Domestic Terrorism - Motivations And Trends
black separatist party nation islam constitution militia panther
Left-Wing Organizations
According to the FBI's Terrorism in the United States 1999, terrorist groups on the extreme left tend to "profess a revolutionary socialist doctrine and view themselves as protectors of the people against dehumanizing effects of capitalism and imperialism." These groups were more prominent during the days of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union, and they carried out a number of bombings and robberies from the 1960s to the 1980s. From 1980 to 1985, the FBI attributed eighty-six of the 184 recorded terrorist attacks to left-wing extremists. The fall of the Soviet Union and a global shift away from communist ideologies greatly affected the motivations and capabilities of such groups.
Some left-wing groups have been fighting for the independence of Puerto Rico. Groups such as the Popular Puerto Rican Army often employ violent means in their attempts to secure full Puerto Rican independence from
FIGURE 7.1
FIGURE 7.2
the United States. In 1998 three of the five recorded acts of terrorism within the United States and its territories occurred in Puerto Rico and were attributed by the FBI to the Popular Puerto Rican Army. Groups fighting for Puerto Rican independence were more active during the 1980s and carried out several bombings and violent attacks.
Other types of left-wing groups include anarchists and social extremists, whose causes vary but remain political and anti-establishment. They operate in groups or as individuals. Such groups were responsible for extensive damage during riots in Seattle, Washington, in 1999, during demonstrations against the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting.
Right-Wing Organizations
Right-wing groups tend to regard the U.S. government as oppressive or unjust. Often, such groups believe in racial supremacy and refuse to follow any rules and regulations set forth by the government. The origins of some of these groups can be traced back to the nineteenth century. The widespread poverty and destitution in the Southern states after their defeat in the Civil War (1861–65), combined with attitudes of racial superiority, created an atmosphere that gave birth to such organizations as the Ku Klux Klan.
Contemporary right-wing extremists have toned down their rhetoric in order to attract a larger audience. Members of the extreme right often adhere to one or more of the following beliefs:
- Christian Identity adherents believe that Americans of white European descent are descendants of the ten lost tribes of Israel, that the Aryan race is God's chosen race, and that whites will defeat Jews and nonwhites during the Second Coming of Christ.
- White supremacists call for the supremacy of the white race above all others; extreme members of such organizations also believe that a special homeland should be established to maintain the purity of the white race.
- Militias are armed paramilitary groups that strongly believe the U.S. government is out to destroy them. They preach elaborate conspiracy theories—for example, that the U.S. government is merely a cog in a "new world order" run by the United Nations (UN).
- Patriot Movement members consider themselves to be true patriots who disagree with how the government currently functions and refuse to adhere to any federal, state, or local laws. Many have racist ideologies. According to the Intelligence Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), 171 Patriot groups operate within the United States, forty-five of them militia groups (although not all of these groups advocate violence). (See Table 7.2.)
- Tax Protest Movement members believe that tax laws are incorrectly interpreted and that paying federal income tax should be voluntary.
The FBI claims that since about the mid-1990s there has been a rise in grass-roots patriot and militia movements that profess antigovernment sentiments and global conspiracy theories. This rise is the result of the increasing prominence of the UN, growing U.S. involvement around the world, the passage of increased gun-control legislation, and recent confrontations between militias and the law enforcement community. These groups present a unique threat to the federal government because they often stockpile weapons and refuse to acknowledge any law enforcement above the level of the county sheriff. Many also lack a cohesive organizational structure and an overall leader or headquarters, making these small, tightly knit groups hard to infiltrate or monitor.
The increase in activity by right-wing groups beginning in the 1990s was partly caused by a shift in tactics away from hierarchical organizations to what is termed "leaderless resistance." Using small cells of only a few members who commit acts of resistance, this strategy makes such groups more difficult for law enforcement to infiltrate. First popularized by "The Order," a right-wing group involved in armored-car robberies and the murder of a Jewish radio personality, "leaderless resistance" was also promoted in the 1978 novel The Turner Diaries, written by National Alliance founder William L. Pierce and an underground best-seller in far-right circles.
FIGURE 7.3
Special-Interest and Single-Issue Terrorism
In addition to left-wing and right-wing groups, a variety of special-interest groups, such as animal liberation groups, environmentalists, antiabortion activists, and black separatists, have committed acts of terror to draw attention to one specific cause. They have carried out such destructive acts as arson, bombings, and even anthrax hoaxes in the past. These groups frequently use media outlets such as the Internet to disseminate their ideologies and recruit members.
ECOTERRORISM. The underground Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and Animal Liberation Front (ALF) are the leading groups that have engaged in ecoterrorism since the mid-1990s. In testimony before the House Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, in February 2002, James F. Jarboe, the FBI domestic terrorism section chief, defined ecoterrorism as "the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property by an environmentally oriented, subnational group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature." These groups are composed of radical environmentalists and are primarily active across North America. ELF, for example, describes itself in a
TABLE 7.1
| Chronological summary of terrorist incidents in the United States, 1990–2001 | |||
| Date | Location | Incident type | Group |
| 1/12/90 | Santurce, PR | Pipe bombing | Brigodo Internocionolisto Eugenio Moria de Hostos de los Fuerzos Revolucionories Pedro Albizu Compos (Eugenio Maria de Hostos International Brigade of the Pedro Albizu Campos Revolutionary Forces) |
| 1/12/90 | Carolina, PR | Pipe bombing | Brigodo Internocionolisto Eugenio Moria de Hostos de los Fuerzos Revolucionories Pedro Albizu Compos (Eugenio Maria de Hostos International Brigade of the Pedro Albizu Campos Revolutionary Forces) |
| 2/22/90 | Los Angeles, CA | Bombing | Up the IRS, Inc. |
| 4/22/90 | Santa Cruz County, CA | Malicious destruction of property | Earth Night Action Group |
| 5/27/90 | Mayaguez, PR | Arson | Unknown Puerto Rican group |
| 9/17/90 | Arecibo, PR | Bombing | Pedro Albizu Group Revolutionary Forces |
| 9/17/90 | Vega Baja, PR | Bombing | Pedro Albizu Group Revolutionary Forces |
| 2/3/91 | Mayaguez, PR | Arson | Popular Liberation Army (PLA) |
| 2/18/91 | Sabana Grande, PR | Arson | Popular Liberation Army (PLA) |
| 3/17/91 | Carolina, PR | Arson | Unknown Puerto Rican group |
| 4/1/91 | Fresno, CA | Bombing | Popular Liberation Army (PLA) |
| 7/6/91 | Punta Borinquen, PR | Bombing | Popular Liberation Army (PLA) |
| 4/5/92 | New York, NY | Hostile takeover | Mujohedin-E-Kholq (MEK) |
| 11/19/92 | Urbana, IL | Attempted firebombing | Mexican Revolutionary Movement |
| 12/10/92 | Chicago, IL | Car fire and attempted firebombing | Boricua Revolutionary Front (two incidents) |
| 2/26/93 | New York, NY | Car bombing | International Radical Terrorists |
| 7/20/93 | Tacoma, WA | Pipe bombing | American Front Skinheads |
| 7/22/93 | Tacoma, WA | Bombing | American Front Skinheads |
| 11/27–28/93 | Chicago, IL | Firebombing | Animal Liberation Front (nine incidents) |
| 3/1/94 | New York, NY | Shooting | Rashid Najib Baz convicted on November 30, 1994 |
| 4/19/95 | Oklahoma City, OK | Truck bombing | Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols convicted. (Michael Fortier found guilty of failing to alert authorities of plot) |
| 4/1/96 | Spokane, WA | Pipe bombing/bank robbery | Spokane Bank Robbers |
| 7/12/96 | Spokane, WA | Pipe bombing/bank robbery | Spokane Bank Robbers |
| 7/27/96 | Atlanta, GA | Pipe bombing | Eric Robert Rudolph charged on October 14, 1998 |
| 1/2/97 | Washington, DC | Letter bomb (counted as one incident) | Pending investigation |
| No claim of responsibility | |||
| 1/2/97 | Leavenworth, KS | Letter bomb (counted as one incident | Pending investigation |
| No claim of responsibility | |||
| 1/16/97 | Atlanta, GA | Bombing of abortion clinic | Eric Robert Rudolph charged on October 14, 1998 |
| 2/21/97 | Atlanta, GA | Bombing of alternative lifestyle nightclub | Eric Robert Rudolph charged on October 14, 1998 |
| 1/29/98 | Birmingham, AL | Bombing of reproductive services clinic | Eric Robert Rudolph charged with the bombing on February 14, 1998 |
| 3/31/98 | Arecibo, PR | Bombing of superaqueduct construction project | Claim of responsibility issued by Los Macheteros |
| 6/9/98 | Rio Piedras, PR | Bombing of bank branch office | Claim of responsibility issued by Los Macheteros |
| 6/25/98 | Santa Isabel, PR | Bombing of bank branch office | Los Macheteros suspected |
| 10/19/98 | Vail, CO | Arson fire at ski resort | Claim of responsibility issued by Earth Liberation Front |
| 3/27/99 | Franklin Township, NJ | Bombing of circus vehicles | Claim of responsibility issued by Animal Liberation Front |
| 4/5/99 | Minneapolis, St. Paul, MN | Malicious destruction and theft | Animal Liberation Front |
| 5/9/99 | Eugene, OR | Bombing | Animal Liberation Front |
| 7/2–4/99 | Chicago Skokie, IL Northbrook, Bloomington, IN |
Multiple shootings | Benjamin Nathaniel Smith |
| 8/10/99 | Granada Hills, CA | Multiple shootings | Buford O'Neal Furrow |
| 8/28–29/99 | Orange, CA | Malicious destruction and theft | Claim of responsibility issued by Animal Liberation Front |
| 10/24/99 | Bellingham, WA | Malicious destruction and theft | Claim of responsibility issued by Animal Liberation Front |
| 11/20/99 | Puyallup, WA | Malicious destruction | Animal Liberation Front |
| 12/25/99 | Monmouth, OR | Arson | Claim of responsibility issued by Earth Liberation Front |
| 12/31/99 | East Lansing, MI | Arson | Claim of responsibility issued by Earth Liberation Front |
| 1/3/00 | Petaluma, CA | Incendiary attack | Animal Liberation Front |
| 1/15/00 | Petaluma, CA | Incendiary attack | Animal Liberation Front |
| 1/22/00 | Bloomington, IN | Arson | Earth Liberation Front |
| 5/7/00 | Olympia, WA | Arson | Revenge of the Trees |
| 7/2/00 | North Vernon, IN | Arson | Animal Liberation Front |
| 7/20/00 | Rhinelander, WI | Vandalism | Earth Liberation Front |
| 12/1/00 | Phoenix, AZ | Multiple arsons | Mark Warren Sands |
| 12/9–30/00 | Suffolk County, Long Island, NY | Multiple arsons | Earth Liberation Front |
| 1/2/01 | Glendale, OR | Arson | Earth Liberation Front |
| 2/20/01 | Visalia, CA | Arson | Earth Liberation Front |
| 3/9/01 | Culpeper, VA | Tree spiking | Earth Liberation Front |
| 3/30/01 | Eugene, OR | Arson | Earth Liberation Front |
| 4/15/01 | Portland, OR | Arson | Earth Liberation Front |
statement posted on their Web site (http://www.earthliberationfront.com/) as "an international underground organization that uses direct action in the form of economic sabotage to stop the exploitation and destruction of the natural environment." Most ELF members believe in a form of deep ecology, or the theory that all nonhuman life has an intrinsic value and must be protected from humanity.
| SOURCE: "Chronological Summary of Incidents in the United States, 1990–2001," in Terrorism: 2000–01, Federal Bureau of Investigation, http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terror2000_2001.pdf (accessed September 12, 2004) | |||
| 5/17/01 | Harrisburg, PA | Bank robbery | Clayton Lee Waagner |
| 5/21/01 | Seattle, WA | Arson | Earth Liberation Front |
| 5/21/01 | Clatskanie, OR | Arson | Earth Liberation Front |
| 7/24/01 | Stateline, NV | Destruction of property | Earth Liberation Front |
| 9/11/01 | New York, NY Arlington, VA Stony Creek, PA |
Aircraft Attack | Al-Qaeda |
| Fall 2001 | New York, NY Washington, DC Lantana, FL |
Bacillus anthrocis mailings | Pending investigation No claim of responsibility |
| 10/14/01 | Litchfield, CA | Arson | Earth Liberation Front |
| 11/9/01 | Morgantown, WV | Bank robbery | Clayton Lee Waagner |
| 11/12/01 | San Diego, CA | Burglary and vandalism | Animal Liberation Front |
Both ALF and ELF were created without a hierarchical and centralized structure so that various subgroups and individuals are able to carry out actions under the umbrella of a larger group. In a statement made before the U.S. Senate in May 2001, FBI director Louis J. Freeh labeled ALF "one of the most active extremist elements in the United States." ALF and ELF have committed some six hundred criminal acts since 1996, according to the FBI. Their actions—including arson, vandalism, and bombings—resulted in some $43 million in damages between 1996 and 2002, while in 2003 alone, ecoterrorist damage estimates attributed to ELF and ALF surpassed $50 million. The FBI reports that there has been over $200 million in damages from all ecoterrorist incidents since the late 1980s.
Ecoterrorists have taken action against various targets they believe endanger the earth's environment in some way, including country clubs, ski resorts, oil companies, multinational corporations, research institutes involved in genetic modification, animal laboratories, lumber yards, and various U.S. government agencies. Their tactics have ranged from tree-spiking (inserting spikes in trees to damage saws) and sabotage to arson and firebombing. In October 1998, during a single attack on a ski resort in Vail, Colorado, members of ELF caused approximately $12 million worth of damage. On October 30, 2001, several members of ELF firebombed a wild-horse corral in California that belonged to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In August 2003 ELF took responsibility for burning a five-story apartment building under construction in San Diego, California, causing some $50 million in damages. In August 2003 a group calling itself the Animal Liberation Brigade–Revolutionary Cells bombed the Chiron Corp., a biotechnology firm in Emeryville, California. On September 26, 2003, the same group set off a bomb at Shaklee Corp. in Pleasanton, California.
ANTIABORTION ACTIVISM. Another cause that falls in the special-interest category is the antiabortion movement in the United States. Acts of violence against, and murders of, health care professionals involved in providing abortions rose rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s. Individuals and groups pursuing such activities belong to a larger pro-life movement in the United States that believes the rights of unborn children must be protected. Though most members of the pro-life movement do not support killing medical professionals, a fundamentalist segment of the group strongly believes that killing abortion providers is the only way to protect the unborn.
These groups have no overall structural organization. Individuals sharing similar beliefs network primarily through pamphlets and the Internet. Some Web sites even list names of abortion providers in the United States. Law enforcement officials believe these lists provide "hit lists" for individuals who wish to kill abortion providers. Besides targeting medical professionals, antiabortion groups also commit arson, bombings, blockades (so that workers and patients cannot get into clinics), and anthrax hoaxes.
In response to increasing acts of violence committed against abortion providers and their clinics, Congress enacted the Freedom of Access to Clinical Entrances Act (FACE) in 1994. The legislation specified federal criminal penalties against any individual obstructing, harassing, or acting violently against abortion providers or recipients. Furthermore, in response to the 1998 murder of Dr. Barnett Slepian, a reproductive health care provider in New York, then–Attorney General Janet Reno established a Task Force on Violence against Health Care Providers. Falling under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Justice, the task force is headed by the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division. It is staffed by lawyers and other personnel from the Civil Rights and Criminal Divisions of the Department of Justice, as well as investigators from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Marshals Service.
Black Separatism
The two largest black separatist groups in America are the Nation of Islam (NOI) and the New Black Panther Party for
TABLE 7.2
| Active patriot groups, 2003 |
| Alabama |
| Alabama Committee |
| Birmingham |
| Constitution Party |
| Holly Pond |
| Alaska |
| Constitution Party |
| Anchorage |
| Jefferson Party |
| Anchorage |
| Arizona |
| Constitution Party |
| Chandler |
| Ranch Rescue |
| Douglas |
| American Patriot Friends Network |
| Glendale |
| Civil Homeland Defense |
| Tombstone |
| Arkansas |
| Militia of Washington County |
| Feyetteville |
| Constitution Party |
| Little Rock |
| California |
| California Militia |
| Brea |
| John Birch Society |
| Brea |
| State Citizens Service Center Research Headquarters |
| Canoga Park |
| Truth Radio |
| Delano |
| John Birch Society |
| Fountain Valley |
| Free Enterprise Society |
| Fresno |
| Second Amendment Committee |
| Hanford |
| John Birch Society |
| Irvine |
| John Birch Society |
| Laguna Hills |
| John Birch Society |
| Mission Viejo |
| John Birch Society |
| Newport Beach |
| John Birch Society |
| Oceanside |
| Southern California High Desert Militia |
| Oceanside |
| John Birch Society |
| Orange |
| Freedom Law School |
| Phelan |
| John Birch Society |
| Santa Ana |
| Truth in Taxation |
| Studio City |
| American Independent Party |
| Torrance |
| Colorado |
| Ranch Rescue |
| Boulder |
| American Freedom Network |
| Johnstown |
| District of Columbia |
| American Free Press |
| Washington |
| Florida |
| Citizens for Better Government |
| Gainesville |
| Constitution Party |
| Jupiter |
| Georgia |
| Militia of Georgia |
| Lawrenceville |
| Constitution Party |
| Woodstock |
| Idaho |
| Constitution Party |
| Boise |
| Sons of Liberty |
| Boise |
| Police & Military Against the New World Order |
| Kamiah |
| Constitution Party |
| Post Falls |
| Illinois |
| Southern Illinois Patriots League |
| Benton |
| Constitution Party |
| Springfield |
| Indiana |
| Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia 2nd Brigade |
| Allen County |
| Old Paths Baptist Church |
| Campbellsburg |
| Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia 6th Brigade |
| Columbus |
| NORFED |
| Evansville |
| Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia 4th Brigade |
| Indianapolis |
| Indianapolis Baptist Temple |
| Indianapolis |
| Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia 1st Brigade |
| Lake County |
| Indiana Militia Corps 2nd Brigade |
| Northeastern Indiana |
| Indiana Militia Corps 1st Brigade |
| Northeastern Indiana |
| Indiana State Militia 14th Regiment |
| Owen County |
| Indiana Militia Corps 5th Brigade |
| Pendleton |
| Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia 7th Brigade |
| Perry County |
| Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia 5th Brigade |
| Putnam County |
| Indiana Militia Corps 4th Brigade |
| Southeastern Indiana |
| Indiana Militia Corps 3rd Brigade |
| Soutwestern Indiana |
| Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia 3rd Brigade |
| Tippeacanoe County |
| Iowa |
| Constitution Party |
| Randall |
| Kansas |
| Constitution Party |
| Wichita |
| Kentucky |
| Kentucky State Militia 5th Battalion |
| Central Kentucky |
| Take Back Kentucky |
| Clarkson |
| Free Kentucky |
| Lebanon |
| Constitution Party |
| Nicholasville |
| Louisiana |
| John Birch Society |
| New Orleans |
| Maryland |
| Southern Sons of Liberty |
| Constitution Party |
| Pasadena |
| Save a Patriot Fellowship |
| Westminster |
| Michigan |
| Michigan Militia Corps Wolverines |
| Big Rapids |
| Michigan Militia |
| Detroit |
| Patriot Broadcasting Network |
| Dexter |
| Michigan Militia Corps Wolverines |
| Kalamazoo |
| U.S. Taxpayers Party |
| Lansing |
| Michigan Militia Corps Wolverines |
| Livingston County |
| Michigan Militia Corps Wolverines |
| Macomb County |
| Citizens Militia of St. Clair County |
| Memphis |
| Michigan Militia Corps Wolverines |
| Oakland County |
| Michigan Militia, Inc. |
| Redford |
| Southern Michigan Regional Militia |
| St.Clair |
| Lawful Path |
| Tustin |
| Minnesota |
| Constitution Party |
| St. Paul |
| Missouri |
| Missouri 51st Militia |
| Grain Valley |
| 7th Missouri Militia |
| Granby |
| Montana |
| Militia of Montana |
| Noxon |
| Nevada |
| Center for Action |
| Sandy Valley |
| Independent American Party |
| Sparks |
| New Jersey |
| Constitution Party |
| Palmyra |
| New Jersey Committee of Safety |
| Shamong |
| New Jersey Militia |
| Trenton |
| New York |
| Constitution Party |
| Albany |
| We The People |
| Queensbury |
| North Carolina |
| Constitution Party |
| Rocky Point |
| North Dakota |
| Constitution Party |
| Casselton |
| Ohio |
| Right Way L.A.W. |
| Akron |
| Central Ohio Unorganized Militia |
| Columbus County |
| Constitution Party |
| Columbus |
| E Pluribus Unum |
| Grove City |
| Unorganized Militia of Champaign County |
| St. Paris |
| Oklahoma |
| Ranch Rescue |
| Marietta |
| Present Truth Ministry |
| Panama |
| Oregon |
| Emissary Publications |
| Clackamas |
| Southern Oregon Militia |
| Eagle Point |
| SOURCE: "Active Patriot Groups in the United States in the Year 2003," in Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Center, Spring 2004, http://www.splcenter.org/images/dynamic/intel/report/23/ir113_patriot_groups.pdf (accessed August 24, 2004) | |
| Freedom Bound International | |
| Klamath Falls | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Scappoose | |
| Embassy of Heaven | |
| Stayton | |
| Pennsylvania | |
| American Nationalist Union | |
| Allison Park | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Lancaster | |
| John Birch Society | |
| Pittsburgh | |
| Northern Voice Bookstore | |
| Wildwood | |
| South Carolina | |
| Aware Group | |
| Greenville | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Greenville | |
| Tennessee | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Chattanooga | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Cookeville | |
| Take Back Tennessee | |
| Maynardville | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Memphis | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Nashville | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Winchester | |
| Texas | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Abilene | |
| Ranch Rescue | |
| Abilene | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Alice | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Arlington | |
| Constitution Society | |
| Austin | |
| John Birch Society | |
| Austin | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Beaumont | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Belton | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Brenham | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Bryan | |
| Buffalo Creek Press | |
| Cleburne | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Cleburne | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Cleveland | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Conroe | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Corpus Christi | |
| Republic of Texas | |
| Dallas | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Danbury | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Early | |
| Constitution Party | |
| El Paso | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Elkhart | |
| Republic of Texas | |
| Fort Worth | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Franklin | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Guthrie | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Hondo | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Houston | |
| Republic of Texas | |
| Houston | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Huntsville | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Iredell | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Jefferson | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Kopperl | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Marshall | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Mcqueeney | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Midland | |
| God Said Ministries | |
| Mount Enterprise | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Navasota | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Odessa | |
| Republic of Texas | |
| Overton | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Plano | |
| Constitution Party | |
| San Antonio | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Texarkana | |
| Constitution Party | |
| The Woodlands | |
| Church of God Evangelistic Association | |
| Waxahachie | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Waxahachie | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Weatherford | |
| Utah | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Bountiful | |
| Vermont | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Quechee | |
| Virginia | |
| Ranch Rescue | |
| Ashburn | |
| Kenton's Rangers Virginia Line Militia | |
| Front Royal | |
| Virginia Citizens Militia | |
| Roanoke | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Vienna | |
| Washington | |
| Washington State Jural Society | |
| Ellensburg | |
| Ranch Rescue | |
| Vancouver | |
| Wisconsin | |
| American Opinion Book Services | |
| Appleton | |
| Constitution Party | |
| Appleton | |
| John Birch Society | |
| Appleton | |
| Alabama | 2 |
| Alaska | 2 |
| Arizona | 4 |
| Arkansas | 2 |
| California | 18 |
| Colorado | 2 |
| Connecticut | 0 |
| Delaware | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 1 |
| Florida | 2 |
| Georgia | 2 |
| Hawaii | 0 |
| Idaho | 4 |
| Illinois | 2 |
| Indiana | 16 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| Kansas | 1 |
| Kentucky | 4 |
| Louisiana | 1 |
| Maine | 0 |
| Maryland | 3 |
| Massachusetts | 0 |
| Michigan | 12 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Mississippi | 0 |
| Missouri | 2 |
| Montana | 1 |
| Nebraska | 0 |
| Nevada | 2 |
| New Hampshire | 0 |
| New Jersey | 3 |
| New Mexico | 0 |
| New York | 2 |
| North Carolina | 1 |
| North Dakota | 1 |
| Ohio | 5 |
| Oklahoma | 2 |
| Oregon | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 |
| Rhode Island | 0 |
| South Carolina | 2 |
| South Dakota | 0 |
| Tennessee | 6 |
| Texas | 44 |
| Utah | 1 |
| Vermont | 1 |
| Virginia | 4 |
| Washington | 2 |
| West Virginia | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 3 |
| Wyoming | 0 |
| Total | 171 |
Self Defense (NBPP). These groups promote a strongly anti-white, anti-Semitic position and call for a separation between the races. The NBPP also encourages members to arm themselves. For a list of black separatist hate groups, see Table 7.3.
NATION OF ISLAM. The NOI was founded in the 1930s by Elijah Muhammad, who taught that whites were "the devil race" and blacks were the "makers of the universe." Probably its most prominent member was Malcolm X, who eventually left the group and was murdered by three NOI members in February 1965. Following Muhammad's own death in 1974, Louis Farrakhan took over the organization. In addition to its hatred of whites, the NOI is also anti-Semitic. In its book The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews, the group alleges that the slave trade was organized and run by Jews. During the 1990s Farrakhan caused controversy by visiting with the heads of such countries as
TABLE 7.3
| Black separatist hate groups, 2003 | ||
| City | Chapter | Group |
| Alabama | ||
| Birmingham | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Huntsville | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Mobile | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Montgomery | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Arizona | ||
| Phoenix | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Arkansas | ||
| Little Rock | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| California | ||
| Adelanto | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Bakersfield | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| Long Beach | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Los Angeles | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Montclair | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Oakland | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Rialto | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Richmond | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Sacramento | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| San Diego | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| San Francisco | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Colorado | ||
| Denver | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Connecticut | ||
| Bridgeport | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Hartford | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist | |
| New Haven | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Delaware | ||
| Wilmington | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| District of Columbia | ||
| Washington | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist | |
| Florida | ||
| Fort Lauderdale | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Jacksonville | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Miami | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Pensacola | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Tallahassee | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Tampa | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| West Palm Beach | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Georgia | ||
| Albany | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Athens | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist | |
| Atlanta | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist | |
| Augusta | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist | |
| Columbus | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Decatur | United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist |
| Eatonton | United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist |
| Macon | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist | |
| Savannah | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Hawaii | ||
| Hawaii County | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
Iran and Libya, even winning a promise from Libya's dictator Muammar Qaddafi of a $1 billion donation. Qaddafi had already given Farrakhan an interest-free $5 million loan in 1985, according to an Intelligence Report by Martin A. Lee of in the Southern Poverty Law Center.
| Illinois | ||
| Chicago | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| East St. Louis | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Rockford | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| Indiana | ||
| Indianapolis | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Iowa | ||
| Waterloo | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Kentucky | ||
| Louisville | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Louisiana | ||
| Baton Rouge | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| New Orleans | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Maryland | ||
| Baltimore | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Massachusetts | ||
| Boston | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Springfield | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Michigan | ||
| Detroit | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Minnesota | ||
| St. Paul | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Mississippi | ||
| Greenville | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Holly Springs | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Jackson | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| McComb | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| Missouri | ||
| Kansas City | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| St. Louis | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Nebraska | ||
| Omaha | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Nevada | ||
| Las Vegas | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| New Jersey | ||
| Camden | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Brunswick | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Newark | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Paterson | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| Plainfield | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Trenton | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| New York | ||
| Albany | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Brooklyn | United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist |
| Buffalo | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Harlem | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| New York | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Rochester | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| Syracuse | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| North Carolina | ||
| Charlotte | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Durham | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Greensboro | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Raleigh | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Reidsville | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY FOR SELF DEFENSE. The NBPP was founded by Michael McGee as the Black Panther Militia. McGee, who was involved in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
| SOURCE: "Active U.S. Hate Groups in 2003: Black Separatist," in Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp?T=10&m=2 (accessed September 23, 2004) | ||
| Ohio | ||
| Cincinnati | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Cleveland | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Columbus | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Dayton | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Toledo | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Oklahoma | ||
| Tulsa | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Pennsylvania | ||
| Harrisburg | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Philadelphia | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors | Black Separatist | |
| Pittsburgh | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Rhode Island | ||
| Providence | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| South Carolina | ||
| Columbia | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Tennessee | ||
| Chattanooga | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Knoxville | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Memphis | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Nashville | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Texas | ||
| Austin | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| Dallas | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| El Paso | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Houston | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist | |
| Jasper | New Black Panther Party | Black Separatist |
| San Antonio | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Virginia | ||
| Danville | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Petersburg | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Richmond | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Washington | ||
| Seattle | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
| Wisconsin | ||
| Milwaukee | Nation of Islam | Black Separatist |
politics as a city council member and alderman before turning to extremist politics, announced the creation of the Black Panther Militia in 1990 and sought to enlist local street gangs as members. "Our militia will be about violence. I'm talking actual fighting, bloodshed and urban guerilla warfare," McGee explained, according to the Anti-Defamation League's Web site (http://www.adl.org/). Renamed the NBPP, the group began appearing at rallies and demonstrations throughout the country, often armed with shotguns and automatic rifles. A May 1996 Dallas school board meeting was canceled after the NBPP threatened to come with loaded weapons. A high school in Wedowee, Alabama, was burned down hours after a speech was given there by NBPP leader Mmoja Ajabu. A local member was later acquitted of arson. The NBPP is strongly anti-white and anti-Semitic. It also calls for a separation of the races and the overthrow of the government. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the group accused Jews of having masterminded the events. By this point, the group's leader was Malik Zulu Shabazz, a Washington D.C.-based attorney. In July 2002 Shabazz announced that the NBPP intended to support accused Arab terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui, who was on trial for his role in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
User Comments
9 months ago
Indiana Farmer
This is just a copy of SPLC propaganda. No member of the Indiana Militia Corps has ever committed a crime, espoused hate, bigotry terrorism, or anything else asserted by the SPLC, or the ADL. Their claims are without citation, verification, or corroboration. This is guilt-by-association, an affront to every American that believes in Liberty.
12 months ago
Jack
"Groups such as the Popular Puerto Rican Army often employ violent means in their attempts to secure full Puerto Rican independence from the United States."
And using violent means to secure national independence is unAmerican based on WHAT warped version of history?