A new investigation by the Associated Press has revealed that the New York Police Department has pursued aggressive surveillance and intelligence gathering tactics that operate far outside its jurisdiction as part of its anti-terror efforts in the decade since 9/11. These programs were developed and continue to be implemented with assistance from the Central Intelligence Agency, which is prohibited from spying on Americans, and often target Muslim communities. While some details of the NYPD’s intelligence gathering operations are well known, the CIA’s involvement and the extent of the clandestine operations focusing on Muslims have been kept from not just the public, but the New York City Council and the federal government as well. The NYPD has responded to the article, saying it is “marked by outright fiction” in a statement to WNYC reporter Bob Hennelly. The police department has defended its intelligence gathering operations, pointing to foiled terrorist plots that lead to arrests.
Matt Apuzzo, an Associated Press reporter who worked on breaking this story, has the details of the unique NYPD-CIA intelligence gathering operation.
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