[JURIST] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] has released a list of secret government surveillance operations [PDF text] focusing on war protestors and other political activists in northern and central California from September 2001 through July 2006 [timeline, PDF]. The ACLU described [press release] the surveillance operations as "disturbing trend" fueled by "greater funding of federal, state and local intelligence agencies [and] a national climate of fear" in the years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks [JURIST news archive]. Specifically referring to weak oversight of such activities by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, the ACLU suggested that California create a new agency to monitor surveillance activities and called on state Attorney General Bill Lockyer [official website] to create guidelines for local law enforcement relating to the legal limits of their surveillance activities.

The ACLU also recommended the state implement requirements that local law enforcement report all of their surveillance activities to the state legislature. AP has more. From San Francisco, Insidebayarea.com has local coverage.