INCIDENT OVERVIEW
The Southern Poverty Law Center released new information Tuesday regarding “patriot” extremist groups in the United States. The study defines patriot groups as anti-government militias driven by their fear that authorities will strip them of their guns and liberties. Currently, there are 1,018 known hate groups operating across the country, including neo-Nazis, Klansmen, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, racist skinheads, black separatists, border vigilantes and others. The SPLC said that there were 149 militias and "radical antigovernment groups" in 2008, but that the number increased to 1,360 in 2012. The groups named in the SPLC study came from information compiled from "field reports, Patriot publications, the Internet, law enforcement sources and news reports." The study reports California has the most patriot extremist groups, with 81.
While the number of extremist groups has reportedly risen over the last four years, the number of hate groups has decreased.
Last August, a 40-year-old ex-soldier-turned singer for a white supremacist rock band shot up a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six people, before taking his own life. A few weeks later, a group of Georgia men was linked to an anti-government militia plot to assassinate Obama.
Other highlights of the report include:
- The state with the most neo-Nazi groups: California, with 9.
- The state with the most Ku Klux Klan groups: Texas, with 26.
- The report breaks out a group it calls "Christian Identity," which the SLPC defines as "a religion that is fundamentally racist and anti-Semitic." Texas has the most, with five.
- Another category in the report, called "General Hate," is defined as groups that are anti-gay, Holocaust deniers, racist musicians or radical traditionalist Catholics. California has the most such groups, with 37.
The SPLC sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that warned of "patriot groups" and domestic terrorism. In the letter, the SPLC asked the department to "establish an interagency task force to assess the adequacy of the resources devoted to responding to the growing threat of non-Islamic domestic terrorism." The letter goes on to say that there is also a "high level" of "neo-Nazi and racist skinhead groups" that may be a result of "comprehensive immigration reform."
"It seems like it is likely to get worse before it will get better," says Senior SPLC Fellow Mark Potok. "There are groups that really do engage in a form of paramilitary training. Other groups basically sit around a room and complain about the government. But Potok says the worry is "that somebody out there is going to act. It seems very possible."
AQAP Refocuses on Lone Wolf Attacks
In addition to the threat from these “patriot” extremist groups as published by SPLC this week, the tenth edition of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) English-language Inspire magazine was released on jihadist forums. MSA’s Research and Intelligence Analysis Team noted that AQAP continues to emphasize lone-wolf attacks. In response to a Q&A section in the magazine, it was noted that the list of potential targets for lone-wolf attacks are endless. The article specifically mentions hotels and commercial buildings. MSA’s Research and Intelligence Team noted that this highlights the preference for softer targets that we have seen in past editions. The research team stated that the implications of this edition reveals a new tactic that focuses on the destruction of vehicles and sabotaging roadways, showcasing AQAP’s need to innovate new strategies in order to motivate extremists, find success, and keep the enemy (the West) on its toes. Eager for a successful attack against the West, the group continues to urge individuals to wage lone-wolf attacks that are easy to conduct and are difficult to deter or detect.
SCN continues to monitor the current threat environment and will issue updates accordingly. For additional information and updates, please visit the Secure Community Network website at www.scnus.org.
“If You See Something, Say Something TM ”
Report suspicious activity to local law enforcement.
Secure Community Network
Your Trusted Partner for Communal Security
www.scnus.org
Secure Community Network (SCN) is the national non-profit homeland security initiative of the Jewish
Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
