Who in the Hell is running the circus at DHS?

Janet Napolitano took it on the chin when the Department of Homeland Security released an intelligence assessment of what they defined as "right-wing-extremism". Not only did it smear returning veterans as being targeted by these groups for recruitment, but Michelle Malkin noted, as did other pundits, that the definitions were so broad that they included people that:

"can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."

But the Washington Times has a story today that broadens this initial report:

The same Homeland Security Department office that categorized veterans as potential terrorists issued an earlier report that defined dozens of "extremists" ranging from black power activists to abortion foes. The report was nixed within hours and recalled from state and local law enforcement officials.

Whites and blacks, Christians and Jews, Cubans and Mexicans, along with tax-hating Americans were among several political leanings listed in the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon" that came out of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) in late March.

The lexicon lists definitions for key terms and phrases used by Homeland Security analysts "that addresses the nature and scope of the threat that domestic, non-Islamic extremism poses to the United States," the report said. ...

"The lexicon was not an authorized I&A product, and it was recalled as soon as management discovered it had been released without authorization," said Amy Kudwa, Homeland Security spokeswoman.

"This product is not, nor was it ever, in operational use," Ms. Kudwa said. ...

Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the report "causes further concern that Congress needs to get to the bottom of exactly how DHS determines what intelligence products to distribute to law enforcement officials around the country."

"Although we have evidence that some of the groups described in this and other DHS intelligence products are an active terror threat to our nation, I would be interested in knowing why this lexicon mentioning left-wing extremist groups was deemed inappropriate by DHS and recalled, yet a similar report focusing on veterans, antiabortion activists and anti-illegal immigration activists was fit for distribution and sent out by DHS to law enforcement agencies across the country," Mr. King said.

You can view the report here in pdf form. The Washington Times notes some of the definitions in their news report:

The 11-page lexicon document lists terms from A through W, beginning with "aboveground," which is defined as extremist groups or people who "operate overtly and portray themselves as law-abiding," and ending with "white supremacist movement." The listing notes six categories of white supremacists: Neo-Nazi, Ku Klux Klan, Christian identity, racist skinhead, Nordic mysticism and Aryan prison gangs.

A "left-wing extremist" is described as someone who opposes war or is dedicated to environmental and animal rights causes, while a "right-wing extremist" is someone who is against abortion or for border enforcement.

The same "right-wing" definition appeared in a report last month that prompted an outcry in the veterans community for also suggesting that veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were targets for extremist groups to recruit for attacks against the U.S. ...

The latest report to become public, the lexicon on domestic extremism, stated that people involved with anti-immigration extremism "may have been known to advocate or engage in criminal activity and plot acts of violence and terrorism to advance their extremist goals."

"They are highly critical of the U.S. government's response to illegal immigration and oppose government programs that are designed to extend 'rights' to illegal aliens, such as issuing driver's licenses or national identification cards and providing in-state tuition, medical benefits, or public education."

"Cuban independence extremism" is defined as those who "do not recognize the legitimacy of the Communist Cuban Government and who attempt to subvert it through acts of violence, mainly within the U.S."

Mexican separatism defines those would advocate an armed struggle to take back Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, the report stated.

Environmental extremism is described as those "who use violence to end what they perceive as the degradation of the natural environment by humans."

And, the "tax-resistance movement" is described as "groups or individuals who vehemently believe taxes violate their constitutional rights."

The criteria in the listings are a willingness to advocate or engage in criminal activity or plot acts of terrorism.

The report lists traditional extremist groups, such as racist skinheads or lone terrorists who might plot against the U.S., as well as some obscure groups. Racial Nordic mysticism is listed as an ideology adopted by many white supremacist prison gangs "who embrace a Norse mythological religion, such as Odinism or Asatru."

No one is saying we don't have a few nutjobs here in the US, but some of the things that caught my eye in reading this document were:

(U) alternative media (U//FOUO) A term used to describe various information sources that provide a forum for interpretations of events and issues that differ radically from those presented in mass media products and outlets.

(U) direct action (U//FOUO) Lawful or unlawful acts of civil disobedience ranging from protests to property destruction or acts of violence. This term is most often used by single-issue or anarchist extremists to describe their activities.

(Gee, like maybe tea parties, or other protests against the overreach of the federal government?)

(U) patriot movement (U//FOUO) A term used by rightwing extremists to link their beliefs to those commonly associated with the American Revolution. The patriot movement primarily comprises violent antigovernment groups such as militias and sovereign citizens. (also: Christian patriots, patriot group, Constitutionalists, Constitutionist)

(For the record, Marcie and I are Federalists, which is synonymous with Constitutionalists.)

This lexicon is as idiotic as the initial DHS report that basically states that our veterans might be willing to join extremist groups in the US, and take violent action against the nation. In the initial report the only person mentioned by name was Timothy McVeigh. (Hell, I'm surprised they didn't cite Lee Harvey Oswald), and with how broad it was defined, it basically painted all military veterans as being in the same picture as McVeigh was. The Department of Homeland Security wasn't established to do this sort of analysis.

Remember that it was created in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and it was supposed to work with our intelligence agencies to ferret out potential terrorists in the US. Are there "right-wing" groups that are violent? Yes. Have they acted recently? No. there are far more left-wing groups that have acted violently recently than any so-called right-wing group. Who is it that torches homes in Arizona and California because they dislike the urban sprawl? That would be left-wing groups like the Earth Liberation Front. What groups were threatening to riot at the Democrat convention if Barry wasn't nominated? It wasn't any right-wing group.

Am I painting with a broad brush here? Not really. The left-wing groups seem to be far more prone to commit violence than the right-wing groups. Fine, cite Eric Rudolph as a violent extremist, which we agree he was. We denounce his actions. (Rudolph, we'll recall, was the bomber attacking abortion clinics.) That's not the way to change things. And we despise DHS for lumping average Americans in with people like Rudolph or McVeigh. MOST -- 99% -- Americans aren't like this, but with these broad reports coming from DHS, you'd think this nation was teeming with extremists that were a threat to national security.

Yes, this report was pulled, and DHS claims it's not in use. That's fine, but we'd really like to know who in the Hell is calling the shots at DHS. If it's Napolitano, then she needs to be fired because every time she does something, she's stepping in a fat pile of feces. She's a screw-up of the first order, and she makes Barry look competent. They'd better get their heads screwed on straight at DHS, and start focusing on their job. It's not about slapping a broad indictment against the nation. It's to keep this nation safe from attack. And right now, we're not the enemy. the enemy is abroad and as soon as they get done laughing their asses off at this rube of a president, they're going to start planning and plotting again to hit us.

Memo to Janet Napolitano -- The nutty Muslim radicals abroad are far more dangerous than any of the so-called boogeyman extremist groups on your stupid lists. Focus more on your job, and focus less on being a subject on TV or of the pundits.

Publius II