Department of Homeland Security warns of threat from right-wing extremists

Posted By Annie Lowrey Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - 12:07 PM Share

Writing in the Washington Times, Audrey Hudson and Eli Lake report that the Department of Homeland Security has produced and disseminated a nine-page report on the threat of "rightwing extremist activity," spurred by the global economic crisis, election of a black president, and the return of "disgruntled war veterans."

The nine-page document was sent to police and sheriff's departments across the United States on April 7 under the headline, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."

It says the federal government "will be working with its state and local partners over the next several months" to gather information on "rightwing extremist activity in the United States"....

"Most statements by rightwing extremists have been rhetorical, expressing concerns about the election of the first African American president, but stopping short of calls for violent action," the report says. "In two instances in the run-up to the election, extremists appeared to be in the early planning stages of some threatening activity targeting the Democratic nominee, but law enforcement interceded." 

In producing the report, the United States joins numerous European countries facing possible right-wing nationalist activity. But Europe's long-struggled with nationalism stoked by immigration from ethnic minorities; it has right-wing anti-immigration political parties, mainstreaming sentiment which might otherwise be considered or become extremist.

In Great Britain, the Labour Party has worried that the British National Party, which condemns "non-white immigration," may win a Parliamenary seat. So have parties in Austria and Turkey.

EXPLORE:NORTH AMERICA, DRUGS & CRIME, LAW, MILITARY, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, U.S. CONGRESS
 

CURIOUS OBSERVER

2:53 PM ET

April 14, 2009

Seems like the Europeans have this right

A multi-party system gives these nutjobs an electoral outlet that reveals how few in numbers they really are.

By contrast, in this country, they lurk in the two-party system, making themselves appear more powerful than they are. Worse, when the government issues a heads-up about them, people with more mainstream opinions jump to conclusions and fear they're being lumped in with the extremists.

I see the veterans groups are upset about being typecast too. I see their point. But I also think about Tim McVeigh and John Allen Muhammad. And those guys came out of a six-week war waged largely from the air. What might a six-year counterinsurgency war wreak a few years down the line?

 

BRIAN D

4:58 PM ET

April 14, 2009

Lumping in

Gee, why would anyone "jump to conclusions and fear they're being lumped in with the extremists?"

Maybe because the report describes extremist groups as belonging to two major categories, one of which is "those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority."

So favoring the enforcement of the law of the land, specifically the 10th Amendment, is extremist. Got it. I guess I should just ignore that pesky Constitution that I've sworn an oath and gone all over the world to protect for the last 17 years. I wouldn't want to be extremist, after all.

 

SHACKELFORD

12:43 AM ET

April 15, 2009

A speck dust in your neighbor's eye...

So, largely missing from the report is any reports of, you know, actual violence from right wing groups in recent years. Nor does it include any numbers showing an actual increase of recruitment in these groups. In modern America, you're as likely, or more to see violence from any number of left-wing groups: environmental, animal rights, or anti-war, than we've seen from right-wing groups. Why the studious avoidance of mentioning these facts? Remember, during the last election dozens of Republican and McCain offices were vandalized-- a phenomena which wasn't anywhere near as widespread with Democratic or Obama campaign offices.

These omissions are far more pointed considering Brian D's point that the study labels those who understand the Constitution as "Right Wing Extremists".

And,

...I also think about Tim McVeigh and John Allen Muhammad. And those guys came out of a six-week war waged largely from the air. What might a six-year counterinsurgency war wreak a few years down the line?

Observer, members of the military, and veterans in particular, are significantly less likely than the general population to commit crimes, particularly murder. Seems to me that you're the one going around slandering a fairly upstanding segment of the population.

 

CURIOUS OBSERVER

9:39 AM ET

April 15, 2009

For the record

Shackelford, I'm not slandering anyone, merely offering up an observation, and I welcome the evidence that suggests McVeigh and Muhammad are statistical outliers.

And Brian, I did not claim that mainstream conservatives' concerns about this report are unfounded. In fact, it appears to have been carefully written in a way guaranteed to raise their hackles.

 

PAPICEK

10:24 AM ET

April 15, 2009

we're in the budget cycle, remember?

They borrowed this trick from the Pentagon. This is a classic and oft seen move on the part of the agency to demonstrate that it's doing it's job (sort of) and that there's a bogeyman out there to fear. The report aims at shoring up center support for its budget proposal.

This is how smart agencies play Congress. Expect more of it.

 

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