DATE=12/17/96
TYPE=YEAREND REPORT
NUMBER=5-35242
TITLE=96: MILITIA GROUPS
BYLINE=MICHAEL LELAND
DATELINE=CHICAGO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: 1996 WAS ANOTHER YEAR IN WHICH U-S-BASED ANTI-GOVERNMENT GROUPS FOUND THEIR WAY INTO THE HEADLINES. IN THE WESTERN STATE OF MONTANA, MEMBERS OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLING ITSELF THE FREEMEN BARRICADED THEMSELVES INSIDE A RANCH FOR THREE MONTHS BEFORE PEACEFULLY SURRENDERING TO FEDERAL AGENTS. THE FREEMEN DO NOT ACCEPT THE LAWS OF THE U-S GOVERNMENT AND BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ESTABLISH SOVEREIGN TERRITORIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. V-O-A'S MICHAEL LELAND REPORTS MILITIA GROUPS COULD BE BACK IN THE NEWS IN 1997, BECAUSE OF A COURT TRIAL RELATED TO THE DEADLIEST TERRORIST ACT IN U-S HISTORY.
TEXT: AT THE END OF THIS COMING MARCH, THE FIRST OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING TRIALS GETS UNDERWAY IN THE WESTERN U-S CITY OF DENVER. TIMOTHY MCVEIGH IS CHARGED WITH MURDER AND CONSPIRACY IN THE BOMBING OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY FEDERAL BUILDING, WHICH KILLED 168 PEOPLE AND LEFT ANOTHER 500 INJURED. MR. MCVEIGH'S NAME HAS BEEN LINKED WITH U-S RIGHT-WING AND ANTI-GOVERNMENT GROUPS. ONE ORGANIZATION THAT MONITORS THE ACTIVITIES OF SUCH GROUPS IS THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER, BASED IN THE SOUTHERN STATE OF ALABAMA. SPOKESMAN RICHARD BAUDOUIN SAYS THE CENTER WILL BE WATCHING THESE MILITIA GROUPS AS THEY WATCH MR. MCVEIGH'S TRIAL.
THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES FLOATING AROUND ABOUT WHO REALLY CARRIED OUT THE BOMBING. AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE TRIAL, WE PREDICT THAT THIS LEVEL OF PARANOIA AND CONSPIRACY THINKING IN THE MOVEMENT WILL INCREASE AND DEPENDING ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THE TRIAL, THAT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON HOW THE MILITIA MOVEMENT RESPONDS.
THERE WERE NO MAJOR VIOLENT ACTS LINKED TO MILITIA ORGANIZATIONS IN 1996. MR. BAUDOUIN SAYS THAT IS BECAUSE U-S LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE GROUPS MORE CLOSELY, AND MAKING ARRESTS WHEN NECESSARY. ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE ARREST OF SEVERAL MEMBERS OF A MILITIA GROUP IN THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA. THEY WERE REPORTEDLY PREPARING TO BLOW UP A FEDERAL FACILITY IN THAT STATE.
THERE WAS A REAL AWARENESS THAT A LOT OF THESE MILITIA GROUPS AND THEIR MEMBERS WERE EXPERIMENTING AND POSSESSING SIGNIFICANT AND SOPHISTICATED WEAPONRY AND IT BEHOOVES LAW ENFORCEMENT TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THEM AND FIND OUT IF LAWS WERE BEING BROKEN AND ARREST PEOPLE BEFORE AN INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON THE ORDER OF OKLAHOMA CITY.
ONE GROUP THAT HAS BECOME BETTER-KNOWN SINCE THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING IS THE MICHIGAN MILITIA. NEWS REPORTS HAVE LINKED BOTH OF THE BOMBING SUSPECTS TO THE ORGANIZATION, THOUGH IT DENIES EITHER MAN WAS EVER A MEMBER. MILITIA EXECUTIVE OFFICER TOM WAYNE ALSO DENIES THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS ANTI-GOVERNMENT.
WE'RE DANGEROUS BECAUSE WE ARE VERY PRO-GOVERNMENT. WE ARE PRO (FOR) THE REPUBLIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT OUR FOREFATHERS GAVE US. WE ARE AGAINST THOSE PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT THAT ARE ANTI REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT. WE LOVE LAW BECAUSE WE NEED LAW. OTHERWISE YOU HAVE ANARCHY.
THE MICHIGAN MILITIA AND SIMILAR GROUPS SAY THE U-S GOVERNMENT IS TAKING AWAY THE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS, SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO OWN GUNS. THEY ALSO ACCUSE THE COUNTRY OF GIVING UP ITS SOVEREIGNTY IN FAVOR OF WHAT THEY CALL A ONE-WORLD GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED BY THE UNITED NATIONS.
IN THE WESTERN STATE OF MONTANA, THE GROUP CALLING ITSELF THE FREEMEN WAS ANTI-GOVERNMENT. SEVERAL OF ITS MEMBERS FACE CHARGES OF THREATENING THE LIFE OF A FEDERAL JUDGE AND OTHER LOCAL OFFICIALS. ALL OF THE ARRESTED FREEMEN CLAIM NOT TO ACCEPT THE JURISDICTION OF THE U-S COURT SYSTEM, AND SAY THEY LIVE UNDER THEIR OWN SYSTEM OF LAWS.
THE THREE-MONTH FREEMEN STANDOFF IN THE TOWN OF BRUSETT, MONTANA ENDED PEACEFULLY -- UNLIKE A STANDOFF IN 1993 NEAR WACO, TEXAS. BRUSETT RESIDENT PEGGY STANTON SAYS HER COMMUNITY IS AGAIN A QUIET PLACE TO LIVE, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A NEW ATTITUDE AMONG SOME PEOPLE IN THE AREA TOWARD OUTSIDERS.
I WOULD SAY IN THE COMMUNITY PEOPLE ARE MORE WARY OF PEOPLE (FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA). IT USED TO BE PEOPLE WOULD COME IN AND YOU WOULD SIT DOWN AND TALK TO THEM AND SAY, SURE, YOU CAN HUNT ON MY PROPERTY. I THINK PEOPLE ASK MORE QUESTIONS NOW.
AT THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER, SPOKESMAN RICHARD BAUDOUIN SAYS PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF ANTI-GOVERNMENT GROUPS, BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO LIVE IN FEAR.
THIS FAR RIGHT PATRIOT FRINGE IS NOT ON THE VERGE OF TAKING OVER THE UNITED STATES OR ON THE VERGE OF OVERTHROWING OUR DEMOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT. WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE AT THAT LEVEL OF THREAT READINESS BECAUSE THAT WOULD IN SOME SENSE BE GIVING IN TO WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE COUNTRY TO FEEL.
THE MICHIGAN MILITIA'S TOM WAYNE SAYS HIS GROUP IS NOT LOOKING FOR ANY VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS WITH OFFICIALS, OR PLANNING ATTACKS AGAINST FEDERAL FACILITIES, BUT HE SAYS THE MILITIA IS WILLING TO DEFEND ITSELF AND OTHER AMERICANS AGAINST WHAT HE CALLS A FURTHER EROSION OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. (SIGNED)
NEB/ML/BD/KL
17-Dec-96 3:52 PM EST (2052 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
