Posted on: Thursday, August 19, 2004

EDITORIAL
FBI is missing target in war on terrorism

With the Republican National Convention less than two weeks away, federal agents and New York City police understandably are keeping tabs on activists and others they believe might try to cause trouble.

Everyone recognizes the challenge for law enforcement in walking the fine line between preventing a terrorist attack and protecting the cherished right of dissent for American citizens.

Hundreds of thousands of antiwar protesters, abortion rights supporters, labor rights activists and anarchists are preparing to descend on New York.

The right approach is being heard from NYPD: "We're working to give them a large piece of city territory to stage protests," said a deputy police commissioner. "We've devoted a lot of resources and worked very hard to allow unfettered free speech despite the fear of terrorism."

But the FBI acknowledged Monday, after a report in The New York Times, that its agents are interviewing potential demonstrators across the nation and questioning them about their politics.

Such heavy-handed tactics are intimidating, and threaten to chill freedom of expression. What may even be worse, this effort is a waste of resources. The government must not be allowed to turn a war against foreign enemies into a campaign against its critics at home.