Intel officials ‘scrutinizing threats from the far right just as carefully as those from Islamic extremists.’
Intel officials ‘scrutinizing threats from the far right just as carefully as those from Islamic extremists.’
After the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leaked a report warning of the threat of right-wing extremists, mainstream conservatives went into a frenzy, demanding that Secretary Janet Napolitano be fired. According to Newsweek, some local intelligence “fusion” centers ceased their operations monitoring right-wing extremists because of the conservative outcry. Now, after a series of murders by far-right extremists, intelligence officials admit they are taking the threat seriously:
They may talk about it less in public now, but law-enforcment and intel officials tell NEWSWEEK they’re quietly scrutinizing threats from the far right just as carefully as those from Islamic extremists.
Even after last week’s shooting by a white supremacist at the Holocaust Museum, conservatives stood by their criticism of the DHS report — despite the fact that the report specifically warned about white supremacist and anti-Semitic extremists.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
The right wing meme:
Intelligence is meaningless unless it’s tailored to suit our needs
June 15th, 2009 at 10:57 amAs well they should. IMO, the wingnut extremists are FAR more dangerous than any 3rd world goat herder – first of all, because they live right here among us.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:59 amAccording to Newsweek, some local intelligence “fusion” centers ceased their operations monitoring right-wing extremists because of the conservative outcry.
Since when does the intell community set its priorities based on “conservative outcry”? Is this why Dr. Tiller’s murderer was allowed to continue his terrorist activities? Is this why Stephen Johns was murdered at the Holocaust Museum?
Investigate those who shut down operations monitoring because of political posturing on the right. Who ordered it, who allowed it to happen?
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:00 am…..law-enforcment and intel officials tell NEWSWEEK they’re quietly scrutinizing threats from the far right just as carefully as those from Islamic extremists
I hope their #1 priority is threats made by Dick Cheney. He has already telegraphed his intentions!!
June 15th, 2009 at 11:00 amAlternate headline:
Conservative Politics Obstructed Right Wing Extremist Crime Prevention.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:01 amGood! DHS Intel needs to go to the rightwing extremists’ homes and post red Xs on their doors so that everyone will know who they are and where they live. Post their addresses on the internet. Better yet, glue the front doors shut to their homes so they can’t get out. They could hold protests infront of their homes and offices. Give them a taste of their own medicine!
June 15th, 2009 at 11:04 amspencers mom Says:
Since when does the intell community set its priorities based on “conservative outcry”? Is this why Dr. Tiller’s murderer was allowed to continue his terrorist activities? Is this why Stephen Johns was murdered at the Holocaust Museum?
June 15th, 2009 at 11:00 am
___________
Unfortunately, monitoring may not have helped in these cases. It appears for now that both men acted alone, without the support of the white supremacist groups they were members of. If the NSA were to start tracking down every inflammatory remark on every web site in the country, we’d all be in trouble.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:05 amchiroptera toasterhead Says:
Unfortunately, monitoring may not have helped in these cases.
In the Tiller murder case, the murdered should have already been in federal custody for the myriad crimes he’d committed. Rachel did an amazing segment about the events leading up to the murder, and the Kansas FBI did not do their job.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:07 amGood news. Unfortunately, even more people may get “burned” before the right wing realizes that it’s playing with fire.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:10 amLeftside Annie Says: As well they should. IMO, the wingnut extremists are FAR more dangerous than any 3rd world goat herder – first of all, because they live right here among us.
It appears to me that those who commit murder for right-wing political causes almost invariably obtain their weapons legally, and it’s always the Right Wing that wants to overturn as many weapons regulations as possible.
Tragically funny how that works.
WHat’s the matra? ” Guns don;t kill people, people kill people”?
Well people with guns have a better shot (oops! pun!) at killing people than those without, and gun owners provided with a cause and justification to kill people are rather more likely to kill people than those without.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:10 amspencers mom Says:
——————————————————————————–
According to Newsweek, some local intelligence “fusion” centers ceased their operations monitoring right-wing extremists because of the conservative outcry.
Since when does the intell community set its priorities based on “conservative outcry”? Is this why Dr. Tiller’s murderer was allowed to continue his terrorist activities? Is this why Stephen Johns was murdered at the Holocaust Museum?
I wondered the same thing when I read this. The conservatives/right wing remind me of a spoiled child who has learned that he/she can get what he/she wants by throwing a tantrum. We have to show these ‘children’ that their tantrums won’t work. We need to investigate them at the federal and state level. And as citizens, we need to call out public figures (Limbaugh, Hannity, O’Reilly, Randall Terry, Repub politicians, etc.) when they tell lies and preach hate.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:12 amThe DHS report was ordered by the Bush administration.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:13 am5th Estate Says:
WHat’s the matra? ” Guns don;t kill people, people kill people”?
Well people with guns have a better shot (oops! pun!) at killing people than those without, and gun owners provided with a cause and justification to kill people are rather more likely to kill people than those without.
5th, when my son was really little, he wanted a water gun. I wouldn’t buy him one and explained it was because we would never have guns in our house, water or otherwise. I told him if he ever wanted to blow someone away, he could use soap bubbles as much as he wanted. Several weeks later, when I was harping on him about cleaning up so mess he had made, I found myself deluged with bubbles. We both laughed until I cried, but it was a great lesson.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:15 amWhile the intelligence community is looking at the far right extremists, perhaps they might address the far right talkers on radio. As well as on the left. Although you rarely hear the same kind of rhetoric from the left. Freedom of speech surely must have some limits as to how much fanning of flames can be tolerated. And especially by some people and organizations who live and breathe hate.
These kinds of verbal terrorists that keep the pot boiling. And they encourage domestic terrorists, who are nearly as much to blame as the lunatic fringe that take their marching orders. I count Dick Cheney as one of the fear mongers among the talkers.
Most of us know the people and the organizations that promote hate and discord. The list is as long as my arm. Some are just hateful and some are dangerous. Since we never know when hate speech will spill over into real violence, then we need to be careful about juicing up the hate speech.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:16 amDespite the flood of right wing murders since the election (let’s not forget the whack job who shot up the church in Tennessee or the bozo in Pittsburgh who murdered three police officers) look for the wingnut echo chamber to seize on this report as an example of political persecution.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:18 amIslamic extremism IS far right extremism. They share many facets of the same ideology:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am-Hatred for Liberal principles
-Desire to control the reproductive faculties of women
-Desire to relegate women to a submissive role in general
-Eagerness to use violence to achieve their ends
-Desire to establish a theocratic state
-Desire to oppress cultural, racial, religious minorities
-Hatred of homosexuals
I could go on
spencers mom Says: In the Tiller murder case, the murdered should have already been in federal custody for the myriad crimes he’d committed. Rachel did an amazing segment about the events leading up to the murder, and the Kansas FBI did not do their job.
Funnily enough I happened to beat Maddow to that point by at least a day on my own blog (also cross-posted at The Zoo).
BUT there’s more! I did a follow up (just on my own blog) and here’s an excerpt documenting the political selectivity of authorites
Here’s an excerpt:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:21 am
joeyramonesmom Says:
And as citizens, we need to call out public figures (Limbaugh, Hannity, O’Reilly, Randall Terry, Repub politicians, etc.) when they tell lies and preach hate.
The FCC fines networks for obscenity and *gasp* a peak of someone’s breast, but hate speech that incites actual violence is protected. I’m all for having a “Warning: Parental Discretion is Advised” before anything airs on FuxNews.
BTW, “moms” rule!
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:22 amspencers mom Says:
In the Tiller murder case, the murdered should have already been in federal custody for the myriad crimes he’d committed. Rachel did an amazing segment about the events leading up to the murder, and the Kansas FBI did not do their job.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:07 am
_____________
I hadn’t heard about that – thank you. I’ll go check out that segment.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:22 amdjheru Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Your list fits quite nicely into the Christian extremist thinking. Extremism in any form is dangerous.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:23 am… some local intelligence “fusion” centers ceased their operations monitoring right-wing extremists because of the conservative outcry.
um… if they were any good at intelligence, who would have known???
June 15th, 2009 at 11:24 amchiroptera toasterhead, here’s Maddow’s segment on Tiller’s murder.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:27 amThis headline threw me completely. I couldn’t figure out what wingnuts had to do with computer chips. I need more coffee.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:27 amWhatever happened to that radio host who was arrested? He seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:32 amThe appearance of being a lone wolf is a tactic of these groups…as a reaction to previous law enforcement crackdowns on them, they became more diffused and decentralized. In the event a ‘member’ committed such a crime, they could have plausable deniability as with the Roeder situation for example…although he ‘allegedly’ subscribed to Prayer and Action News, a magazine that advocated “justifiable homicide” as a way of protesting abortion.”
June 15th, 2009 at 11:33 amI wonder if those who shut down monitoring were part of the Burrowed Bush Loyalists? Doesn’t seem like a policy the “normal” intelligence community would implement.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:33 am5th Estate, have you considered moving to the 4th Estate? We could use some actual journalists in the MSM.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:34 amDid we really expect anything else from the Republicans? The Party that gave us, ‘Barack the Magic Negro’, and that SOB who compared Michelle Obama to a Gorilla? These guys have no idea how they are damaging their own Party.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:36 amspencers mom Says:
5th Estate Says:
WHat’s the matra? ” Guns don;t kill people, people kill people”?
Well people with guns have a better shot (oops! pun!) at killing people than those without, and gun owners provided with a cause and justification to kill people are rather more likely to kill people than those without.
5th, when my son was really little, he wanted a water gun. I wouldn’t buy him one and explained it was because we would never have guns in our house, water or otherwise. I told him if he ever wanted to blow someone away, he could use soap bubbles as much as he wanted. Several weeks later, when I was harping on him about cleaning up so mess he had made, I found myself deluged with bubbles. We both laughed until I cried, but it was a great lesson.
PEACE
I had to laugh at your story, since I share a similar one. I wouldn’t allow my son, when very little, to have any kind of toy gun either. Regardless, he would build guns with his Lego set! But he told me they “only shoot a ray of love like the Care Bears do from their tummies.”
June 15th, 2009 at 11:36 amP.D. Says:
These guys have no idea how they are damaging their own Party.
Shh! Don’t tell them.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:38 amwinddancer, kids always find a way. My son points sticks at the microwave when popcorn’s popping and pretends he’s firing with each “pop”. When I say “no guns in the house” he looks at me like I’m insane. I shoot back a Mona Lisa smile and try to remember that I’ll want to visit my grandchildren in my old age.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 11:42 amcurious Says: Freedom of speech surely must have some limits as to how much fanning of flames can be tolerated. And especially by some people and organizations who live and breathe hate.
There’s always the “slippery slope” argument—which I hear mostly from the Right ( but I may be prejudiced).
BUT
what;s remarkable is not the existence of hate speech, but its prevalence, and it’s constant defense in the main stream media–most of which happens to be controlled by conservatives.
Personally I’ve no idea whether the Fairness Doctrine was a actually a good thing or not, or how well or badly it was implemented.But it seems evident that the manner as well as the content and quality of public discourse has suffered since it was abandoned, and I think that decline has been a detriment to politics and policy and the general well-being of our country.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:42 ampastcaring Says:
The appearance of being a lone wolf is a tactic of these groups…as a reaction to previous law enforcement crackdowns on them, they became more diffused and decentralized. In the event a ‘member’ committed such a crime, they could have plausable deniability as with the Roeder situation for example
June 15th, 2009 at 11:33 am
___________
Good point. It’s quite interesting how much their tactics resemble those of an al-Qa’ida cell when planning an operation, trying to obfuscate their connections.
The only difference is after the terror attack – Operation Rescue will deny involvement whereas al-Qa’ida will take credit.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:43 am5th Estate Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:21 am
How funny! I just finished cross-posting your piece at TheZoo. Another fantastic post, I might add…
June 15th, 2009 at 11:46 amIt seems to me that we are told these individuals acted alone before that could legitimately be verified.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:51 amIn reference to an earlier poster mentioning the uproar over seeing a naked breast (versus seeing someone murdered) on TV: “Take off all your clothes and walk down the street waving a machete and firing an Uzi, and terrified citizens will phone the police and report: ‘There’s a naked person outside!’” – Mike Nichols
Kind of defines the rightwingers in a way.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:51 amspencers mom Says: 5th Estate, have you considered moving to the 4th Estate? We could use some actual journalists in the MSM.
Such flattery! :D
I don’t know if you actually read the particular blog post, but it relied on the work of Wendy Norris of the Colorado Independent.
I’m too slow and disorganized to be a good professional journalist, but it’s great finding the good ones ( like Norris) and then expanding on their fine work–which they can’t necessarily afford to do because of deadlines etc.
Rather than ’stealing’ from Wendy Norris, I hope I;m adding something to her efforts. Blogging can do that.
anyway, aw gee shucks.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:53 amWould they be the naked shooter, the caller or both?…
:|
June 15th, 2009 at 11:55 amWhy is it that the group/party with the tightest organization generates the lone wolf crazies?
June 15th, 2009 at 12:04 pmwinddancer, spencers mom,
Funny stories both!
As I grew up in the UK, guns were not a part of the culture but WWII was very ‘present’ and most young boys just have a propensity for aggressive play as we all know.
Having no TV until I was wight or nine I really had no idea of the toys available and my parents couldn’t afford them anyway).
June 15th, 2009 at 12:06 pmMy neighbor’s Dad brought back an awesome ‘Johnny-7′ machine gun with rocket and grenade launcher and sound-effects from the US, and I had to make do with a god-damned stick when we played “War”.
Horribly outgunned, with no chance of ’survival’, I nonetheless didn’t give up on playing ‘War’–instead I relished ‘dying’ in the most noble and scenery-chewing manner possible. :D
curious @14, could you please define at least one liberal or progressive or leftwing radio/tv talker (one who has a regular program on a MSM station or appears regularly as a guest) that advocates extreme violence toward those not agreeing w/him/her? Otherwise, you’re attempting to tell us that “both sides do it” and expecting us to agree without thinking. Please name a name or show a link.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:08 pm5th, that’s a great story! Do you want me to send you some bubbles so that you too can blow someone away? Actually, if you aim for the eyes, the soap bubbles are a pretty potent weapon.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 12:09 pmIts hard to believe that right wingers would work to stop criminal acts….how is that good for national security?
June 15th, 2009 at 12:11 pmSpencer’s mom & winddancer,
I had delusions of keeping toy guns away from my sons as well, and I never actually bought them that type of toy, but they shot each other with carrots at dinner, pencils, pens, sticks, and whatever else remotely resembled a gun. *sigh* :D
On the other hand, whenever we needed boys to participate in the high school play (where there were too many girls), we figured out a way to work in sword play, and the boys flocked to our doors. ;)
June 15th, 2009 at 12:12 pmDoodlebug Shayne Says:
It seems to me that we are told these individuals acted alone before that could legitimately be verified.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:51 am
____________
It’s a very good point, and it seems to me that I fell for it.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:13 pmIt’s a symptom of their fear based cognitive dissonance…hallmarks of the conservative mindset…
June 15th, 2009 at 12:13 pmhttp://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371046569&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Winddancer asked for this limk on Thinkquick so I am reposting it here ref Peled/sanctions against US
June 15th, 2009 at 12:13 pmHate is a powerful cohesive force and Im pretty sure the organizers of such groups are fully aware of that.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:15 pmspencers mom: Actually, if you aim for the eyes, the soap bubbles are a pretty potent weapon.
And THAT’s why I don’t allow any bubbles in my house!
I am so sick of the National Bubble Association going on about how Obama is going to take away our bubbles!
:D
June 15th, 2009 at 12:18 pmZooey, that’s too funny!
June 15th, 2009 at 12:19 pmpastcaring, I think it is more of a chilling pragmatic thing where they are willing to abandon anything and anyone.
News for rightwing whackos (right out of Blazing Saddles)…”Son, you are on your own.”
June 15th, 2009 at 12:20 pm5th Estate Says:
I am so sick of the National Bubble Association going on about how Obama is going to take away our bubbles!
June 15th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
___________
They can have my bubble wand when they pry it from my wet, soapy hands.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:25 pmMy boys owned real guns (heirloom 22 rifles), but were never allowed toy ones. I never wanted them to associate a gun with play. This worked great until the advent of video games.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:27 pmEVERYONE has played wars with toy guns, sticks or bubble launchers in the infancy, even peacenicks :D
Anyhow, normal people become a mental adult, and knows what are for the weapons: to kill and maim. A responsible adult learns to live without a weapon and have no fear, for his life or liberty. Probably most of the Republicans who cling to their guns never reached mental adulthood.
And a less stressful society would help. Yes, that’s empathy, wingnuts.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:29 pmOutstandingInAPlagueOfLocusts Says:
My boys owned real guns (heirloom 22 rifles), but were never allowed toy ones. I never wanted them to associate a gun with play. This worked great until the advent of video games.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Ugh, violent or non-violent, video games are a mind-numbing debbil. I seriously regret allowing my boys to use the gateway drug known as “Super Mario.”
June 15th, 2009 at 12:31 pmHi, Evil Spaniard! Long time, no see! :)
June 15th, 2009 at 12:33 pmAccording to Newsweek, some local intelligence “fusion” centers ceased their operations monitoring right-wing extremists because of the conservative outcry.
I had the same reaction to this as spencers mom — they stopped monitoring extremists thanks to the Repubs’ tantrums? Totally unacceptable– that must never happen again. It’s as though a murder case was dropped because the alleged killer screamed & yelled about being innocent.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:34 pmOutstandingInAPlagueOfLocusts Says: My boys owned real guns (heirloom 22 rifles), but were never allowed toy ones. I never wanted them to associate a gun with play. This worked great until the advent of video games.
That’s VERY interesting. And rational. Smart.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:36 pmHey, Zooey, nice to meet you again :)
How are going your studies? Is summer vacation near?
I, personally, am already suffering the incoming heat wave of the summer. 30+ ºC (86+ F) around here, and we aren’t at the summer’s highest! Well, doesn’t matter really, I like heat. I try to use the bicycle often to get to the work, to at least say I do something toward fitness.
See you around!
June 15th, 2009 at 12:38 pmIn single minded pursuit of goals based on black or white thinking…dogmatism in other words…
June 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pmZooey and Spencer’s mom (and thanks, 5th Estate for a male perspective) – it is quite amazing how males, no matter how they may be raised, seem to gravitate toward, at least, symbols of violence. Makes me wonder sometimes if there isn’t some genetic reason for that, and then I started thinking about testosteron levels being implicated. Then I found this interesting article from Scientific American. Note in particular the very last sentence of the article.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-testosterone-alone-doesnt-cause-violence
June 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pmApparently the military has been allowing neo-Nazis to join. You know, since we’re in a global crusade and all…
June 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pmElBruce Says:
Apparently the military has been allowing neo-Nazis to join. You know, since we’re in a global crusade and all…
June 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pm Recommend (0) | Report Abuse
Lowering the CI needed for the military was a first step…
June 15th, 2009 at 12:43 pm5th Estate Says:
That’s VERY interesting. And rational. Smart.
Thanks 5th. It seemed pretty smart until my two year old tackled a neighbor’s child who pointed a toy gun at me.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:44 pmXisithrus Says:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371046569&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Winddancer asked for this limk on Thinkquick so I am reposting it here ref Peled/sanctions against US
Thanks. I would suggest everybody read this. Very interesting, and though publicly rejected by the current leadership in Israel, it wouldn’t surprise me if these ideas get implemented at one level or another.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:48 pmEvil Spaniard Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Things are going well, and the studies are moving along. :) It’s WAY too early for that kind of heat! Stop by the Zoo whenever you can, we’re missing you!
June 15th, 2009 at 12:52 pmThey should be scrutinizing home grown terrorists MORE than they do foreign terrorists. We are 10 times more likely to be a victim of a home grown terrorist than a foreign terrorist.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:52 pmen son videolar
June 15th, 2009 at 12:52 pmen son videolar
winddancer Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Very interesting article, winddancer. Thanks!
June 15th, 2009 at 1:08 pmwinddancer Says:
Xisithrus Says:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371046569&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Winddancer asked for this limk on Thinkquick so I am reposting it here ref Peled/sanctions against US
Thanks. I would suggest everybody read this. Very interesting, and though publicly rejected by the current leadership in Israel, it wouldn’t surprise me if these ideas get implemented at one level or another.
OK, now that’s funny. He is proposing that Israel sanction the US by not using the money we give them to buy weapons from us. Personally, I’m all for that kind of sanctions. But even more, I’m hoping that President Obama cuts off our monetary aid to Israel.
BTW – can anyone who totally supports Israel explain to me what they have ever done for us to have earned the “best friend” status they have held with the US government for the last couple of decades?
June 15th, 2009 at 1:09 pmOutstandingInAPlagueOfLocusts Says:
Thanks 5th. It seemed pretty smart until my two year old tackled a neighbor’s child who pointed a toy gun at me.
Looks like you’ve got a future Secret Service agent on your hands there…
June 15th, 2009 at 1:12 pmWayne A Schneider did a post for TheZoo, entitled “Calling Out the Right Wing,” regarding their denial of any responsibility for recent violence. As always, it’s well worth a read.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:14 pmThat a vocal number of right wingers are identifying themselves as extremists by getting in a tizzy about the DHS report is worrisome.
June 15th, 2009 at 4:00 pmSo racial profiling is okay… as long as it only applies to minorities. Riiiiiight.
June 15th, 2009 at 4:30 pmI find the GOP’s outcry to have very racist overtones. As far as I can tell, they think it’s okay to lock up a brown person for jaywalking but bad to monitor white people for death threats.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:47 pmThe Republican party is a greater menace to public safety than Al Qaeda. They should be monitored closely by DHS. Don’t like it? Tough shit.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:34 pm