Agents of Repression: The FBI's Secret Wars Against the Black Panther Party and the American Indian Movement

by Jim Vander Wall and Ward Churchill

Book Overview

For those wondering how Bill Clinton could pardon white-collar fugitive Marc Rich but not Native American leader Leonard Peltier, important clues can be found in this classic study of the FBI's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0896086461
• ISBN13: 9780896086463
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: South End Press
• Length: 509 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

The Bloody History of the FBI

The FBI, as Ward Churchill carefully documents in this book, was established for the purpose of maintaining the status quo. To this end it has facilitated the deaths of many whose only crime was to seek justice, because the status quo, for a nation founded on genocide and broken treaties, is to perpetuate its policy of continuing genocide and broken treaties. There is no possibility of change until we acknowledge our history of repression and dismantle its agencies.

See what happened the first time America had a Patriot Act!

This ever-timely book documents the FBI's activities against the new left. Under the guise of preventing communism, then-director J. Edgar Hoover ordered agents to infiltrate the black power and American Indian movements. Comprised of young articulate and intelligent young activists, both movements delivered a scathing critique of the American system, the system itself was structured to support and maintain racism. This scared many traditionalists who genuinely believed America to have the best form of government. Since the traditionalists held the power in America, they did not want to cede it to `different' people. The words and actions of radicals ultimately hit much closer to home than they had wanted to admit. Consequently the FBI was used to `contain' these people. Because the public had an image of the FBI as brave and heroic men (women were not agents until Hoover's death) the activists who attempted to publicize the actual behavior were derided. After all, it seemed a surreal proposition that the United States would defend democracy by stifling the actions of it's own citizens. Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELLPRO) events included the soapish (spreading rumors about the sexuality of an `activist colleague') to the deadly (the FBI attempting to murder new left leaders---and leave the cases closed) but all undermined the rights of all American people to live in a democracy. The American people only now know about these events themselves because of the Freedom Of Information Act. Ward Churchill and Jim Vanderwall deliver a thought provoking book needing to be read by everybody and anybody concerned about the current state of affairs. The book's emotional tone is expected given the subject matter--and especially relevant today when so many of our public officials want to expand wiretapping in the name of 'security'. Communism and the red scare are (long) gone as an alibi, but what will seriously prevent the FBI from resuming their role as America's political police?---if they are not doing so already?

The suppression of domestic dissent by the FBI

This book maintains that the primary purpose of the FBI, from its inception and at least through to the late 1980s when Agents of Repression was first published, was to repress political groups and individuals who posed a threat to the status quo. The text is accompanied by heavy documentation and I was often reminded of the writing style of Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman. The focus here, however, is on the domestic crimes of the government. Churchell and Vander Wall show that the FBI was willing to use massive illegal force (including assasination) to repress political enemies and serve the interests of those in power. This is an excellent eye-opener to the true nature of the Bureau and the harsh crimes visited upon the American Indian Movement, the Black Panther Party and others such as the Puerto Rican Independence Movement. One is left wondering what activities the FBI has engaged in since the '80s and especially since 9/11. The best book I've read in some time.

essential reading

In "Agents of Repression" authors Ward Churchill and James Vanderwall have demonstrated the true workings of American "democracy" in all its glory. The "Agents of Repression" exposes how the FBI launched one of its major programs of repression (COINTELPRO) in order to disrupt lower-class solidarity by instigating violence in African-American ghettos, direct participation in the police assassination of a Black Panther organizer, burglaries and harassment of the Socialist Workers Party over many years, and other methods of defamation and disruption. A tremendouly important book and essential reading for anyone living under the delusion that America stands for liberty, justice and fraternity.

A great research source for FBI relations with AIM.

Churchill has examined a very important part of american history, and has done an excellent job present his information. Having read many books on the subject of AIM, I found his work consistant and informaitive.