The FBI's releasing parts of its internal manual for investigations is provoking fears among some civil liberties and Muslim organizations that the agency is engaged in intrusive surveillance of political and religious groups with no connection to crime or terrorism, reports Politico.com. While most of the 270-page Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide was posted on the FBI's Web site, many sections were whited out, with notations that their disclosure might compromise investigative techniques.
Troubling to watchdog groups was the deletion of almost the entire section about guidance on “undisclosed participation” by the FBI or its informants in domestic groups. “That section governs the use of information gained by participating in political organizations or houses of worship,” said Farhana Khera of Muslim Advocates, a legal advocacy group. “The concerns of the Muslim community are over the use of informants that are going into mosques, sometimes without the knowledge of the leadership of the mosque. The concern many feel is over attending mosque services for the fear the FBI might be looking over their shoulder.”