of U.S.
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[CAIR California]
San Francisco Bay Area July 9, 2614
Broad Coalition Urges ‘Full Public Accounting’ for Government Surveillance of U.S. Muslim
Leaders
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/9/2614) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the
nation's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, today joined with a broad-
based coalition of 45
organizations, led by the ACLU, in
insistingchttp: //r20. rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=01jGErLG2Rpav5JaXxrS84s7gRFAAI7eIZnlb1Znt TS91CgtFCBBSA
S0QFGXOQvg8YO81n-scOSWiAieaSnmaMdzKc2RLsts610Thbo_jHCw2bKqnClheqa-
‘SGw31ZCBFOen4FhOQKaQSw2mnrQH2Z 1844 jAgaHnY cAHURGZZSjodoVU_Xep9XUGBel FwAjpX1CB4RSXPj89-
2#§C1S2i7¥pkKMBiJ€mZLvoQ2AzNYCXFRKFECOXI-
673F31A7qV5ICB1KT4dYgkLRWbVKhSBBQ==8c=xF8xFublcoJ8SZTSGEgkI8zXzaawALALVCycfxPdkSaJpnbJ4cVLysg=
=&ch=ikHFtbiDfDxJhZWT1HUFCHJOD4PIKvw613H210g_9NKGI03jcIpxkw==> that President Obama "provide
a full public accounting" of surveillance practices of American Muslim leaders.According to new
revelations by journalists Glenn Greenwald and Murtaza Hussain, CAIR'S
national executive director was among those reported to be targeted for surveillance.
Addressing that apparent targeting, CAIR said: "This is an outrageous continuation of civil
rights era surveillance of minority community leadership by government elements who see
threats in all patriotic dissent."
[NOTE: In response to the new revelations, the White House called for a
reviewchttp: //r20.rs6. net/tn. jsp?#=001jGErLG2Rpav5JaXXrSB4s7gRFA4I7eIZn1b1ZntTS91CgtF c8B5ASOQ
FGXO@vqBY@B1n-scOSWiALeaSnmiNQzKc2RLstsG1@ThbQ_jHCwabKqnClheqa-
SGw}T2CBFOOen4FhOgkaQSw2nnrQH2ZTB44 jAg4MnY CAHURGZZSjodoVU_Xep9xUGBe1 FAjpX1CB4RSXPj89-
2F4C1S217YpkKhBij8mIL voQZAZNYCKFRKFECOXI-
673F31A7qVSICBLKT4dYgkLRWbvKhSBBQ==&c=x 8xF uNco}85ZTSGEgkI82XzaawAL 4LVCycfxPdKSaJpnbJ1cYLyse=
=&ch=iKHFtbiDFOXIHZNTIHUFCHJOD4PIKvW613H210g_ONKGJO3jcIpxkw==> of training and policy
materials for racial or religious bias, but has not yet offered a position on the
surveillance issue. ]
In a letter to President
Obamachttp: //r20.rs6.net/tn. jsp? f=001jGErLG2Rpav5JaxxrS84s7gRFA4I7eIZNIbIZNt TS91CgtFCBBSASOOF
GXO0vq8VO8IN-sc95WiALeaSnmINQzKc2RLsts610ThbQ_jHCW2dKqnCLheqa-
‘SGujTzCBFOOeN4FhOQKkaQSw2mnrQH2ZTB4i jAgAHnYCAHURAZZS jodoVU_Xep9xUGBelfwAjpX1CB4R5xPj89-
2451821 7¥pkKhB1j8mIL voQ2AznYCxFRKFECOXI-
673431 A7qV5IC81KT4d¥gkLRWOVKNSBBQ==8c=xF8xFublcoI85ZTSGE gkI82KzaawALALVCycfxPdkSaJpnbJ1cVLyse=
=&ch=iKHFtbiDfDxIhZWTIHUFCHJOD4PIKvWw613H210g ONKGIO3}cIpxkwe=>, the coalition wrote in part:
"The First Look report is troubling because it arises in this broader context of abuse.
Documents obtained through an American Civil Liberties Union Freedom of Information Act
request show that the FBI has been mapping a broad spectrum of communities, including
American Muslim communities, the African American community and Latino Anerican communities,
without any basis for individualized suspicion. Under the guise of community outreach, the
FBI targeted mosques and Muslim community organizations for intelligence gathering. It has
pressured law-abiding American Muslims to become informants against their own conmunities,
often in coercive circumstances. It has also stignatized innocent Muslims by placing them on
the No Fly List and other watch lists. In short, the government's domestic counterterrorism
policies treat entire minority communities as suspect, and American Muslims have borne the
brunt of government suspicion, stigma and abuse.
"These practices hurt not only American Muslims, but all communities that expect law
enforcement to serve and protect America's diverse population equally, without
discrimination. They strike the bedrock of democracy: that no one should grow up fearful of
law enforcement, scared to exercise the rights to freedom of speech, association and
worship.”Signatories to the coalition letter include:
Access
‘American Civil Liberties Union
‘American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Amnesty International Arab American Institute
Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus Brennan Center for Justice Center for
Community Change Center for Constitutional Rights Council on Anerican-Islamic Relations
Defending Dissent Foundation Free Press Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders Human Rights
Campaign Human Rights Watch Interfaith Alliance Islamic Society of North America Lambda Legal
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Muslim Advocates Muslim League Fund of
America Muslim Public Affairs Council National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People Legal Defense Fund National Center for Lesbian Rights National Center for Transgender
Equality National Coalition on Black Civic Participation National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Inmigration Law Center National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild
National Lawyers Guild National Network for Arab American Communities National Religious
Campaign Against Torture National Security Network National Urban League New America
Foundation's Open Technology Institute New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
Partnership for Civil Justice Fund Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Sikh American Legal Defense
and Education Fund The Sikh Coalition South Asian Americans Leading Together Transgender Law
center
T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness
Ministries
In its own statement CAIR added:
“The Obama administration continues to allow some government agencies to treat all Americans
as objects of suspicion. It is time for a full public accounting regarding surveillance of
American minorities. This includes explaining the use of the blatantly prejudiced ‘Mohammad
Raghead' as a placeholder in a document describing how to properly format surveillance
justification.”
This past weekend the Washington Post
revealedchttp: //r26.rs6.net/tn.jsp?#=001jGErLG2RpavSJaXXrS84s7gRFA4I7eIZn1b1ZntTSOACgtECEBSAS
OQFGXO@vq8YNBSN_AaBviTHiyslik2uqaVabCD1stsPBLS-
SxENhiQFiW@_mVUGkOT1zLa_pAzrk471SKICV6oschdzzui2qEert4bPDLbaqjJTg2TUKY6eQVo-
‘@juulwepzuepL Sqcacyu-dcQzSSGDccUKSdOUCU-rNOZxEB3Z70FF KOUFGCANLLOpxytpcFVhw5_6iZBBQbLDr-
OdazcabsCs7SUst7auz1SafGYuA-jepcBEIxSogi JOCBixvB-
‘itisallj qlEVMRtYzZ0epu0 gGN@wc9Cow tF c1QKSqLx1xgk04F5e1 -GXMNpobGxWyXHAMUAas@H7x-
vgv23¢qRwBo8rUL1ptoR2kSrT&c=xFBxFuWcoJ85ZTSGEgkI8zXzaawAL aL VCycfKPdKSaJpnbJ1cYLysg==&ch=iKHFt
biDFDxINZWTIHUFCHJODAPIKVW613H210g ONKGJ03jcIpxkw==> that the vast majority of the
information in a cache of NSA intercepted communications contained within the Snowden
documents were not from intended surveillance targets. Among the files were “medical records
sent from one family member to another, resumes from job hunters and academic transcripts of
school children."
Other groups have issued statements independent of the coalition letter:
AccessThe NSA revelations continue to
shockchttp: //r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?#=001jGErLG2RpavSJaXXxrS84s7gRFA4I7eIZn1b1ZntTS91CgtFcBBSASOOF
GXOOvqBYFYSSiss-
NRpKrFjADgYb1Mo7qFB2Kgnpi geSHMAHZggbet7qF PDGZKHKIPST2SOVTIAKBXLZyxEPe3 PUdUSHb4qgLISSKBTWOEWE7
bE nilwqbITT7eAvAE4uT2e-
PDKCF2B_X7H@FkeVO1JAgOYTOoSNaniBtpHIoR
cl
:f8XFuNcoI8SZTSGERKIB2XZaaWALALVCycFXPAKSaJpnbI1cYLy sg
.KHFtb4DFDxIHZWT1HUFCHJOD4PIKvw613H210g_9NKGI03jcIpxku=
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) ADC Responds to Glenn Greenwald's NSA
Revelationschttp: //r20.rs6.net/tn. jsp?#=001jGErLG2RpavSIaXxrSB4s7—hFAI7eIZnlb1ZntTSACgtr ces
SASoQFGXO@vq8YIUSte3C9LKPraba2jL8yr1C3xrau~
eyhuCSq1v16PemJ61kF3yiR7bA_2qF ZmnEXBOgMVUOANRdjSEw6xsTuTRbcon24wCqIwIZ196751cGRIdpBAMUBYTY St
f_ADUdRye19jdAPTbLafN3WKPxnUI_ESK@Qgb@NhingssSL-nPK3s9FVFBZ6QqF7IFINKtUVgH4-REb-
it-Rc=xF8xFUNCOISSZTSGEgkI82XZaaWALALVCycfxPdkSa pnbJ1.cYLysge=&ch=ikKHF tbiDFDxIhZWTIHUFCHJODAP
3kvw613H210g_9NkGJ03jcIpxkw:
Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR)
NSA Surveillance of Muslim Leader Fits Same Pattern as FBI Spying on MLK, Say Civil Rights
Attorneys
ich=1KHF tbiDfDxIhZWTLHUFC
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
EFF Statement on Intercept Article Revealing Surveillance of Muslim
Activists
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
NPAC Condemns New Revelations of NSA, FBI Spying on Muslim
Leaders
National Coalition of South Asian Organizations
South Asian Organizations Respond to Surveillance of Muslim, Indian, and Pakistani
Americans
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to
enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower
American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Help Us Promote Justice & Empower American Muslims Support CAIR this Ramadan
[Donate]
A group of generous donors has pledged to match your donations to CATR-SFBA this Ramadan
dollar-for-dollar up to $30,000. This means that your donation of $5,000, $1,000, $500, $250,
$1, or any amount you can afford will insha‘Allah be doubled.
Donations to CAIR-SFBA are both tax-deductible and Zakat-eligible.
[Like us on
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CAIR-California | 3000 Scott Blvd | Ste 101 | Santa Clara | CA | 95054
be
breALE TtoRErroN comAnED
DATE 11-13-2014 BY v6
b7c
BS
From:
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2074 5:46 PM
To:
Ce:
Subject:
BS
Fal Office of Public AffairsALOR CONAN:
HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED
DATE 11-19-2014 BY F2Mu5KI5 NSICC yg
Ic
From:
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2014 3:21 PM
To: <=
Subject: Press inquiry from Democracy Now!
Want to do this?
Original Message.
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Subject: URGENT press inquiry from Democracy Now!
Hi Thanks for speaking with me just now. Democracy Now is a TV and radio news hour
airing on 1,20 stations. We'll be covering the Intercept's latest story about surveillance
of Muslim Americans and wanted to see if a representative from the FBI could join us by
phone, video Skype or in studio. Our show is live between 8-9 am ET tomorrow morning.
Many thanks,Ai aroaio coRTATRED:
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Wednesday, Juy 08, 2014 9:36 AM
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Subject: Greenwald story
The long-awaited Greenwald story posted last night,
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Re: Intercept
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Fyi the article is out...uu eat
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Sent: Tue Jul 68 da:i7:44 2014
Subject: FW: Let me know...
any chance that massive email exchange has some background on the Greenwald matter that
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Subject: Fw: Let me know...
FYSA...all I need is background. Looking in the system but nothing so far.
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sent? Tue Jul 08 41:42:04 2014
Subject: Re: Let me know...
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Subject: Fw: Let me know...
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Subject: Re: Let me know...
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Sent; Tue Jul 08 11:26:06 2014
Subject: Re: Let me know...
Thanks ‘ready sent me something this morning. Almost done with the PAG. Just
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around.
But please send what you have so I can make sure it's the same statement.
Original Message -----
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Sent: Tue Jul @8 11:23:01 2014
Subject: Re: Let me know...
Hi, just finished a presentation so will send in one sec
Original Message
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Sent: Tue Jul 08 09:57:58 2014
Subject: Fw: Let me know...
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In the meeting now and have been asked about the PAG again. Please forward e-mail chain that
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Subject: Let me know.
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piece is below, in case you missed it...
N.S.A. Records Detail Surveillance of American
Muslim Leaders
By CHARLIE SAVAGEJULY 9, 2014
WASHINGTON — A new report based on documents provided by Edward J. Snowden has identified five
American Muslims, including the leader of a civil-rights group, as having been subjected to surveillance by the
National Security Agency,
The disclosure of what were described as specific domestic surveillance targets by The Intercept, published by
First Look, was a rare glimpse into some of the most closely held secrets by counterespionage and terrorism
investigators. The article raised questions about the basis for the domestic spying, even as it was condemned by
the government as irresponsible and damaging to national security.
‘The report was based on what it desoribed as a spreadsheet of email addresses said to have been monitored
between 2002 and 2008, and was co-written by Glenn Greenwald, a primary recipient of the trove of documents
leaked by Mr. Snowden, the former N.S.A. contractor.
The document is titled “F.LS.A. Recap,” suggesting that the eavesdropping took place under the process
authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,
Among those identified by First Look as having been subjected to surveillance were Hooshang Amirahmadi, a
Rutgers University professor who is the president of the American Iranian Council, a public policy group that
works on diplomatic issues regarding relations with Iran, and Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Coutcil
on American-Islamic Relations or C.A.LR., a Muslim civil rights organization,
Also named were Asim Ghafoor, a defense lawyer who has handled terrorism-related cases; Faisal Gill, a
former Department of Homeland Security lawyer who First Look said later did some legal work with Mr.
5Ghafoor on behalf of Sudan in a lawsuit brought by victims of terrorist attacks; and Agha Saeed, the national
chairman of the American Muslim Alliance, which supports Muslim political candidates.
In its report, First Look said that the documents did not say what the suspicions or the evidence was against the
men that justified the surveillance, acknowledging that “it is impossible to know why their emails were
monitored, or the extent of the surveillance.”
In video clips posted by First Look, several of the men denied wrongdoing and said they suspected their religion
contributed to any targeting.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has issued about 1,800 orders each year
for surveillance or physical searches on American soil. To obtain a court order to wiretap an American under
that law, the government must persuade a judge that there is probable cause to believe the target is engaged ina
crime on behalf of a foreign power; non-Americans need only be agents of a foreign power without a suspicion
of criminal wrongdoing.
‘None of the five American Muslims named by First Look has been charged with a crime in connection with the
apparent monitoring.
‘The government refused to confirm whether any of the five had indeed been subjected to surveillance or, if so,
what the basis for it was. A group of several dozen civil liberties and rights organizations sent a letter to
President Obama on Tuesday expressing concerns about the potential for “discriminatory and abusive
surveillance,” but also acknowledged that “we don't know all the facts,” and asked for an explanation,
“We cannot trust government assurances of faimess and legality when surveillance is being conducted without
sufficient public oversight,” it said. “As a first step, we urge you to provide the public with the information
necessary to meaningfully assess the First Look report.”
Gadeir Abbas, a staff attorney with C.A.LR., called the apparent surveillance of its executive director an
outrage.
“It’s but the latest indication that the N.S.A. is spying on Americans based on the exercise of their constitutional
rights,” he said. “In this case, what has been revealed makes very clear that Americans’ faith as well as their
political activism is what the N.S.A. uses as the basis for its targeting practices.”
Ina joint statement, the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence strongly
denied such accusations, pointing to the standards that a judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
must agree have been met before the government may eavesdrop on an American under F. I. S. A..
“Gtis entirely false that U.S. intelligence agencies conduct electronic surveillance of political, religious or
activist figures solely because they disagree with public policies or criticize the government, or for exercising
constitutional rights,” they said, adding: “On the other hand, a person who the court finds is an agent of a
foreign power under this rigorous standard is not exempted just because of his or her occupation.”
First Look, which profiled the five men, pointed to some possible reasons they might have attracted suspicions,
In 2007, for example, the Justice Department named CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator in its prosecution of
the Holy Land Foundation, a Muslim charity later convicted of providing material support for terrorism by
funneling money to Hamas. A redacted screenshot suggests that Mr. Awad’s email was monitored from Nov. 9,
2006, to Feb 1, 2008.James McJunkin, a former assistant director of the F.B.1's counterterrorism division, declined to comment on
any particular target. But in general, he said, the F.LS.A. process allowed the government to respond to
reporting, either by another part of the intelligence community or by a foreign partner, that an organization
might be involved in raising money for ostensibly charitable purposes that is used abroad to train equip a
terrorist group.
“We've got to determine whether that is in fact true, and that’s why you may have individuals in leadership
positions who are targeted for F.18.A. collection,” he said, “You can’t target the head of a civil rights
organization for that, If you're targeting an individual for F.LS.A. collection, you are doing so because you
believe he has specific intelligence that can either prove or disprove a linkage to terror financing or material
support.”
He added: “Reporting this type of information on national security cases is highly irresponsible and damaging
to national security.”
Mr. Abbas, the C.A.LR. lawyer, said: “We have been subject to intensive scrutiny for years and that scrutiny
has resulted in nothing other than smears. Our record is clear and it’s public. We are a Muslim civil rights
organization. We defend the civil liberties of Americans in court in the media and we empower American
‘Muslims to participate in our democracy.”
First Look reported that the spreadsheet contained a column headed “Nationality” and that 202 of the email
addresses belonged to “U.S. persons,” while 1,782 belonged to “non-US. persons” and 5,501 were listed as
“unknown” or left blank. Many of the emails appeared to involve foreigners overseas suspected of links to
terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda, it said.
First Look also identified email addresses for tivo other Americans on the list whose ties to a terrorist
organization, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, are well known: Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, both of
whom had propagandized in favor of Islamist violence and were killed by an American drone strike in Yemen
in September 2011. American officials accused Mr, Awlaki of having evolved into an operational terrorist, and
said he was the specific target of the strike, while Mr. Khan was a bystander.
The First Look report, which suggested that anti-Muslim prejudice contributed to the surveillance, also
published what it said was part of a 2005 training document about how to format a memo seeking permission
under F.LS.A. to wiretap someone. In the example, it used the fake name “Mohammed Raghead.”
Asked to respond, Vanee Vines, an N.S.A. spokeswoman, said: “N.S.A. has not and would not approve official
‘raining documents that include insulting or inflammatory language. Any use of racial or ethnic stereotypes,
slurs, or other similar language by employees is both unacceptable arid inconsistent with N.S.A. policy and core
values.”
And Caitlin Hayden, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said, “The administration takes all such
allegations extremely seriously, and upon learning of this matter the White House immediately requested that
the director of national intelligence undertake an assessment of intelligence community policies, training
standards or directives that promote diversity and tolerance, and as necessary, make any recommendations
changes or additional reforms.”
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URL:http://www nytimes.com/2014/07/10/us/politics/nsa-snowden-records-glenn-greenwald-first-
look.htmlhp&action=click&pgtype-Homepage&version=HpSum&module=first-column-region®®ion=top-
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_ Feds Spied on Prominent Muslim-Americans,
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By JAIIES GORDON MEEK, BRIAN ROSS and RHONDA SCHWARTZ 4 minutes ago Good Morning America
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‘View photo |
Feds Spied on Prominent Muslim-Americans, Report Claims (ABC News)A new report based on NSA documents taken by Edward Snowden has revealed the names of prominent
American Muslims whose emails it claims were monitored by the FBI and the NSA for years — the most
specific allegation yet of the U.S. government's domestic spying and one that officials said could compromise
ongoing operations,
‘The report, published overnight by Glenn Greenwald at the fledgling news outlet The Intercept, identifies five
of some 202 “U.S. Persons” listed in NSA documents whose emails were allegedly swept up over a six-year
period ending in 2008: Nihad Awad, Executive Director of CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights organization
in the country; Faisal Gill, who served with the Department of Homeland Security and ran for public office in
Virginia as a Republican; Asim Ghafoor, a defense attorney who has taken on terrorism-related cases;
Hooshang Amirahmadi, an international relations professor at Rutgers University; and Agha Saeed, a former
political science professor at California State University and National Chairman of the American Muslim
Alliance.
“There is absolutely no question in my mind that the reason I was being surveilled is because I am a Muslim,
‘There is nothing in my background. I have always carried a security clearance," Gill told ABC News in an
interview broadcast today on "Good Morning America",
The disclosure by The Intercept of Americans allegedly once spied on secretly, and possibly under the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act, is unprecedented, according to some officials in national security positions who
say they urged Greenwald not to use the names of any individuals because it could compromise ongoing
operations or wrongly implicate the people cited.
Alll five named by Greenwald have denied involvement in terrorism and none have ever been charged with any
terrorism-related crimes.
‘The new disclosures raise a host of questions -- namely why these individuals’ emails were collected by U.S.
spies inside the homeland in the first place, given the layers of legal review such intelligence warrants undergo.
Current and former officials said the Attorney General and the FBI director would have been personally
involved in overseeing any FISA warrant targeting the leader of a civil rights group such as the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, which is protected by the First Amendment speech protections of the Constitution.
In his potentially explosive story, Greenwald admits he only has a list of thousands of email addresses which
may have been targets of intelligence collection, adding that because other files he does not possess are still
classified, "itis impossible to know why their emails were monitored, or the extent of the surveillance,"
“Itis also unclear under what legal authority it was conducted,” Greenwald writes.
Any spying inside the U.S. linked to terrorism or espionage must be approved with a warrant from the super-
secret federal court that oversees classified FISA surveillance and clandestine FBI searches,
In June last year, with Greenwald's help, Snowden leaked the first known copy of a FISA court order since the
court's inception 35 years ago.
Greenwald also concedes in his online article that The Intercepts reporters and editors do not know "what, if
anything, authorities found that permitted them to continue spying on the men for prolonged periods of time,"
but said the five shared a "Muslim heritage."
"It is entirely false that U.S. intelligence agencies conduct electronic surveillance of political, religious or
activist figures solely because they disagree with public policies or criticize the government, or for exercising
2constitutional rights," said a joint statement by the Department of Justice and Office of the Director of National
Intelligence Tuesday night.
‘While the reasons for surveillance aren't known, some of the men named had public associations that may have
raised questions. Gill, for instance, once worked as a consultant for the American Muslim Council, which was
founded by Abdulrahman Alamoudi, a man who pleaded guilty in 2004 to charges related to his “activities...
with nations and organizations that have ties to terrorism.” Gill was investigated for this connection twice by the
DHS and was cleared both times, The Intercept reported, yet the surveillance continued,
A senior government official said without knowing the underlying probable cause presented to a federal judge
from the FISA court in each case, Greenwald and The Intercept cannot know why the e-mails of the purported
targets were collected.
As a result, the official said, Greenwald and Snowden cannot know whether the surveillance revealed evidence
or intelligence in each case that was incriminating or exculpatory ~- or whether some targets later cooperated
with the FBL. Several officials said it was “irresponsible” to name individuals as surveillance targets when no
public court record exists. The identified targets could be guilty or innocent or even cooperating with the
government, the officials said
"You don't know if somebody was later approached to become an informant," the senior official said, "To the
extent any of these people were targets, [The Intercept report] is a serious compromise. And if they weren't
targets, they shouldn't be named.”
The Intercept said many of the emails on the spreadsheet titled “EISA Recap," which they said Snowden
provided, “appear to belong to foreigners whom the government believes are linked to al Qaeda, Hamas and
Hezbollah.” But the report says their three-month investigation showed that “in practice, the system for
authorizing NSA surveillance affords the government wide latitude in spying on U.S. citizens.”
However, current and former U.S. officials told ABC News that Snowden or Greenwald may have
misunderstood some of the NSA documents, which they reported are spreadsheets with 7,485 email addresses,
including many among multiple accounts by individuals.
“You should not assume all of the names Glenn Greenwald has were targets of surveillance," a senior official
familiar with Snowden's pilfered cache told ABC News last week.
A former senior official once closely involved in the FISA warrant process told ABC News that The Intercept's.
reporters were repeatedly warned by him that they "were getting it wrong" in how they interpreted what the
NSA spreadsheets from Snowden signified. The documents also were curiously absent of the markings secret
files typically carry which denote its specific level of classification and distribution limitations.
"The documents indicated to me that they were not targets," the former official said.
Greenwald, who delayed his announced publication date last week by several days while seeking additional
clarification from the U.S. government, reported the Department of Justice refused to comment and he was
ultimately unable to determine under what legal authority the surveillance was conducted or whether the men
were formally targeted under FISA warrants.
“Unlike some other nations, the United States does not monitor anyone's communications in order to suppress
criticism or to put people at a disadvantage based on their ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion,”
the joint statement provided to ABC News by the government offices said. “Our intelligence agencies can
3collect communications only when they have a legitimate foreign intelligence or counterintelligence purpose.
This work is done to help protect Americans.”
“Moreover, no U.S. person can be the subject of surveillance based solely on First Amendment activities, such
as staging public rallies, organizing campaigns, writing critical essays or expressing personal beliefs, On the
other hand, a person who the court finds is an agent of a foreign power under this rigorous standard is not
exempted just because of his or her occupation,” the statement says.
‘The Intercept also reported that Snowden provided a 2005 training document that instructed “intelligence
community personne!” to file memos correctly to justify a FISA warrant. “In the place where the target’s real
name would go,” Greenwald writes, “the memo offers a fake name as a placeholder: ‘Mohammad Raghead.””
Another senior government official, who is not authorized to speak to the press, told ABC News that the
offensive document was produced by a low-level "knucklehead" who only shared it with a few fellow
government or military employees, not thousands of intelligence workers.
Vanee Vines, a spokesperson for the NSA, told ABC News that while the agency would not comment on the
“authenticity of any allegedly leaked material,” the NSA “has not and would not approve official training
documents that include insulting or inflammatory language.”
“Any use of racial or ethical stereotypes, slurs or other similar language by employees is both unacceptable and
inconsistent with NSA policy and core values,” Vines said.
ABC News’ Rym Momtaz and Lee Ferran contributed to this report.
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‘Subject: ABC on Intercept
Feds Spied on Prominent Muslim-Americans,
Report Claims
By JAMES GORDON MEEK, BRIAN ROSS and RHONDA SCHWARTZ 4 minutes ago Good Morning America
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Feds Spied on Prominent Muslim-Americans, Report Claims (ABC News)
A new report based on NSA documents taken by Edward Snowden has revealed the names of prominent
American Muslims whose emails it claims were monitored by the FBI and the NSA for years — the most
specific allegation yet of the U.S. government's domestic spying and one that officials said could compromise
ongoing operations.
The report, published overnight by Glenn Greenwald at the fledgling news outlet The Intercept.
of some 202 “U.S. Persons” listed in NSA documents whose emails were allegedly swept up over a si
period ending in 2008: Nihad Awad, Executive Director of CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights organization
in the country: Faisal Gill, who served with the Department of Homeland Security and ran for public office in
Virginia as a Republican; Asim Ghafoor, a defense attorney who has taken on terrorism-related cases:
Hooshang Amirahmadi, an international relations professor at Rutgers University; and Agha Saeed, a former
political seience professor at California State University and National Chairman of the American Muslim
Alliance.
"There is absolutely no question in my mind that the reason I was being surveilled is because I am a Muslim.
‘There is nothing in my background. | have always carried a security clearance." Gill told ABC News in an
interview broadcast today on "Good Morning America”
The disclosure by The Intercept of Americans allegedly once spied on secretly, and possibly under the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance inprecedented, according to some officials in national security positions whosay they urged Greenwald not to use the names of any individuals because it could compromise ongoing
operations or wrongly implicate the people cited.
All five named by Greenwald have denied involvement in terrorism and none have ever been charged with any
terrorism-related crimes.
The new disclosures raise a host of questions -- namely why these individuals’ emails were collected by U.S.
spies inside the homeland in the first place, given the layers of legal review such intelligence warrants undergo.
Current and former officials said the Attorney General and the FBI director would have been personally
involved in overseeing any FISA warrant targeting the leader of a civil rights group such as the Couneil on
American-Islamic Relations, which is protected by the First Amendment speech protections of the Constitution.
In his potentially explosive story, Greenwald admits he only has a list of thousands of email addresses which
may have been targets of intelligence collection, adding that because other files he does not possess are still
classified, "it is impossible to know why their emails were monitored, or the extent of the surveillance."
“Itis also unclear under what legal authority it was conducted,” Greenwald writes.
Any spying inside the U.S. linked to terrorism or espionage must be approved with a warrant from the supe
secret federal court that oversees classified FISA surveillance and clandestine FBI searches.
In June last year, with Greenwald's help, Snowden leaked the first known copy of a FISA court order since the
court’s inception 35 years ago.
Greenwald also concedes in his online article that The Intercept's reporters and editors do not know "what,
anything, authorities found that permitted them to continue spying on the men for prolonged periods of time,"
but said the five shared a "Muslim heritage."
"Its entirely false that U.S. intelligence agencies conduct electronic surveillance of political, religious or
activist figures solely because they disagree with public policies or criticize the government, or for exercising
constitutional rights," said a joint statement by the Department of Justice and Office of the Director of National
Intelligence Tuesday night.
While the reasons for surveillance aren't known, some of the men named had public associations that may have
raised questions. Gill, for instance, once worked as a consultant for the American Muslim Council, which was
founded by Abdulrahman Alamoudi, a man who pleaded guilty in 2004 to charges related to his “activities
with nations and organizations that have ties to terrorism.” Gill was investigated for this connection twice by the
DHS and was cleared both times, The Intercept reported, yet the surveillance continued.
A senior government official said without knowing the underlying probable cause presented to a federal judge
from the FISA court in each case, Greenwald and The Intercept cannot know why the e-mails of the purported
targets were collected.
As a result, the official said, Greenwald and Snowden cannot know whether the surveillance revealed evidence
or intelligence in each case that was incriminating or exculpatory -- or whether some targets later cooperated
with the FBI. Several officials said it was “irresponsible” to name individuals as surveillance targets when no
public court record exists. The identified targets could be guilty or innocent or even cooperating with the
government, the officials said."You don't know if somebody was later approached to become an informant,” the senior official said, "To the
extent any of these people were targets, [The Intercept report] is a serious compromise, And if they weren't
targets, they shouldn't be named."
The Intercept said many of the emails on the spreadsheet titled “FISA Recap," which they said Snowden
provided, “appear to belong to foreigners whom the government believes are linked to al Qaeda, Hamas and
Hezbollah.” But the report says their three-month investigation showed that “in practice, the system for
authorizing NSA surveillance affords the government wide latitude in spying on U.S. citizens.”
However, current and former U.S. officials told ABC News that Snowden or Greenwald may have
misunderstood some of the NSA documents, which they reported are spreadsheets with 7,485 email addresses,
including many among multiple accounts by individuals
"You should not assume all of the names Glenn Greenwald has were targets of surveillance,
familiar with Snowden’s pilfered cache told ABC News last week
senior official
A former senior official once closely involved in the FISA warrant process told ABC News that The Intercept's
reporters were repeatedly warned by him that they "were getting it wrong" in how they interpreted what the
NSA spreadsheets from Snowden signified. The documents also were curiously absent of the markings secret
files typically carry which denote its specific level of classification and distribution limitations,
"The documents indicated to me that they were not targets," the former official said,
Greenwald, who delayed his announced publication date last week by several days while seeking additional
clarification from the U.S. government, reported the Department of Justice refused to comment and he was
ultimately unable to determine under what legal authority the surveillance was conducted or whether the men
were formally targeted under FISA warrants,
“Unlike some other nations, the United States does not monitor anyone's communications in order to suppress
criticism or to put people at a disadvantage based on their ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion,”
the joint statement provided to ABC News by the government offices said. “Our intelligence agencies can
collect communications only when they have a legitimate foreign intelligence or counterintelligence purpose.
This work is done to help protect Americans.”
“Moreover, no U.S. person can be the subject of surveillance based solely on First Amendment activities, such
as staging public rallies, organizing campaigns, writing critical essays or expressing personal beliefs. On the
other hand, a person who the court finds is an agent of a foreign power under this rigorous standard is not
exempted just because of his or her occupation,” the statement says.
The Intercept also reported that Snowden provided a 2005 training document that instructed “intelligence
community personnel" to file memos correctly to justify a FISA warrant. “In the place where the target's real
name would go,” Greenwald writes, “the memo offers a fake name as a placeholder: ‘Mohammad Raghead,"”
Another senior government official, who is not authorized to speak to the press, told ABC News that the
offensive document was produced by a low-level "knucklehead” who only shared it with a few fellow
government or military employees, not thousands of intelligence workers.
Vanee Vines, a spokesperson for the NSA, told ABC News that while the agency would not comment on the
“authenticity of any allegedly leaked material,” the NSA “has not and would not approve official training
documents that include insulting or inflammatory language,“Any use of racial or ethical stereotypes, slurs or other similar language by employees is both unacceptable and
inconsistent with NSA policy and core values,” Vines said.
ABC News' Rym Momtaz and Lee Ferran contributed to this report.
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