FBI May Have Datamined Grocery Stores With Help From Credit Companies

An anonymous reader writes "Recent media reports indicate that in 2005-06, the FBI went trawling through grocery store records in order to track down Iranian terror cells. They hoped to locate 'Middle-Eastern terrorists' through the purchase of specific food items. Many of these items, though, are not sold through big-box supermarket chains, and the majority of mom and pop ethnic markets do not have the detailed computer purchase histories that Safeway or Whole Foods have. What the FBI seems to have done is instead put together a list of everyone who shopped at a Middle Eastern food market. All signs point to the credit card companies providing this data, and not the individual stores. If so, this could be the tip of a (potentially illegal) data-mining iceberg."

In Other News...

[Mr_Perl (142164)]

Falafil Inc. sues the FBI for defamation of character and loss of business.

Re:In Other News...

[show me altoids (1183399)]

Falafil Inc. sues the FBI for defamation of character and loss of business.

I really falafel about this.

Re:

[cayenne8 (626475)]

Shit....I'm now on the hummus watch list from last week's football game parties!!!!

Re:

[rvw (755107)]

Falafil Inc. sues the FBI for defamation of character and loss of business.

Hey man have you ever see a falafel explode? I sure don't want to be around! And if they're still frozen, you will never know what hits you if a mad falafel-seller comes after you. Man this is really dangerous!

Datamined Grocery Stores

[smitty_one_each (243267)]

data-mining iceberg lettuce hovercraft eel overflow

Alienation

[explosivejared (1186049)]

Why not just say anyone of middle-eastern descent is automatically a threat? That's basically what it's come down to. How in the world is food purchasing data related to terror suspects. Alienation only leads to more strife. This doesn't do anything but make relations worse.

Re:Alienation

[ByOhTek (1181381)]

because, non-middle easterners might like the food.

And thus, even though not ME, they must be terrorists too!

*sigh* I didn't realize I was a terrorist :-( It's just that the food is so yummy.

Re:Alienation

[djasbestos (1035410)]

Seriously. Shawarma with saffron rice FTW.

I guess I am a bad American for liking terrorist food...hummus...Hamas...same thing, right?

Re:Alienation

[Hoi Polloi (522990)]

I bought some halva, baba ganoush, and pita bread recently. I guess I should expect a knock on the door soon.

The whole FBI story sounds like they are trying to generate a boogey man where there is none (gotta keep that budget fat!). Iran and Hezbollah's focus isn't global but regional. If they have agents in the US it would most likely be for political or for fund raising reasons, not terrorism. They might carry out an attack if we attacked Iran but that wouldn't exactly come as a surprise.

I hope our relations with Italy never sour. I'd hate to be put on the no fly list for buying olive oil and prosciutto.

Re:Alienation

[n dot l (1099033)]

This is absurd. Next thing you know they'll be going after people that like Chinese cooking on the grounds that they're probably Communists. Oh, that's right, most people that leave China (you know, the ones that open up Chinese ethnic food shops/restaurants) do so to get away from the communists. Has it dawned on these people that a large number of Middle-Easterners might have the same sentiments regarding the religeous extremeism, tyrranical regimes and terrorist groups that are common in their home lands?

Next month's headlines:

• People who eat French cuisine profiled as likely supporters of socialized medicine. Names posted, extreme-right-wingers encouraged to kill them on sight.
• People eating Mexican food deemed lazy. Fired en mass.
• FBI struggles to find uniquely Canadian food: "How else will we know where they all are?" Says spokesperson.

Re:Alienation

[CRCulver (715279)]

Has it dawned on these people that a large number of Middle-Easterners might have the same sentiments regarding the religeous extremeism, tyrranical regimes and terrorist groups that are common in their home lands?

I don't know about the U.S., but at least in the UK polls regularly show a disturbing level of support for Islamist values among the immigrant community. Many aren't trying to get away from strict Islam at all, they just want to bring it with them when they emigrate for better economic opportunities.

Re:Alienation

[Hatta (162192)]

Why is that disturbing or surprising at all? When american expats go to teach english in china, don't you think they bring their western ideologies with them?

Re:Alienation

[d34thm0nk3y (653414)]

I don't know about the U.S., but at least in the UK polls regularly show a disturbing level of support for Islamist values among the immigrant community.

It is the same in the US. Most Christians show a disturbing level of support for Christian values.

Re:Alienation

[Fear the Clam (230933)]

FBI struggles to find uniquely Canadian food

That would be Poutine [wikipedia.org].

Re:

[brjndr (313083)]

How DARE you!!

• Disco fries are cheese and gravy.
• Poutine is cheese curd and gravy.

It's a French Canadian food, but most of Canada has it. Actually, Burger King makes a damn fine poutine.

Re:Alienation

[MBCook (132727)]

Ketchup. They're seeing who isn't buying enough.

Ketchup has natural mellowing agents that help to keep you satisfied with our government and able to accept what happens to you.

-- A message from the Ketchup Advisory Board

(This is well documented. See here [publicradio.org] and here [publicradio.org], for example.)

Persecution of differences

[TheMeuge (645043)]

I think that it's even more insidious than what you describe. It's not even being Middle Eastern that attracts the attention of authorities in this matter, but rather what food you purchase.

This isn't even targeted ethnic discrimination, but rather a blatant foray into the realm of persecuting any deviation from the "american norm". To me, this says: "What, you don't purchase apple pies, soda, and hamburger? Instead you buy pita, chickpeas, and lamb? You're not like us... thus you are an enemy"

This is not just ethnic profiling run amock, but rather the beginnings of persecuting any differences from the average. The logical continuation of this policy would be to data mine television watching habits, and blacklist those who do not watch reality TV... or better yet, flag anyone whose TV is turned on for less than 2 hours per day.

Re:Reality

[jeffasselin (566598)]

How is it more dangerous than the inside threat of Christian Fundamentalists that threaten the very nature of the US?

Re:

[hypnagogue (700024)]

Welcome to slashdot, where bigotry is modded insightful.

Re:

[Stradivarius (7490)]

Because generally speaking the Christian fundamentalists are not trying to kill us.

Re:

[houghi (78078)]

Generaly speaking, neither are the middle eastern people.

Re:

[alan_dershowitz (586542)]

How is it more dangerous than the inside threat of Christian Fundamentalists that threaten the very nature of the US?

Christian Fundamentalists have been here since the 1600s and haven't turned this country into Afghanistan yet. On the other hand you look at sizable immigrant Muslim communities in countries like Canada and the UK, and people are pushing for Sharia [wikipedia.org] courts. The system that gives you rules for how hard you can beat your wife and details appropriate punishment for being a rape victim.

For that matter, Christianity doesn't even have an equivalent of Jihad in either codification or practice. They did in practice

Re:Reality

[qazwart (261667)]

So, that whole thing in Ireland was just a little misunderstanding?

It doesn't matter if you're Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, or Atheist. What matters is how you treat your fellow human being, and how do you look at yourself. If you think you're perfect, all those "imperfect" beings around you are in trouble. If you think you're 100% right, all those "incorrect" beings around you are in trouble.

Christian fundamentalism is a 19th century phenomenon, so it wasn't around back in the 1600's. Yes, there were religious Christians, but they weren't following Christian fundamentalist philosophy.

Like all other groups religious Christians have been both on the side of good and evil. It was the Quakers back in the 18th century who first spoke against slavery for religious reasons. At that time, all 12 colonies had slavery (Delaware was part of Pennsylvania, and didn't split off from Pennsylvania until 1770s). The Unitarians (Adams were Unitarians) later forced the Northern colonies and states to ban slavery. The Baptists (the first true fundamentalist group) spoke against slavery causing the Southern Baptists to break off. In the 20th century, Catholics and Jews spoke against the treatment of Blacks in the South.

Then again, slavery in the South became a prime Christian doctrine. Many Southern preachers were leaders in lynchings and the Klan. Supremest Christian doctrine in the mid-20th century supported the Nazis in Germany and were involved in the America First movement. In the 19th century, the protestant Know Nothings went on anti-Catholic rampages.

Then there were the anti-Mormon wars in Missouri lead by various religious leaders -- many from Christian fundamentalist churches -- in the mid-1830s. Of course, there was also the Mormon lead 1857 Mountain Meadows massacre.

It isn't Christian vs. Muslim. It is intolerance vs. everybody else. The fact that you so proudly wave the Christian banner and so readily denounce those who you don't agree with your religious views shows which side of the divide you're on.

Re:

[forgotten_my_nick (802929)]

I am not sure why you got modded so high because your wrong. Christian Fundamentalists is actually a bigger threat to the USA as they actually hold positions of power in the US government as it stands.

You have the likes of Bush saying that Creationism should be taught as a science.

I would recommend watching God's next army [google.com] (starts 2:20 in). In the event it gets nuked, do some serious research on Patrick Henry College, then come back and tell us they aren't a threat. For example they helped pass through a la

Re:Reality

[gknoy (899301)]

Well obviously they are a major threat, but [fundamentalist christians] haven't been throwing airliners into major structures lately.

Instead,
- Some have started/supported military action with a foreign country which was unconnected with said attacks, and was not an immediate threat
- Some have put bombs at abortion clinics: i.e., tried to kill people to prevent them from having an abortion. (I think most of us agree that someone willing to kill another to get people to conform to their beliefs about what is "moral" is most certainly a religious extremist.)

Which bothers you more?
- 2,974 people were killed by terrorists on September 11, 2001.
- 3858 US soldiers are confirmed dead by the DoD due to operations in Afghanistan/Iraq
- Roughly 17 times more people get killed by drunk drivers than by terrorists in the US.

If we were concerned about TRUE security and public safety, wouldn't we be far more interested in preventing the deaths due to non-ideological causes (drunk driving, other car accidents), rather than waging war in other nations?

Re:

[idontgno (624372)]

You forgot to mention "Speak only English, just like Jesus did." [wisdomquotes.com]

Re:Alienation

[by Anonymous Coward]

Will I be subject to arrest for having a copy of Disney's Aladdin in my home?

No, but you will be subject to arrest if you have the sequels. The bad taste police will be by shortly to confiscate those DVDs as well as the parachute pants you still have in your closet. Thank you, and good day.

Falafels, eh?

[shrubya (570356)]

Better put Bill O'Reilly [google.com] on the airport watch list then.

Good thing. . .

[smooth wombat (796938)]

I always use cash when I go to Achmed's Food Emporium with his "special" back room full of "good deals".

Just another reason I pay cash when possible.

[RandoX (828285)]

Buying hunting ammunition? Pay cash. Buying food? Cash. Fireworks? Cash. Whether I have a reason to or not. And don't get me started on those "in-store discount cards".

discount cards

[jefu (53450)]

I keep thinking it would be fun to offer a randomizing service for discount cards. Get a web site somewhere and have people mail you their discount card with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Pull one out of a box and return that, and drop the one you got into a box. The very paranoid could do this every month or two. Make it very hard to track anyone's purchases.

Of course, then your name might get associated with someone who is buying strange stuff. But if that occurred in another state, it would

Re:

[VGPowerlord (621254)]

Of course not, he accesses /. through cash.

Wow!

[gstoddart (321705)]

If that's not racial profiling, I don't know what is?

Getting the information on anyone who purchased food at a Middle Eastern market? That's just crazy, and scarily over-broad.

Hell, I shop at Middle Eastern markets, and I'm about as pasty white as you get. I mean, where else am I gonna get some of those things? You can't buy them elsewhere, and they're just so damned yummy. Come to think of it, I shop at Latin Markets, Asian Markets, and Caribbean Markets -- does that make me a terrorist? Or merely someone who eats a lot of ethnic food?

This is like that now eerie joke about being arrested at an airport for "traveling while brown". Surely it's still legal and un-suspicious to buy ethnic food for crying out loud -- they're the only ones who have food worth eating. :-P

Cheers

Sources?

[by Anonymous Coward]

I like how the article linked as a source ("All signs point to...") contains the phrase: I have no sources at all for my argument today. I have nothing to back it up other than a gut feeling.

If you read the CQ article, which is the only source of information here (the other two rely on it totally), it is not clear that this idiotic program was ever implemented to any extent whatever. It may have just been some words written on a napkin after a late night of drunken FBI 'brain'-storming.

Patiently waiting...

[NetDanzr (619387)]

I'm patiently waiting for the FBI to knock on my door and arrest me for all the ingredients I used (digested) in my attempts to create the perfect stink bomb.

OMG! Imaginary Terrorists!

[by Anonymous Coward]

I can't believe the FBI didn't figure out what a stupid idea this was! It's unbelievable. Oh, wait...

The program, however, was short lived and was quickly "torpedoed by the head of the FBI's criminal investigations division, Michael A. Mason, who argued that putting somebody on a terrorist list for what they ate was ridiculous -- and possibly illegal."

Too dependent

[Etrias (1121031)]

We've become far too dependent on technology for trying to do actual investigative work. Data mining for ethnic foods? What happened to having a spy network in places that have known terrorists or security threats? Is the will even there to do this kind of first hand work or have we just given up and rely on computer algorithms to do the work for us?

Maybe someone within the FBI/NSA is pushing for technological solutions to do this kind of heavy lifting that used to be done by people. I don't know, but it doesn't make a lot of sense. We're not a meat and potatoes society anymore. People of every stripe are going out of their comfort zones and finding ethnic food really tasty (I am one of those people within the last 7-10 years). Do I get put on a watch list because I go through a month where I'm craving a good gyro and find the best place to get really good gyro is my local halal shop?

Shocking. But now all this food talk has made me hungry. Thanks FBI.

would terrorists really use credit cards?

[jollyreaper (513215)]

Everything we heard about the 9-11 operation (granted, it was filtered through the government) is that these were cash operations. And that only makes sense. Given the state of technology these days, the following rules for covert operation seem to make sense:

1. Operate cash-only to make your activities harder to track
2. Make sure you are not flashy with the cash, drawing suspicion
3. Shave the beard, drop the turban, live as western as possible
4. Do not flash the cash, keep yourself as average joe as possible
5. Don't use cell phones or be sure to swap out sim cards frequently, seeing as the cops can track the cells

From what I've read, the skilled terrorists really know how to operate under the radar. The covert communication technology of choice, the fax machine. Handwrite messages in Arabic, fax back and forth. The goverment agencies are short on translators. Even if the messages were sent in the clear, it would take them a long time to figure anything out, assuming it was intercepted. If any kind of codes are used, it takes even more time to figure it out.

Re:

[russotto (537200)]

Operating cash-only is a mistake. Instead, the successful terrorist has to separate out his innocuous "cover" activities and his terrorist activities. The cover activities should use a blend of cash and credit, and the terrorist activities should be cash-only. Even better, the cover activities can hide the terrorist stuff. For instance, if the terrorist is making an ANFO bomb, buying a bunch of ammonium nitrate and diesel with cash will certainly set off flags. But if his cover identity is as some sort

Quick reality check

[Otter (3800)]

I know posting after the first five minutes on any YRO story is pointless, especially on something as inflammatory as this, but since no one will RTFA:

1) "The brainchild of top FBI counterterrorism officials Phil Mudd and Willie T. Hulon, according to well-informed sources, the project didn't last long. It was torpedoed by the head of the FBI's criminal investigations division, Michael A. Mason, who argued that putting somebody on a terrorist list for what they ate was ridiculous -- and possibly illegal."

2) "All signs point to the credit card companies providing this data" is a rather generous spin on a theory that the author simply made up.

3) Do Iranians eat falafel at all? I've never seen it in Persian restaurants. Or do none of you people know the difference between them and Arabs?

Re:

[CRCulver (715279)]

I know! One of my big hobbies is strapping on a bomb and muttering threats against the U.S. government, but with stories like this I'm afraid I might be taken for one of those terrorists.

Re:

[downix (84795)]

Mohammad Atta ate for his last dinner...

at Pizza Hut across the street from the Portland Mall, in front of the South Portland Cinema, next to IHOP and a gas station. (I know that exact Pizza Hut) We must get the records of everyone that eats pizza, shops at a mall, watches movies, enjoys breakfast and buys gas!

Re:

[trolltalk.com (1108067)]

"Because people who grew up having to make their own food from scratch are going to suddenly stop doing that and start buying the Kraft brand."

And how many people who are just trying to eat healthier and get a bit of variety in their diet are they going to snag?

Or who go there because its convenient to rent a movie (a lot of these places rent movies, etc).

Re:Because

[megaditto (982598)]

You don't understand how datamining works. Records of you shopping for Islamic food by and in itself is irrelevant. Nobody is going to throw you in jail because you love a falaffel now and then
However, once FBI computers have access to hundreds of unrelated databases, they can do things like

RETURN PERSON ID where gender is a male AND between 17-35 AND shops at Islamic stores AND has expired visa AND received large cash transfers from an Islamic country AND bought a one-way ticket on an airplane AND is on the same flight as others of that class.

Re:Because

[joranbelar (567325)]

RETURN PERSON ID where gender is a male AND between 17-35 AND shops at Islamic stores AND has expired visa AND received large cash transfers from an Islamic country AND bought a one-way ticket on an airplane AND is on the same flight as others of that class.

(2 row(s) returned)

RETURN PERSON ID where gender is a male AND between 17-35 AND has expired visa AND received large cash transfers from an Islamic country AND bought a one-way ticket on an airplane AND is on the same flight as others of that class.

(2 row(s) returned)

Thank God for the grocery store data! ;)

Re:

[houghi (78078)]

It could even be that the AND will rule out those 2 as well. A nice proof is google. The first line returns 15 results. The second one 24.

Re:Because

[mOdQuArK! (87332)]

They can also do stuff like: RETURN PERSON ID where party != party in control of government AND buys anti-Administration magazines AND owns a gun AND actively participates in political protests.

Why do pro-government apologists always sound like they're about to piss their pants in fear of terrorists? Who is more likely to destroy your life, a terrorist or the government?

Re:Because

[ObsessiveMathsFreak (773371)]

RETURN PERSON ID where gender is a male AND between 17-35 AND shops at Islamic stores AND has expired visa AND received large cash transfers from an Islamic country AND bought a one-way ticket on an airplane AND is on the same flight as others of that class.

0 rows returned

FBI Agent: "Damn! Now what? ....."

RETURN PERSON ID where RELIGION='Islam'

Re:

[3waygeek (58990)]

Bill O'Reilly likes falafel [about.com] too, so you should be safe.

Re:

[Catbeller (118204)]

OR... they could look for people who had their families, along with a million other countrymen, blown up, torched, and shot for no damned reason. But that would require us to understand that we've actually made people mad at us. It's all about the EVIL, brown Muslims, not about what we do to piss them off...