Anonymous declares war on Congress with #OpAccountable

The National Defense Authorization Act for 2012 has been assailed by civil libertarians for its provisions which allow for the indefinite detention of American citizens without trial. Now the hacktivist collective Anonymous has joined the battle in its own distinctive manner, declaring war on the members of Congress who voted for the legislation under the operation name #OpAccountable.

"This is an open letter to the US leaders," the operation wrote in a document released on Friday, which cited both the NDAA and attempts to pass so-called anti-piracy legislation that critics fear would amount to preemptive censorship of the Internet.

"We have watched as you have violated the very laws that guarantee your power. We have witnessed your fall from Representatives of the People to Representatives of Greed and Corruption. We've been watching you systematically destroy the rights of your own people, one law at a time."

The letter goes on in the flamboyant style typical of Anonymous to state, "We are now here to undo your sordid life's work in its entirety. No longer will your transgressions go unnoticed. No longer will you enslave the people. The world will know of your violations against the rights of the citizens you were elected to represent."

After quoting all ten articles of the Bill of Rights, it concludes, "Every time you violate these amendments we will ensure the people are aware of your actions. You may have previously succeeded in concealing your actions, but that time has come to an end. You were elected by us, and you can be removed by us."

The letter was accompanied by a document listing all available Twitter accounts of members of Congress, including both those who voted for and those who voted against the legislation. Another document has since been posted giving basic biographical and political information on three senators, with the promise of more to come. It is not clear, however, what Anonymous intends to do with these releases.

Photo by David Shankbone from Flickr