New York Times, 14 April 1996
Private Groups Lead Charge in War on Far Right
By Michael Janofsky
Washington. In the year since the worst terrorist act on
American soil, the bombing of a Federal building in Oklahoma
City that killed 168 people, the number of right-wing groups
harboring anti-government sentiments has been estimated at
mnre than 800, by some counts, and they now operate in every
state.
These are organized groups of militias, white supremacists,
neo-Nazis- skinheads, survivalists and constitutionalists who
are connected to each other with increasing frequency by the
Internet, fax machines and a shared belief in Christian
Identity, a renegade religious concept that. proclaims whites
to be God's chosen people, Jews to be descendants of Satan and
blacks to be subhuman.
At the same time, however, as Federal agencies proceed with
traditional means of intelligence gathering (as in the
Unabomber case), and Congress ponders a new anti-terrorism
bill (stalled by the gun lobby and civil libertarians),
efforts to fight domestic terrorism are being supplemented
more than ever by private human rights organizations that
track the fringe right with their own networks. They willingly
share information with law enforcement agencies, branches of
the military and reporters.
Federal law enforcement agencies, which were heavily
criticized for their actions in fatal controntations in Ruby
Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Tex., appear to be trying a new, more
patient approach in waiting for a peaceful solution to the
current standoff with the anti-government group called the
Freemen in eastern Montana. They have been criticized this
time, largely by neighbors of the Freeman and local officials,
for waiting so long to get involved, and for waiting at all.
Undercover Work
Most of the human rights organizations were actively
campaigning against racism and anti-Semitism long before the
Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995 and the arrest of two
suspects with links to militia groups. And with many of the
right-wing groups now hiding racist views beyond a more
acceptable veneer of anti-government oratory, the human rights
groups say the need to collect information has become that
much more critical.
At least two of them -- the Southern Poverty Law Center in
Montgomery, Ala., and the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los
Angeles -- use undercover operatives. Both organizations had
spies attend a convention last weekend in Lake Tahoe that
attracted hundreds of Christian Identity followers to hear a
speech by Randy Weaver, the white separatist whose wife and
son were killed three years ago in a siege by Federal agents
in Ruby Ridge.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has computer files of more
than 12,000 people identified as members of a far-right group.
The Wiesenthal Center operates an extensive electronic
tracking station, where researchers monitor television, cable
and radio shows all over the world for racist and anti-Semitic
content.
When the Army recently conducted an internal investigation to
learn how many soldiers were involved with skinhead groups,
senior officers at the Pentagon twice conferred with
Wiesenthal Center officials, and when Patrick J. Buchanan was
running for the Republican Presidential nomination, they
produced names of Buchanan supporters who once worked for
David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan member, or had affiliation
with the National Association for the Advancement of White
People.
Law enforcement agencies have credited the human rights groups
with helping the public become more aware of the beliefs,
factions and heroes of the far-right fringe. The human rights
groups see their efforts as a necessary antidote to the
sympathetic treatment of far-right groups on conservative talk
radio programs, and to the reluctance of some conservative
politicians to criticize the extremists. But the work may have
also produced some unintended consequences.
Writing in The Jubilee, a publication of the Christian
Identity movement, a former militia leader from Alabama, Jeff
Randall, said the drumbeat of concern over domestic terrorism
has served as a welcome recruiting device for militias and
other right-wing groups.
"Throughout all this," he wrote, "the militias became stronger
and better organized.
"Many people are wondering if the militia movement is still
alive and well," he added. "The answer to that question is a
resounding 'yes.' "
-----
Full page ad:
"False Patriots: The Threat of Antigovernment Extremists"
Fast-Growing "Patriot" Movement Poses Danger of Domestic
Terrorism
Early Warnings
In October 1994, Morris Dees warned Attorney General Reno that
white supremacists were infiltrating the "Patriot" militia
movement. He called the development "a recipe for disaster."
Six months later, a powerful bomb destroyed a federal building
in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. The country soon learned
that Tim McVeigh, the prime suspect in the attack, had
neo-Nazi ties and connections to the "Patriot" network, the
combination that Dees had seen as so explosive before the
bombing.
Now, Dees and his colleagues at the Southern Poverty Law
Center have again warned the Attorney General about the danger
posed by the antigovernment "Patriot" movement. In an April 9,
1996 letter, Dees urged Reno to take concrete steps to counter
the threat of further domestic terrorism. He also provided her
with a copy of *False Patriots*, the Center's new report on
the "Patriot" movement. This 72-page expose is the culmination
of a Center investigation into the "Patriot" movement
conducted since the Oklahoma City bombing.
United By Hate
The "Patriot" movement encompasses numerous elements of the
American right, from certain Christian fundamentalists to the
Ku Klux Klan. It includes tax protesters, survivalists and
neo-Nazis, as well as radical anti-environmentalists and gun
enthusiasts. The tie that binds those in the movement,
estimated by some at five million strong, is a virulent hatred
of the federal government.
This hatred has been fueled in recent years by the passage of
gun control legislation, the deaths of Randy Weaver's wife and
son at the hands of federal agents on Ruby Ridge in Idaho, and
the disastrous federal assault on the Branch Davidian compound
in Waco.
The False Patriots report reveals the people behind the
"Patriot" movement, people like Louis Beam, a key Aryan
Nations leader, and Pete Peters, a pastor of the bizarre
Christian Identity faith. It identifies over 800
antigovernment "Patriot" organizations, including 441
unauthorized militia groups. It describes how "Patriot"
paramilitary units are preparing for war with the federal
government. It offers an inside look at guerrilla literature
and the tools of terrorism. It documents crimes linked to the
"Patriot" movement, including plots to blow up other federal
buildings. It demonstrates that the "Patriot" movement poses
"a clear and present danger" to the nation.
Expect More Bombs
Immediately after the Oklahoma City disaster, a spokesperson
for the Militia of Montana predicted more antigovernment
violence. "Patriot" groups flooded the underground book market
and the Internet with manuals on bomb-making, railroad
sabotage and the production of deadly chemicals. "Patriot"
leaders openly suggested the need to kill government
officials.
Since the Oklahoma City tragedy, numerous "Patriot" terrorist
plots have been discovered, including plans to poison federal
employees in Minnesota and conspiracies to blow up a federal
courthouse in Spokane and an IRS building in Reno. An AmTrak
train was derailed by a group calling itself "Sons of the
Gestapo."
Over ten tons of explosives have been stolen from various
locations around the country in the past year. Authorities
suspect a large quantity has made its way into the "Patriot"
movement. In December, a survivalist was arrested in the Ozark
Mountains of Arkansas and charged with terrorism. He had
produced 130 grams of the deadly poison ricin, enough to kill
thousands.
Secret Cells Formed
>From California to Florida, "Patriots" are forming cells of
five to ten men skilled in explosives, sniper fire, sabotage
and terrorism. These secret cells operate without a chain of
command to avoid compromising the larger movement. One cell
recently uncovered in Idaho is financed by a wealthy
businessman. These cells, like the one McVeigh is suspected of
forming, are difficult to monitor and can strike when least
expected.
____________________________________________________________
What You Can Do To Help Stop Domestic Terrorism
You can take a number of steps to fight against domestic
terrorists.
+ Contact your state attorney general's office
Find out if your state has anti-militia and anti-paramilitary
training statutes. If the answer is "Yes," insist that the
laws be enforced. If "No," urge the attorney general's office
to work for passage of such laws.
+ Support federal legislation to outlaw militia groups that
are not authorized by state law
These groups operate as a springboard for dangerous
antigovernment activity.
+ Learn about the "Patriot" movement and share your knowledge
with others
The "Patriot" movement thrives on secrecy and citizen apathy.
The *False Patriots* report offers the most complete way for
concerned individuals to learn the full story of the "Patriot"
movement. It was created by the Militia Task Force, a project
of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and is available to those
who support the Center's work with a tax-decutible gift of $15
or more.
The Militia Task Force is leading the fight to expose the
"Patriot" movement and protect those injured in hate crimes.
The Center's Militia Task Force and its Klanwatch Project
monitor "Patriot" groups, especially those with racist ties.
Computerized investigative files contain over 11,000 photos
and videos as well as data on 3,200 groups, 14,000 individuals
and over 61,000 incidents. A quarterly "Intelligence Report"
is provided free to law enforcement agencies and the media.
This work has not been done without costs. In 1983, the
Center's Montgomery, Alabama, offices were burned by the Klan.
Its lawyers have received serious death threats. Just this
past November, three members of the Oklahoma Constituional
Militia were arrested in a plot to bomb the Center's offices.
____________________________________________________________
Support the Center and its
Militia Task Force and
Recieve *False Patriots*
Militia Task Force
A Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center
400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104
Yes, send me a copy of the 72-page *False Patriots*. Enclosed
is my tax-deductible gist to help expose the "Patriot"
movement and protect innocent people from hate crimes and
injustice
[ ]$15 [ ]$25 [ ]$50 [ ]$100 [ ]Other $_____________
Name _______________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________
City ____________________________ State _____ Zip __________
____________________________________________________________
A copy of the latest official registration statement and
financial report filed by the Souther Poverty Law Center may
be obtained by contacting Office of Charities Registration,
162 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231.
Y9604NYT
