DHS Report: Rightwing Extremism

[davidbfpo]

Note: copied here from a current August 2012 thread on Lone Wolves.

In the previous post I referred to a 2009 DHS report on Right Wing Extremism, today I found an interview of the lead analyst involved from the summer of 2011, which after recent events makes interesting reading for a non-American.

It ends with:

What worries me is the fact that our country is under attack from within, from our own radical citizenry. There have been a lot of small-scale attacks lately, whether it's three mail bombs sent to U.S. government facilities in Maryland and D.C., or a backpack bomb placed near a [Martin Luther King Jr. Day] parade in Spokane, Wash., or two police officers gunned down at a traffic stop in West Memphis, Ark., [by antigovernment extremists in May 2010].

These incidents are starting to add up. Yet our legislators, politicians and national leaders don't appear too concerned about this. So, my greatest fear is that domestic extremists in this country will somehow become emboldened to the point of carrying out a mass-casualty attack, because they perceive that no one is being vigilant about the threat from within. That is what keeps me up at night.

Link:http://www.splcenter.org/get-informe...s-agency-bowed

I am aware of the role of the SPLC.

[Fuchs]

"Peter King Must Go"
BY SAHIL BHATIA | AUGUST 10, 2012
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...r_king_must_go

In the wake of Sunday's deadly attack on American Sikh worshippers in Wisconsin by a white supremacist gunman, it's time for Washington to reframe its debate about fighting terrorism to address all its forms. But before that can happen, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) must step down from his position as chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

The now-obvious truth is that King, known as Congress's iron-fisted champion of all things security in this frightening post-9/11 era is, in actuality, soft on terrorism -- at least where it counts. Since his tenure as chairman began in 2011, he has repeatedly refused to devote serious attention to the threats posed by white supremacist groups and right-wing extremism, opting instead to focus nearly all of his committee's time and resources to Muslim extremism, a statistically minimal threat by comparison.

(...)

[tequila]

Prosecutor: GA murder case uncovers terror plot

LUDOWICI, Ga. (AP) -- Four Army soldiers based in southeast Georgia killed a former comrade and his girlfriend to protect an anarchist militia group they formed that stockpiled assault weapons and plotted a range of anti-government attacks, prosecutors told a judge Monday.

Prosecutors in rural Long County, near the sprawling Army post Fort Stewart, said the militia group of active and former U.S. military members spent at least $87,000 buying guns and bomb components. They allege the group was serious enough to kill two people - former soldier Michael Roark and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Tiffany York - by shooting them in the woods last December in order to keep its plans secret.

"This domestic terrorist organization did not simply plan and talk," prosecutor Isabel Pauley told a Superior Court judge. "Prior to the murders in this case, the group took action. Evidence shows the group possessed the knowledge, means and motive to carry out their plans."

One of the Fort Stewart soldiers charged in the case, Pfc. Michael Burnett, also gave testimony that backed up many of the assertions made by prosecutors. The 26-year-old soldier pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter, illegal gang activity and other charges. He made a deal to cooperate with prosecutors against the three other soldiers ...

The prosecutor said the militia group had big plans. It plotted to take over Fort Stewart by seizing its ammunition control point and talked of bombing the Forsyth Park fountain in nearby Savannah, she said. In Washington state, she added, the group plotted to bomb a dam and poison the state's apple crop. Ultimately, prosecutors said, the militia's goal was to overthrow the government and assassinate the president ...

This crew sounds unhinged, but they were apparently quite willing to commit murder before their plots even got off the ground.

[davidbfpo]

The article's full title:

The benefits of hindsight....The need for more monitoring of domestic terrorism

Noted via Twitter today, it appeared on the 18th August, starting with this 2009 DHS report and ends pithily:

..talking about right-wing extremist threatens howls of protest. Nice idea, shame about the politics.

Link:http://www.economist.com/node/215605...s_of_hindsight

The comments illustrate the difficulty in this area of public safety policy and in IMHO are not worth reading in total.

[AmericanPride]

Hey David,

That's an interesting chart. Right-wing populism has always been a source of localized violence in the U.S. But given the conservative tilt of U.S. politics, right-wing extremism is treated with some level of deference and benefit of the doubt not given to other forms of extremism.

[Bill Moore]

Also interesting that all three lines are on an upward trend. I assume the 9/11 attack was not factored in because the terrorists were not domestic. Single events like the Oklahoma City bombing can distort trends so be leary of that. What left wing groups are still active in the USA?

[davidbfpo]

AP,

I remain puzzled at the apparent disregard of 'right-wing extremism' in the USA, especially when police officers are murdered.

As I have posted elsewhere disregard, inadequate intelligence and policing are not unique to the USA. Look at Germany, posts 144 onwards:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...?t=5483&page=8

Here in the UK we have made mistakes, thankfully without much loss of life and I cannot recall a 'right-wing extremist' attack on the police (excluding street disorders, most recently with EDL). At one point 'Searchlight Magazine' was the most consistent watcher of the extreme right, supplying the Special Branch with information and exposing their activity:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searchlight_%28magazine%29