The Original COINTELPRO, The FBI And Counter-Intelligence Program

I am doing this post as a review of a book I am currently reading which mentions COINTELPRO from the perspective of the FBI. Here's the book on Amazon in case you wish to look it up yourself.

The Bureau : The Secret History of the FBI : Ronald Kessler

A Review : By SKL

I am currently up to page 112 at this moment but the last chapter and a few specific pages are what I am mentioning here in the hopes of enlightening all of ATS. The copyright belongs to Ronald Kessler and St Martins Press, but under that it states the following :

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address St Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Again, I am stating that I am reviewing this book here in short, and only a few pages at that relating to the context of COINTELPRO, and will also use Wikipedia as a reference as well.

From pages 106-108, in My words not directly from the book : In 1956 seeking to discredit and or disrupt the Communist Party USA, J Edgar Hoover initiated what is commonly referred to as COINTELPRO, which was a "Counter-Intelligence" program. Over a twelve year period, Hoover launched eleven programs against the "Socialist Workers Party", "The Black Panthers", and the "Ku Klux Klan" and utlized illegal methods to intimidate, harrass, and or disrupt these organization from functioning. In the disruption of the Communist Party, Hoover authorized the planting of news stories, initiating rumors both real and false, essentially using in a sense propaganda to attack this organization. All actions were essentially illegally done by Hoover and the FBI at the time.

From Wikipedia : COINTELPRO (an acronym for Counter Intelligence Program) was a series of covert and illegal projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at investigating and disrupting dissident political organizations within the United States. The FBI used covert operations from its inception; however the formal COINTELPRO operations took place between 1956 and 1971.

Wikipedia : COINTELPRO

From Amazon : When Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte created an unnamed investigative bureau of thirty-four special agents within the Justice Department on June 29, 1908, no one could have guessed that it would grow into an agency that would involve itself in almost every facet of American life.

I am not now stating whether I agree or disagree with this but only that this is a book review. Plese feel free to post and comment on this and or look up the book yourself at your own leisure. The FBI has since re-vamped it's processes and gone through rigorous legal and Presidential procedures to get it on the right track to where it is today in fighting the War on Terror and again this post is a book review, and not to be taken as an attack on the FBI or it's former and or current directors in any way, shape, or form. This is for informational purposes only.






[edit on 13-4-2008 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

This book so far has been an interesting look into the COINTELPRO program conducted by the FBI. I'm impresed with the level of information made available as well the levels that the FBI rose from Hoover's directing the organization to the scandal of Watergate. That under Hoover the FBI only tried to collect a large amount of statistics to actually taking on quality cases.

Has anyone else on ATS read this book yet? If so please feel free to let Me know.

Another great thread-S & F

Hoover was into EVERYONE'S business...This guy was THE surveillance master. He had dirt on everyone. I would argue that he may have well benn the most powerful man on earth at one time...