Federal agency warns of radicals on right
9-page report sent to police

By Audrey Hudson (Contact) and Eli Lake (Contact) | Tuesday, April 14, 2009



The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in "rightwing extremist activity," saying the economic recession, the election of America's first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.

A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines "rightwing extremism in the United States" as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.

"It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the warning says.

The White House has distanced itself from the analysis. When asked for comment on its contents, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said, "The President is focused not on politics but rather taking the steps necessary to protect all Americans from the threat of violence and terrorism regardless of its origins. He also believes those who serve represent the best of this country, and he will continue to ensure that our veterans receive the respect and benefits they have earned."

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."

The joint federal-state activities will have "a particular emphasis" on the causes of "rightwing extremist radicalization."

Homeland Security spokeswoman Sara Kuban said the report is one in an ongoing series of assessments by the department to "facilitate a greater understanding of the phenomenon of violent radicalization in the U.S."

The report, which was first disclosed to the public by nationally syndicated radio host Roger Hedgecock, makes clear that the Homeland Security Department does not have "specific information that domestic rightwing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence."It warns that fringe organizations are gaining recruits, but it provides no numbers.

The report says extremist groups have used President Obama as a recruiting tool.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/14/federal-agency-warns-of-radicals-on-right/

Recession Fueling Right-Wing Extremism, U.S. Says
DHS report warns of surge in of antigovernment extremists and militia movements.
By Jane Sutton
Reuters
www.abcnews.go.com
MIAMI

Right-wing extremists in the United States are gaining new recruits by exploiting fears about the economy and the election of the first black U.S. president, the Department of Homeland Security warned in a report to law enforcement officials.

The April 7 report, which Reuters and other news media obtained on Tuesday, said such fears were driving a resurgence in "recruitment and radicalization activity" by white supremacist groups, antigovernment extremists and militia movements. It did not identify any by name.

DHS had no specific information about pending violence and said threats had so far been "largely rhetorical."

But it warned that home foreclosures, unemployment and other consequences of the economic recession "could create a fertile recruiting environment for right-wing extremists."

"To the extent that these factors persist, right-wing extremism is likely to grow in strength," DHS said.

The report warned that military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with combat skills could be recruitment targets, especially those having trouble finding jobs or fitting back into civilian society.

The department "is concerned that right-wing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to boost their violent capabilities," the report said.

DHS spokeswoman Sara Kuban said on Tuesday the report was one of an ongoing series of threat assessments aimed at "a greater understanding of violent radicalization in the U.S."

A similar assessment of left-wing radicals completed in January was distributed to federal, state and local police agencies at that time.

"These assessments are done all the time, this is nothing unusual," Kuban said.

The Department of Homeland Security was formed in response to the September 11 attacks of 2001 and has focused largely on threats from Islamist extremists.

The report said domestic right-wing terrorist groups grew during the economic recession of the early 1990s but subsided as the economy improved.

Government scrutiny disrupted violent plots following the April 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City by Army veteran Timothy McVeigh which killed 168 people.

LONE WOLVES

"Despite similarities to the climate of the 1990s, the threat posed by lone wolves and small terrorist cells is more pronounced than in past years," the report said.

The Internet has made it easier to locate specific targets, communicate with like-minded people and find information on bombs and weapons, it said.

Extremist groups are preying on fears that President Barack Obama, the first African American U.S. president, would restrict gun ownership, boost immigration and expand social programs for minorities, the report said.

It said such groups were also exploiting anti-Semitic sentiment with accusations that "a cabal of Jewish financial elites" had conspired to collapse the economy.

"This trend is likely to accelerate if the economy is perceived to worsen," the report said.

My grandneice,Haley,is African-American. I cannot,nor will I ever compass racial bigotry.

Napolitano Apologizes to Veterans Group for 'Rightwing Extremism' Report
American Legion leader says the Homeland Security secretary was "very sincere" in apologizing for references in a department report to right-wing extremism among returning war veterans

FOXNews.com

Friday, April 24, 2009
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano apologized to the country's largest veterans organization Friday for a report warning that right-wing extremist groups were trying to recruit disgruntled troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Napolitano met with the American Legion at its request for about 45 minutes in a private meeting. The group had called for an apology from her in a letter earlier this month.

It was at least the third apology Napolitano has offered ever since the report was leaked to the media nearly two weeks ago, prompting a growing chorus of criticism -- including a small group of vocal conservative lawmakers calling for Napolitano's resignation.

"We connected meaningfully about the important issues that have emerged over recent days, and I offered him my sincere apologies for any offense to our veterans caused by this report," she said in a statement. Napolitano pledged that her department has "fixed the internal process that allowed this document to be released before it was ready."

David Rehbein, national commander of the group, told FOX News that he accepted Napolitano's apology.

"She was very sincere," he said. "She distinctly used the words 'I'm sorry.' And to me, that says that's sincere apology. Her body language, everything about those first few minutes of the meeting told me this was a real apology coming from her heart."

The intelligence assessment released to law enforcement on April 7 claims news of recession, the election of a black president, rumors of new gun restrictions and the inability of veterans to reintegrate create fertile ground for radicalizing and recruiting right-wing extremists.

Napolitano first apologized for some of the wording in the report after civil liberties officials at the Homeland Security Department said the report was issued without a change in some of the language that had been subject for dispute.

i will admit i have not studied this, just heard some on tv and radio , that a potential danger is Pakistan, that the Taliban is gaining ground and strength in pakistan to the endgame of the government, what is scary is pakistan is well known to for many years has been a nuclear state, the fear is the pakistan gov, if it fell the nuclear arms may be in the hands of the taliban, on the radio, about this, it mentioned in that case india would be a target, , my thought is india is also nuclear, anyway, it will be in obamas court, so lets watch ..take care