>This first thoroughly documented report on the crimes of the U.S. intelligence agencies makes chilling reading, even for people who have followed in the news media the day-to-day revelations of misdeeds and cover-ups. Increasingly, these agencies have perverted their original mission to preserve national security, directing their efforts in some cases against law-abiding American citizens. Their dubious activities range from character assassination at home to plotting political murders abroad, from illegal wiretapping to out-and-out burglary. > >In addition to detailing the history and methods of such agencies as the CIA, the FBI, and NSA, *The Lawless State* shows how the IRS and even the grand-jury system have been manipulated for political ends. And although the intelligence agencies now keep a low profile because of adverse publicity, the authors are convinced that an effective means of Congressional control has yet to be found. Until a workable plan of accountability to law is instituted, they say, the threat of a police state will remain with us. - back cover