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The Truth:
 The
document is real and one in a series of assessments issued to law
enforcement agencies about potential threats to national security.
A similar report on left wing groups was issued in January 2009.
The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Intelligence and
Analysis did release an unclassified 9 page report called "Rightwing
Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in
Radicalization and Recruitment." It was issued to law enforcement agencies
according to an April 15, 2009 statement by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.
The eRumor suggested
that the report reflects a troubling mindset in the administration
against pro-lifers, veterans, supporters of third-party presidential
candidates like Ron Paul or Chuck Baldwin, and evangelical Christians.
Secretary Napolitano
said her office is “Concerned with its primary mission to ‘prevent
terrorist attacks on our nation’’ and "We are on the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we
do not – nor will we ever – monitor ideology or political beliefs. We
take seriously our responsibility to protect the civil rights and
liberties of the American people, including subjecting our activities to
rigorous oversight from numerous internal and external sources."
Click
for DHS statement.
The 9 page report, "Rightwing
Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in
Radicalization and Recruitment", was
categorized as "unclassified // for official use only" but a number
of news sources have posted it on their web sites.
Click here for the DHS 9 page report.
The Washington Times
released a story on April 14, 2009, that said, "The Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) 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."
The report also said
that "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."
Profiled groups could
include "groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue,
such as opposition to abortion or immigration."
The response from
critics was immediate.
House Minority Leader
John Boehner called the report "Offensive and Unacceptable" and demanded
an "explanation for why she has abandoned using the term ‘terrorist’ to
describe those, such as al Qaeda, who are plotting overseas to kill
innocent Americans, while her own Department is using the same term to
describe American citizens who disagree with the direction Washington
Democrats are taking our nation."
Boehner also said that
the agency should apologize to veterans.
Click for Congressman
Boehner's web site
David K. Rehbein, the
National Commander of the American Legion sent a letter of protest to
the Homeland Security Secretary concerning the suggestion that veterans
were likely to commit acts of terrorism. Rehbein said, "I
think it is important for all of us to remember that Americans are not
the enemy. The terrorists are."
Click for American Legion letter.
Conservative
journalist, Michelle Malkin, wrote an article on April 14, 2009, calling
the report a "hit job on conservatives" and said that it was "one of the
most embarrassingly shoddy pieces of propaganda I’d ever read out of
DHS. I couldn’t believe it was real."
Click for Malkin article.
On April 16, 2009 Fox
News reported that Secretary Napolitano issued an apology to veterans in
an on air interview saying, "To the extent veterans read it as an
accusation ... an apology is owed."
Napolitano offered
this explanation, "This was an assessment, not an accusation. It was
limited to extremists those who seek to commit violence within the
United States. And all this was meant to do was to give law enforcement
what we call 'situational awareness.'"
Click
for Fox News story
updated 04/16/09 |
