The Department of Defense has asked the congress in the current Defense Appropriations bill to allow military intelligence officials to creatively identify themselves before questioning US citizens and permanent foreign citizens in the United States. This procedure was banned during the 1960's and 70's when the Pentagon came under public scrutiny for its actions when they were caught illegally spying on anti-war protestors. The Pentagon would like their intelligence officials to identify themselves in more creative ways as a representative of the federal government. Currently officials of the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) must identify themselves as intelligence operatives. The concern is that the person might shy away from giving information to a intelligence agent especially in the muslim community. Civil liberty advocates however are still concerned as then and now that these expanded powers could easily be abused by the Pentagon. The Pentagon says it needs these new powers to plan more effectively the fight in the War on Terrorism.
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