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
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 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