By Cliff Montgomery – Nov. 18th, 2014
In July, a very interesting land Security report was released without much fanfare. Its matter-of-fact title – Domestic Violent Extremists Pose Increased Threat to Government Law Enforcement – perfectly describes the subject.
Much has been made of the Middle East-based terrorist group called the Islamic State, yet strangely there’s been little discussion of these terrorist groups which exist in our collective backyard.
One must wonder if the vast difference in these public responses has anything to do with the presumed ethnic and/or religious identity of each group…
This document was “prepared by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) and Southern Nevada Counter- terrorism Center,” and was “coordinated with [the] FBI.”
The document was obtained from the watchdog group Public Intelligence.
Below, The American Spark quotes the essential body of the document:
Scope
“After years of only sporadic violence from violent domestic extremists motivated by anti-government ideologies, I&A has seen a spike within the past year in violence committed by militia extremists and lone offenders who hold violent anti-government beliefs.”
“DHS defines a militia extremist as groups or individuals who facilitate or engage in acts of violence directed at federal, state, or local government officials or infrastructure in response to their belief that the government deliberately is stripping Americans of their freedoms and is attempting to establish a totalitarian regime.
“These individuals consequently oppose many federal and state authorities’ laws and regulations (particularly those related to firearms ownership), and often belong to armed paramilitary groups.
“They often conduct paramilitary training designed to violently resist perceived government oppression or to violently overthrow the United States Government.”
“DHS defines a lone offender extremist as an individual motivated by one or more extremist ideologies who, operating alone, supports or engages in acts of violence in furtherance of that ideology or ideologies that may involve influence from a larger terrorist organization or a foreign actor.”
“These groups and individuals recognize government authority but facilitate or engage in acts of violence due to their perception that the United States Government is tyrannical and oppressive, coupled to their belief that the government needs to be violently resisted or overthrown.
“Historically, spikes in violence have followed high-profile confrontations involving the United States Government, such as Ruby Ridge and Waco.
“The April 2014 Bunkerville, Nevada standoff likely represents a similar event that could inspire further violence.
“This assessment examines the common themes and targets of these attacks and assesses the potential for increased violence that may follow the Bunkerville standoff.
“Although sovereign citizen extremist violence is also inspired by an anti-government ideology, sovereign citizen extremists are not included in this Assessment as we have detected no similar spike in this movement despite similarities in their ideologies.
“In 2014, sovereign citizen extremist violence continued at roughly the same sporadic rate I&A has observed since 2010 of just over five incidents per year, as detailed in a 27 February 2014 Reference Aid, ‘Limited Reporting Suggests Sovereign Citizen Extremist Violence Most Common in Southern and Western United States.’
Key Judgments
“I&A assesses that the perceived victory by militia extremists in a show of force against the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Nevada in April will likely inspire additional anti-government violence over the next year.
“I&A also assesses that the recent murders of two Las Vegas police officers is the latest and most severe incident in a growing trend of anti-government violence compared to the previous four years and inspired by perceived government over-reach and oppression.
Perceived Victory at Bunkerville Likely to Prompt More Violence
“I&A assesses that the belief among militia extremists that their threats and show of force against the BLM during the April Bunkerville standoff was a defining victory over government oppression is galvanizing some individuals – particularly militia extremists and violent lone offenders – to actively confront law enforcement officials, increasing the likelihood of violence.
“Additionally, this perceived success likely will embolden other militia extremists and like-minded lone offenders to attempt to replicate these confrontational tactics and force future armed standoffs with law enforcement and government officials during 2014.
“At least three incidents in 2014 appear to have a connection to the events in Bunkerville based on open source and law enforcement reporting.” […]
Spike in Anti-Government Violence Driven By Common Themes
“I&A assesses the spike in anti-government attacks and plots since November 2013 is a departure from the random and sporadic nature of domestic extremist violence.
“These violent incidents are motivated by the perception of government actions (or lack of action) addressing political issues such as gun control, land-use, property, and other activities as interfering with their individual rights and as oppressive measures that warrant violent reprisal against US government entities and law enforcement, according to a body of open source reporting.
“These are common themes cited by attackers, but the specific motivations that drive any instance of anti- government violence vary due to the disparate beliefs and motivations of the individuals involved.”
“Though the initial cause or tipping point of this spike in violence remains unclear, I&A assesses with moderate confidence that some of these incidents are likely intended to inspire additional violent attacks, resulting in a greater rate of attacks than in the prior four years.”
Government and Law Enforcement are Primary Targets
“Militia extremists and lone offenders with similar anti-government ideologies have historically attacked government facilities and personnel, followed by law enforcement personnel and Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR), based on open source and law enforcement reporting since 2010.
“Law enforcement is targeted because these individuals perceive it as an extension of state control over individuals and CIKR is targeted to undermine the government’s perceived economic and societal power and control.”
Outlook
“While I&A assesses that the rate of violent domestic extremist attacks motivated by anti-government ideology will increase over the next year, we do not expect a change in the traditional targets of these groups.
“We judge that attacks on government facilities and personnel will continue to be the priority, followed by law enforcement and then CIKR.”
