Fort Lewis needs to follow through on spy probe

• Published August 04, 2009

Comments (0)

A civilian employee at Fort Lewis stands accused of infiltrating and spying on an Olympia-based antiwar organization.

The accusation raises two serious questions that must be answered promptly and thoroughly.

First, was the alleged infiltrator acting on his own without the knowledge of authorities at Fort Lewis, or were his actions authorized at some level by military or civilian officials at the military base?

Second, did the reported actions of John J. Towery, posing as an anarchist and conducting surveillance on members of the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance, break the law?

Fort Lewis officials have launched an inquiry into the charges. They need to be as forthcoming as possible as the probe proceeds and share the full details of their findings with the public.

This much is known:

• Using the alias of John Jacob, Towery joined OlyPMR in 2007 and became an active member, serving as one of the group’s Listserv administrators, the people who control the group’s electronic communications and have access to the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of OlyPMR members.

• OlyPMR opposes the war in Iraq and has engaged in protests that have attempted to block Fort Lewis from shipping Stryker vehicles and other military equipment used in the war to and from ports, including the Port of Olympia.

• Towery is a civilian employee with Fort Lewis Force Protection, which consists of military and civilian personnel who work with law enforcement on military base security. A Fort Lewis spokesman said Towery is engaged in sensitive law enforcement work at the installation, but declined to elaborate.

Given the secretive nature of Towery’s work, it’s hard to imagine him as a rogue spy, acting on his own without some sort of assignment.

• The Department of Defense has strict guidelines, spelled out in federal law, that limit its legal authority to collect and retain information on U.S. citizens.

The law does allow the Army to pass on information to local law enforcement agencies, but only when it’s gathered through normal military training and operations.

The exception to the law doesn’t appear to apply in this case.

Fort Lewis officials can’t afford to let this case fester. They must take the allegations seriously, conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that justice is served. Anything short of that would be an affront to the First Amendment rights of citizens.