University of Arizona using lasers on migrants, US spy dollars are a threat to human rights



(November 04, Tucson, Sri Lanka Guardian) In Tucson, a community known for its human rights organizations setting global standards, the University of Arizona has been co-opted by dollars to become spy central.

The university is very proud of its new millions to spy on people, by way of the Internet, and develop technologies," including lasers on migrants' arteries.

Under the guise of the war on terror, human rights activists, especially peace activists, have been targeted throughout the United States and the world by unbridled US spy technology and US government lawlessness.


Are the students who promote human rights safe writing on their Internet computers at the university? Many do not feel they are. Are peaceful protesters safe gathering and legally voicing their concerns?

Many do not feel they are safe with millions of spy dollars pouring into the university.

The university and Homeland Security are promoting Dr. Hsinchun Chen, in charge of Internet spying worldwide and based at the university. He is on the lookout for "suspicious" behavior.

"Dr. Chen is the founder of the Knowledge Computing Corporation, a university spin-off company and a market leader in law enforcement and intelligence information sharing and data mining," according to a statement to publicize Dr. Chen's efforts.

The latest news is that the university is using lasers on migrants.

Jay Nunamaker, director of UA's Center for Management of Information in the Eller College of anagement, said the university is using the laser doppler vibrometer on migrants.

"Nunamaker said the goal is to make the laser beam that is aimed at the suspect's carotid artery invisible and have it be accurate up to 100 yards," according to the Tucson Citizen. The lasers are an experiment to determine truth telling and lies.

Is it safe? Not everyone believes this laser is safe. But apparently the university feels it is OK to experiment on migrants with these lasers.

Homeland Security said, "The Center for Border Security and Immigration, led by the University of Arizona in Tucson and the University of Texas at El Paso, will develop technologies, tools and advanced methods to balance immigration and commerce with effective border security, as well as assess threats and vulnerabilities,improve surveillance and screening, analyze immigration trends, and enhance policy and law enforcement efforts."

The university is receiving $16 million from Homeland Security.

Because of the fear of an economic collapse in the US, university researchers are scrambling after the dollars.

Homeland Security dollars are also funding US intelligence training in Israel. The Homeland Security funded Israeli training follows the news that the same security corporations responsible for building the Apartheid Wall in Palestine, including Israel's Elbit Systems, were subcontracted for security work on the US Apartheid Wall on the US/Mexico border.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, of the Organization of American States, named the US Border Wall and Guantanamo as international human rights concerns, in a statement released last week. The Commission pointed out how the US has targeted the poor in discriminatory actions in construction of the border wall and urged the closure of Guantanamo detention facility, long known as a place of US torture, secret renditions and other violations of the Geneva Conventions.

[Brenda Norrell has been a news reporter in Indian country for 26 years. She served as a staff reporter at Navajo Times and as a stringer for The Associated Press and USA Today during the 18 years she lived on the Navajo Nation. Currently, Brenda Norrell is based in Tucson, Arizona.]- Sri Lanka Guardian