By BRIAN STANLEY bstanley@scn1.com JOLIET — The trial of a Sikh who claims he was beaten by a Joliet police officer during an arrest two years ago began Monday. Kuldip Nag, 51, is facing charges of aggravated battery to a police officer and obstructing a police officer in a bench trial before Judge Edward Burmila. On March 30, 2007, Joliet officer Ben Grant was sent to 3574 Buck Ave. to place a tow notice sticker on a derelict van parked on Nag’s driveway. Police said Nag became upset and pushed Grant. The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) alleged the officer used his baton to strike Nag’s head while he yelled racist comments and threats. An internal investigation later cleared Grant, who was the first witness to testify Monday. “I walked up to the van and saw the registration sticker was expired and the license plate did not match (police records),” he told Assistant Will County State’s Attorney Sara Shutts. Grant said he explained why he was there when Vera Nag came out of the house and again when her husband came out a short time later. “He appeared to be angry and said I didn’t have the right to be on his property,” he said. Grant testified when he walked back to the van after getting a sticker from his squad car, Nag pushed his arm away. “I went to get his hand behind his back and told him he was under arrest. He was pulling his arm in the opposite direction,” Grant said. Grant said Nag resisted when he tried to both push him to the ground and swing his knee into Nag’s leg as they struggled onto the front lawn. Grant sprayed Nag with pepper spray and attempted another takedown maneuver. Once the combatants were on the ground, Grant used his baton to strike Nag’s right bicep two times, he said. “I still couldn’t get his arms (pinned), so I stayed on top of him until he was tired and put him in handcuffs,” Grant said. SALDEF contends Grant was yelling “You (expletive) Arab! You (expletive) immigrant. Go back to your (expletive) country before I kill you.” Shutts played a recording from the dispatch center that seems to corroborate Grant’s testimony. He was using his radio to call for backup during the struggle. Nag’s attorney Eric Mitchell did not refer to SALDEF’s allegations during his cross-examination. In his opening statement, Mitchell said Nag wasn’t resisting arrest but was trying to cover his head as Grant struck him with the baton. “He suffered serious head injuries and spent three days in the hospital … (Nag) was keeping his arms up out of necessity,” Mitchell said. Suspects condition Officer Amy Chochola brought Nag to the police station for booking. She testified the suspect walked to the squad car and into the holding area of the station without difficulty, but he complained during the ride that he couldn’t sit comfortably and didn’t understand why he had been arrested. Nag also reportedly refused to allow Chochola to wash the remaining pepper spray from his face. “He said he was ‘schizophrenic and afraid of water,'” she said. Nag became ill while he sat in the booking area and was later taken to Silver Cross Hospital. Mitchell noted Chochola’s police report does not mention Nag seemed agitated during the ride in her squad car. Neighbors testify The other two witnesses who testified Monday were Matt Jurewicz and Terry Ogenae, who both reside on Buck Avenue. Jurewicz said he was driving past when he saw Nag struggling with a police officer. “The officer was trying to take him down to the ground with (his) hands and Mr. Nag was trying to get up and move away,” he said. Ongenae said he’d been in his garage when he heard “hollering” and looked over his fence to see a police officer helping a handcuffed Nag to his feet. Neither man was cross-examined. The trial will continue Thursday.
Officers testify in trial of man claiming discrimination
By SHAWN R. BEALS | The Hartford Courant NAVJEET SINGH of Shrewsbury, Mass., a Sikh, talks Wednesday to a group of federal Transportation Security Administration workers at the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. Singh was a speaker at sensitivity training sessions for security and law enforcement personnel at the airport that focused on the Muslim and Sikh cultures. (CLOE POISSON / HARTFORD COURANT / January 21, 2009) WINDSOR LOCKS — – Seeking to bridge barriers and avoid unnecessary alarm, federal security officials at Bradley International Airport hosted sensitivity training focused on Muslim and Sikh cultures Wednesday. “By informing our officers of some of the cultural aspects of diversity, we can avoid being distracted unnecessarily by some of those differences,” said Peter Boynton, Bradley’s federal security director. “The training helps us understand the differences so we can focus on what we’re really looking for, which is an indication of a risk. We’re not looking for turbans.” The group of speakers, working under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice, held two sessions for security and law enforcement personnel and others to educate them on cultural practices they may encounter at the airport. The federal Transportation Security Administration, state police and airlines were represented at the training session in the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley. The importance of the training was underscored by an incident in a Washington, D.C., airport Jan. 1. Nine Muslims were taken off an airplane after passengers overheard a conversation that was misconstrued as a threat. The airline subsequently apologized. TSA was not involved in that incident, but Boynton said the airline’s action reinforces the fact that risk assessment cannot be based on cultural differences. Noting the worldwide population of approximately 1 billion Muslims, presenter Elizabeth Dann instructed the group Wednesday about Muslim customs and clothing. Dann, herself a Muslim, said she speaks to groups in the security and education fields to raise awareness of Muslim culture, trying to eliminate stereotypes and cultural conflicts. She also said she tries to make TSA officers aware that Muslims going through security checkpoints are just as worried as other travelers about passing through quickly to catch their flights. “We’re probably more scared of you than you are of us,” Dann told the officers. The TSA last held similar training three years ago at Bradley, and Boynton said he was hoping to schedule such sessions more frequently. Navjeet Singh, a Sikh and featured presenter, said TSA officers, state police and airline workers can benefit from cultural awareness. “We want to make you aware of the Sikh religion, and we hope that will make your job a little bit easier,” Singh said. [http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-arabsens0122.artjan22,0,309410.story] Hartford Courant
Sheriff-Elect Adrian Garcia commits to a detailed investigation of police misconduct and cultural awareness training for all the deputies Houston, Texas: December 22, 2008 – On Sunday, December 14 2008 at the request of SALDEF Regional Director and long-time friend, Bobby Singh, Harris County Texas Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia met with the Sikh American community at the Sikh Center of Houston, in the aftermath of a recent incident where a Sikh family was allegedly harassed by Harris County officers after calling in a burglary. Presentation of Posters The meeting allowed the Sikh American community to voice their concerns directly to the Sheriff-elect and was also an opportunity for the community to hear from local officials at a time when concerns and fear of the local police are high. At the meeting, Sheriff-elect Garcia remarked that the behavior of the Sheriff Deputies in this incident would not be tolerated under his administration, which takes effect on January 2, 2009. At the meeting, the Sheriff-elect was presented with framed copies of SALDEF’s Sikh Americans and the Kirpan, and Common Sikh American Head Covering posters by the congregation, to be displayed in his office as a reminder of the diversity within his community. Adrian Garcia During his comments to the over 200 Sikhs, in attendance Sheriff-elect Garcia committed to instituting “high quality diversity training” for all of his officers – the third largest police force in the United States. “These meetings are part of SALDEF’s continued efforts to provide long-term and meaningful engagement with government officials in cities across the nation,” said SALDEF Regional Director Bobby Singh. “Both the community and government, must take concrete steps to understand one another, and make sure that incidents like this do not happen again. These meetings are just the beginning of a long-term partnership that SALDEF and the Sikh American community will have with the local officials to ensure open communication and to prevent misunderstandings in the future.” Judge Ed Emmett Through SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program, SALDEF previously provided law enforcement training to the City of Houston police department. In the new year, SALDEF plans to work with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to provide a year-long training program to educate the entire force about Sikhs and Sikh Americans. BACKGROUND Earlier this month, in the course of investigating the burglary of a Sikh American home, Harris County police officials made suggestive remarks to the family about Muslims, terrorism and the Mumbai terrorist attacks. When one the officers noticed a family member wearing a kirpan, they pointed a taser gun at her head, and handcuffed multiple family members, including a sixty-year-old grandmother. The only reason for this action was the Sikh family practicing their faith freely in their home. To read media reports about this incident, click below: * Sikh family accuses deputies of abuse, taunts – Houston Chronicle 12/5/08 * Sheriff-elect reaches out to Harris County Sikhs – Houston Chronicle 12/14/08 * Garcia, Sikhs to meet – Houston Chronicle 12/12/08 * Interview with Tagore Family – Sach Productions 11/27/08
He promises diversity training and investigation into allegations of misconduct by deputies responding to a burglary at a family’s home By CINDY HORSWELL Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia gets help adjusting a head covering he wore while addressing Sikh followers at the Sikh Center of Houston on Sunday. Harris County Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia took off his shoes and put on a head covering to enter a Sikh temple Sunday, where he pledged to expand diversity training and investigate a complaint that deputies harassed a Sikh family whose home was burglarized last month. “It’s unfortunate that we’re getting to know each other under these circumstances,” said Garcia, addressing several hundred men in colorful turbans and women draped in bright flowing scarves, who sat separately on the floor of the Sikh Center of Houston. “When these type of circumstances occur, we all lose. The image of what should be American authority suffers.” He said he could not address specifics of the case until after he assumes office in January. Officials have said that the deputies could face anything from disciplinary action to termination. Ramandeep Singh, 28, an architect technician, called 911 on Nov. 26 when he discovered that his home in the 10800 block of Oak Bayou Lane had been burglarized. Jewelry and money was missing. Rather than investigate the burglary, a deputy focused on his turban and the small ceremonial knife, called a “kirpan,” his sister had sheathed on her hip, he said. After spotting the knife, a deputy pointed a taser at the woman’s head and called for backup. Deputies handcuffed four family members, including Singh’s mother. A supervisor arrived at the home and released everyone, blaming the incident on the deputy’s “youth,” Singh said. His sister, Kawaljeet Kaur, remains distraught. “Why were we detained and put through this humiliating experience and shown such disrespect? We were treated as criminals when we had just been victimized,” she said Sunday. The New York-based Sikh Coalition has called for a formal apology and firing of the four deputies involved. The deputies’ names have not been released, and Sheriff Tommy Thomas has declined comment. Bobby Singh, regional director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said Harris County deputies would benefit from training about the Sikh religion that he has helped provide for Houston police recruits for the past eight years. A monotheistic religion, the Sikh religion emerged about 500 years ago in Punjab, a state in India, by gurus who have sometimes been persecuted by some Muslims, church members said. With about 25 million followers, the religion preaches messages of honesty, equality and charity. Bobby Singh said he hopes sheriff-elect Garcia keeps his promise to change the culture of the Harris Country Sheriff’s Office. Garcia said the incident may be the result of “misunderstandings” caused by the fact that sheriff’s deputies do not have the training about the Sikh faith that Houston police do. He hopes to change that by expanding diversity training, creating an advisory committee composed of all the county’s diverse groups, recruiting Sikh police trainees, and arranging for Sikh families to host Houston police supervisors for dinner. He estimated that it would take one to three months to complete the investigation. cindy.horswell@chron.com http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6164783.html Houston Chronicle
Sheriff-elect to listen about alleged abuse by deputies By LINDSAY WISE Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Dec. 12, 2008, 11:23PM Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia will meet with members of the local Sikh community on Sunday to listen to their concerns about allegations that Harris County deputies harassed a Sikh family last month. “I will be offering just a good ear,” said Garcia, who will take office in January. “I think that this is one of those roles that an elected official serves. We’ve got to always be ready to listen to any segment of the community when there’s concern and understand it.” Sheriff Tommy Thomas has yet to comment publicly or respond to a letter sent last week by the Sikh Coalition, based in New York, that called for his office to fire the four deputies involved and issue a formal apology to the family. “He feels it would be inappropriate, even for media purposes, to presumptively make comments regarding an ongoing investigation of sheriff’s office personnel,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Legg. Members of the Sikh family have said they called 911 when their home in the 10800 block of Oak Bayou Lane was burglarized the night of Nov. 26. But instead of investigating the break-in, they said, the responding deputy became alarmed when he noticed one of the women wore a ceremonial knife sheathed on her hip. Symbol of faith Kawaljeet Kaur, 35, said she explained to the deputy that she wears the small, blunt Kirpan as a symbol of her faith and offered to leave the room. The deputy aimed his Taser at her and called for backup, she said. Matters got worse when other deputies arrived and began cursing and handcuffing family members, including Kaur and her 60-year-old mother, relatives said. One deputy reportedly asked if the family had “heard about the bombings in Bombay.” Another allegedly said he had been to Kuwait and “knew about Muslims.” Legg said the investigation into the deputies’ actions remains “a top priority” for the sheriff’s office. “We’re very disturbed by the allegations and if proven to be true there would be consequences,” he said. He declined to release the names of the deputies or any official records of the incident pending the probe’s outcome. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, misperceptions about Sikhs’ religiously mandated turbans and beards have led to an increase in discrimination and hate crimes. But the cultural diversity training required for sheriff’s deputies every few years does not include information about the Sikh religion, a monotheistic faith with more than 25 million followers worldwide. That could now change, said Legg, the sheriff’s spokesman. “That’s certainly a point of interest for us now in expanding our training to include other religions perhaps that we may have overlooked and that may have grown in population in our area,” he said. ‘Working together’ Earlier this week, the head of the Sheriff’s Internal Affairs Division, Lt. Dennis Field, met with the family members “and had an open dialogue,” Legg said. “It went very well and there was excellent progress made,” he said. “They were working together.” Kaur confirmed that her family had met with IAD officials and made arrangements to give formal statements to investigators. She and her relatives plan to attend the meeting with Garcia at the Sikh Center in west Houston on Sunday. The invitation for Garcia to visit the center came from longtime friend Bobby Singh, regional director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Singh said the family’s story shocked the Sikh community, locally and nationally. “I think people are outraged,” he said. “I think everyone in the community feels that we are law-abiding citizens.” Sikhs aren’t asking for preferential treatment, Singh said, “but I think that if this is what equates to serving and protecting, not only the Sikh community but the Harris County community at large should be very concerned. This is not what we deserve.” Garcia felt it was important to take a proactive step. “We need to make sure that our folks have the right training to understand the diverse community that Harris County is, and I think it starts with leadership and that’s why I’m making myself available,” he said. “But overall this is an opportunity to learn and obviously to do better than we have done in the past.” lindsay.wise@chron.com [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6162789.html]
Houston, Texas : December 12, 2008 – Earlier this week, SALDEF Southern Regional Director Bobby Singh spoke with long-time friend and Harris County, Texas Sheriff-elect Adrian Garcia and invited him to attend a meeting at the Sikh Center of Houston on Sunday December 14, 2008. Harris County Organized in response to the bias-based harassment of a Sikh American family by Harris County police earlier this month, the meeting will be a critical opportunity for Sheriff-elect Garcia to address the concerns of the local Sikh American community and reassure them that he will enforce a policy of zero-tolerance for ethnic profiling and police brutality. What: Harris County Sheriff-Elect Elect Adrian Garcia to meet with the Sikh American Community Where: Sikh Center of Houston (8819 Praire Drive, Houston, Texas 77064) When: Sunday December 14, 2008 at 12:30pm Earlier this month, in the course of investigating the burglary of a Sikh American family’s home, Harris County police officials made suggestive remarks to the family about Muslims, terrorism and the Mumbai terrorist attacks. When the police officials noticed a family member wearing a kirpan, they pointed a taser gun at her head. Ultimately, police officials handcuffed multiple family members, including a sixty-year-old woman. SALDEF asks members of the community to sign the Sikh Coalition Petition to ensure that your voice is heard. SALDEF encourages all Houston- and Texas-based members of the Sikh American community to visit the Sikh Center of Houston this Sunday, December 14, 2008 to express their outrage about this incident and encourage greater partnership between police officials and the local Sikh American community. Please forward to your Sangat Members
Washington, DC, November 13, 2008 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights organization in the United States, in conjunction with the Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis and the Gurdwara Shri Guru Hargobind Singh Sahib, have organized a Sikh American town hall meeting on Saturday November 15, 2008. SALDEF organized this town hall after learning that some Sikh American community members have considered leaving the State of Indiana for neighboring States where employers are perceived to be more welcoming of Sikh articles of faith. Members of the Sikh American community from Indiana are encouraged to attend this event with their children so that they may be informed about their civil rights and engage in ongoing dialogue and partnership with the government leaders who attend. The following agencies will be providing the community with critical information: * Daniel Harter – Regional Director; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) * Thomas Van Worme – Indiana Field Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Invitations have also been extended to the Indiana Department of Education, Indianapolis Police Department, Senator Evan Bayh, Senator Richard Lugar, and Congressman Dan Burton. DATE: Saturday, November 15, 2008 TIME: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm LOCATION: Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis 10950 Southeastern Avenue Indianapolis, Indiana 46239 These forums provide a unique opportunity for Sikh community members to learn about their rights and about protecting their families and our community from hate crimes, school bullying, and discrimination. The focus of these forums is to facilitate dialogue and partnership between the Sikh American sangat and our public servants. For the past three years, SALDEF has organized over a dozen Know Your Rights Forums in areas throughout the United States including in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, Maryland, Virginia and California. SALDEF encourages all residents of the Indianapolis area to attend this important forum. SALDEF would like to thank the management and community leaders of the Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis and the Gurdwara Shri Guru Hargobind Singh Sahib for supporting and sponsoring this event as well as the participating government agencies. PLEASE distribute this to your family, friends and at the local gurdwara.
by Sharon Adarlo and Tom Haydon/The Star-Ledger Police in Carteret say they are investigating two attacks this month against members of the borough’s Sikh community as possible bias incidents. One of the incidents involved a 10-year-old boy who had his turban ripped from his head and his hair cut, police said. The boy was walking home from Nathan Hale Elementary School at about 3 p.m. Oct. 8 when someone wearing a black mask threw the fifth grader to ground, took off his turban and used a knife or scissors to cut a few inches of hair from his head, according to a police report. Sikh men are required by their religion to protect their hair, which they are forbidden from cutting because it is considered a gift from God. Carteret police are also investigating an attack Monday against a 67-year-old Sikh as he was walking in Carteret Park at 4:30 a.m. A man knocked him to the ground and kicked him in the face, causing multiple facial cuts and bruising around his eye, police said. The attacker did not demand cash and walked away after the assault, police said. The Sikh-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a civil rights advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., has contacted the FBI about the attacks. “It seems like a new trend,” said Linda Singh, a Carteret resident who is active in the Sikh community. “(Sikh) people have been here a long time. So this is new, this stuff happening.” Carteret has become a magnet community for the more than 25,000 Sikhs living in New Jersey. An estimated 1,000 of the borough’s 22,000 residents are Sikhs. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/carteret_police_investigating.html NJ.com
SALDEF concerned about potential backlash in the coming weeks after historic Presidential election Washington, DC – October 29, 2008: On Monday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, documented a violent hate crime against a Sikh American man in Carteret, New Jersey. Before dawn on Monday morning, Mr. Ajit Singh Chima walked out of his home in Carteret for his daily exercise. As he walked around his neighborhood, Mr. Chima was violently struck in the head by a Hispanic male who appeared to be in his twenties. As Mr. Chima fell to the ground, the assailant continued to violently punch and kick Mr. Chima in the head, neck and face before casually walking away from the scene. Nothing was stolen from Mr. Chima’s person. Mr. Chima suffered four broken bones around his jaw and eyes. Other medical tests are ongoing to diagnose any possible effects on his vision or greater head injuries. As of today, no arrests have been made. Upon learning of the incident, SALDEF alerted local police, the Mayor of Carteret, the FBI and other Justice Department officials and urged them to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime. Carteret Mayor Daniel J. Reiman acknowledged SALDEF’s concerns about post-9/11 hate crimes against Sikhs and reassured SALDEF that the attack would be properly investigated. “In light of previous hate attacks against the Sikh American community, if theft isn’t an issue, and if the assailant isn’t known to the victim, we are left with a presumption that bias was a motive,” said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, Legal Director of SALDEF. “We want law enforcement officials to investigate this attack as a possible hate crime.” The Potential for More Over the past year, SALDEF and many other organizations have expressed concern about the use of ethnic and religious slurs in the context of the presidential campaign and the perceived acceptance from both campaigns that to be or perceived to be Muslim or Arab is negative. SALDEF has also documented an increase in verbal assaults directed toward Sikhs in the past 30 days. For example, last month, a community member came to SALDEF regarding an incident that occurred in Providence, RI which could have resulted in violence. While waiting on the sidewalk for a companion to park their car, a Sikh American man was approached by a white male who got out of his vehicle and accosted him. The white male approached the turbaned Sikh male and allegedly stated, ” I have a gun in my car and since you are a hajii no one will care if I kill you. You know why the police won’t do anything? Because I got blond hair and blue eyes.” As the assailant left, he screamed, “F*** Arabs and F*** Obama.” “The bias-filled rhetoric has reached a new high this campaign season and our community must be prepared for any potential increase in hate and bias crimes,” said SALDEF National Director Rajbir Singh Datta. “Individuals who feel no shame about verbally assaulting members of the Sikh American community usually just need a spark to turn violent. We fear the spark may be the outcome of the presidential campaign, regardless of who wins.” This should not prevent Sikh Americans from voting on November 4, 2008. SALDEF urges all Sikh Americans to exercise their democratic right to cast a ballot for the candidate of their choice this election year. As always, however, Sikh Americans should be aware of their surroundings; stay in contact with friends and family; and immediately report any incidents of harassment or violence to the police and to SALDEF at legal@saldef.org or via phone at (202) 393-2700. CONTACT: Rajbir Singh Datta; media@saldef.org; 202-393-2700 ext 127
New Attorney General Guidelines May Legitimize Racial and Ethnic Profiling Washington, DC – September 25, 2008: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, is deeply concerned by new FBI guidelines that could lower the threshold for federal law enforcement officers to conduct investigations of individuals on the mere suspicion of questionable activity or meeting the FBI’s assessment of what it considers to be a threat. Last week, SALDEF, along with other civil rights groups, met with Justice Department officials and reviewed draft language of the revised Attorney General (AG) Guidelines governing the investigative powers of the FBI in matters of national security. The new guidelines, which are slated to be approved on October 1, 2008, represent a major shift in public policy. These new guidelines would allow the FBI to recruit informants, conduct pretext interviews without identifying the agency the investigator works for, and allow for physical surveillance of persons, including U.S. citizens, in the United States without evidence of criminal activity. Additionally, they would replace existing guidelines for five types of guidelines: general criminal, national security, foreign intelligence, civil disorders and demonstrations. Currently these intrusive investigative measures are already in place to investigate criminal conduct, which is based on physical evidence. The new AG guidelines will lower the standard for utilizing intrusive investigative techniques by not requiring evidence of criminal conduct, but simply the mere accusation of impropriety. “The new guidelines will rely heavily on information from the Intelligence Community. Unfortunately, such information is highly suspect due to its high risk of being incorrect – as we have seen in the past,” said SALDEF Legal Director Rajdeep Singh Jolly. “The use of weak information to justify intrusive investigative techniques without evidence of criminal activity should be alarming to all Americans.” Although the Justice Department reassured meeting participants that investigations will not be conducted solely based on race or ethnicity, many scenarios were discussed that included a heavy reliance on actual or perceived race, ethnicity, and religion to initiate investigations. The guidelines are the latest reflection of the government’s desire to become more proactive in protecting the United States. While SALDEF firmly believes that national security should be of utmost importance and that policies should reflect such priorities, all Americans have an obligation to speak out when those policies violate or threaten to violate our privacy and civil liberties. FOR SIKHS — Be aware of your surroundings. Do not submit to interviews voluntarily without first consulting with an attorney in your state. If you believe that an individual you are speaking with is an FBI Agent, respectfully disengage from the conversation and contact SALDEF immediately at legal@saldef.org. For more information about the new regulations, please visit the links below: ACLU Asks Inspector General to Investigate Abuses of FBI Guidelines – ACLU PR, September 23, 2008 Problematic Attorney General Guidelines Implemented While FBI Safeguards Pending – ADC PR, September 23, 2008 New FBI Guidelines Open Door to Further Abuse – ACLU PR, September 12, 2008