SPLC back on the right-wing terrorist kick
The Southern Poverty Law Center is getting back in the Homeland Security Department’s face again about how right wing terrorists are a bigger threat than anyone else;
The Southern Poverty Law Center this week urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reassess the resources it devotes to investigating non-Islamic domestic extremism. The request came as the SPLC published an interview with a former top DHS analyst who charged that the department effectively dismantled the unit he once headed following the political right’s unjustified criticism of a 2009 report on right-wing terrorism.
“The department’s work should never be compromised by misguided criticism from any quarter,” SPLC President Richard Cohen wrote in a letter sent this week to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Do you mean like criticism from the Southern Poverty Law Center? The same people who called the American Legion a right-wing hate group?
Daryl Johnson, who headed the DHS unit responsible for analyzing security threats from non-Islamic domestic extremists, was the principal author of the April 7, 2009, report “Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.”
The report was intended only for distribution to law enforcement agencies. But after it was leaked to the media, a firestorm erupted among conservative commentators who wrongly claimed it equated conservatives with terrorists. Within days, Napolitano had disowned it.
Oh, so we weren’t supposed to know about it? Is that the whole problem? Maybe the whole problem was that the report was based almost exclusively on SPLC’s biased research. SPLC…the same people who toss the New Black Panther Party in the mix when they’re adding up the number of new right-wing hate groups.
Johnson, who was interviewed for the upcoming summer issue of the SPLC’s Intelligence Report, said that following the controversy, the DHS dismantled the intelligence team that studied the threat from right-wing extremists and that the department no longer produces its own analytical reports on that subject. When the 2009 report was written, there were six analysts in the unit, including Johnson. Today, he said, there is one.
It took six people to cut and paste the SPLC’s report into the headers for the DHS? Then I guess we’re lucky that there’s only one guy now – we saved some money. Looks like Johnson is still cozy with the SPLC;
“DHS stopped all of our work and instituted restrictive policies,” said Johnson, who has since left the department. “Eventually, they ended up gutting my unit. All of this happened within six to nine months after the furor over the report. Since our report was leaked, DHS has not released a single report of its own on this topic. Not anything dealing with non-Islamic domestic extremism – whether it’s anti-abortion extremists, white supremacists, ‘sovereign citizens,’ eco-terrorists, the whole gamut.”
Eco-terrorists? Who is he kidding? DHS doesn’t give a furry rat’s ass about ELF or ALF or ATM or whatever they call themselves. And if I’m not mistaken all of the terrorists who’ve been rolled up lately don’t belong to any of those groups. And the fricken Hutarees don’t count. (whatever happened to those guys anyway?)
“What worries me is the fact that our country is under attack from within, from our own radical citizenry,” Johnson said in the SPLC interview. “My greatest fear is that domestic extremists in this country will somehow become emboldened to the point of carrying out a mass-casualty attack, because they perceive that no one is being vigilant about the threat from within. That is what keeps me up at night.”
What worries me is that the Homeland Security wienies will take their eyes off the real threat to mollify the left wing pseudo-intellectual nutballs at SPLC.
head spaz, mark potok gets the laugh line;
Mark Potok, director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project, said Johnson’s 2009 report was wrongly maligned and falsely characterized by conservative pundits.
“The fact is, the DHS report accurately predicted the sort of radical-right terrorism that we’re now seeing across the country,” Potok said. “It’s troubling that the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security would bow to unfounded criticism from the political right.”
It’s really troubling that the Department of Homeland Security bowed to the SPLC’s unfounded research in the first place.
Thanks to TSO for the link.
Category: I hate hippies, SPLC
I have nothing but contempt for the SPLC since they listed the Thor’s Hammer as a hate symbol.
“The fact is, the DHS report accurately predicted the sort of radical-right terrorism that we’re now seeing across the country,”. Just who the fuck would that be…Oh yeah those radically right Tea Partiers. Can’t leave the property without fear of getting blown up by a Gadsen Flag.
There was a time when I respected Morris Dees and his work with SPLC in blowing up the KKK. Now they’ve just totally beclowned themselves.
What right wing terrorism?
Right initials, wrong name.
That’s Southern Poverty LIE Center.
I also am perplexed: What radical right terrorism are they referencing?
If it’s June, it must be SPLC Fundraiser Month.
Not to worry, there are many turtles with deep pockets who remember Morris and Mark as good boys who listened to their mothers and fought against Eisenhower’s tyranny.
And in all seriousness, SPLC only has to phone it in to keep the money flowing.
Was that the report that said returning Veterans were highly likely to be recruited for terrorist organizations? If so that whole report was totally quackers.
I think I ought to point out also that MOST of the Presidential assassins were Lefties, and pretty much all of the organizations that conducted operations that might be considered “Terrorism” in the 60’s and 70’s were Hard left. In fact McVeigh is the ONLY Right wing terrorist I can find. If you look at Iraq, Israel and Afghanistan and compare tactics, both political and military you can see a lot in common with the left. Just sayin
We’re seeing a rash of right wing terrorism across the country??? Really??
Radical right terrorism? Like sending guns to the drug cartels? Oh, wait……. Hey, Mr. Potok, would that be government terrorism?
I wonder how long it’d take all of us to assemble a counter-intel unit then dig up the dirt on Mr. Potok & his little sissy boys? Who knows? Might find a couple felons, child molesters, rapists and assorted mis-fits in his ranks.
Just saying…
We all remember the outcome of that ill-conceived, ill-researched, ill-produced (just plain ill) report. Sure, the DHS pulled it, but only after making limp wristed attempts to defend it and explain the hyperbole and lies within it. In the aftermath of it, the leftists used it on talk radio shows, op eds in blogs or opinion pieces in newspapers to smear and denigrate returning troops or to explain why certain violent crimes happened, etc. Janeane Gawdawfulo even made smug statements on the radio citing the already retracted report.
TSO has done a bang up job of getting in-depth to the math and research behind the SPLC statements and reports. Many of us have gone to our congresscritters since the initial report came out, etc. However, it doesn’t seem like there is a way to quash these assumption and innuendo filled juvenile reports that look like they were written by an 8th grade dropout. Isn’t there a way to file a lawsuit against these assholes for defamation or libel or some shit like that? Why should we as Veterans have to allow these limp wristed bed wetters to label us with their bias just because they get props from the rest of the media? Right, left, or indifferent, this labels all Veterans, but especially those they deem right-wing whackos, as though they have actual proof outside of their personal bias labels.
The list I found at the SPLC (splcenter.org/get-informed/publications/terror-from-the-right)of right-wing terror was all murders, arson, beatings, mail bombs, poisons, no attacks on symbols or hyperbole at all. And every event checks out with police and court records.
Your opinions get a lot more respect when you get your facts straight.