FBI Report on "Right Wing Terrorism" (Radical Christian Terrorism)

Excerpt from the official FBI REPORT ON TERRORISM IN THE USA:

RIGHT-WING TERRORISM

The major themes espoused today by right-wing
groups are conspiracies, such as the New World
Order and gun-control laws, apocalyptic views
stemming from the approach of the millennium,
and white supremacy. Many right-wing extremist
groups also articulate antigovernment and/or anti -
taxation and anti-abortion sentiments, and engage
in survivalist and/or paramilitary training to ensure
the survival of the United States as a white,
Christian nation. A convergence of ideas has
occurred among right-wing white supremacist
groups. Efforts have been made by these groups to
reduce openly racist views in order to appeal to a
broader segment of the population and to focus
more attention on antigovernment rhetoric and
resistance to anti-Christian court decisions.
Many extremist right-wing organizations gener -
ally operate through political involvement within
the established system. Most activity is verbal and
is protected by the First Amendment right of free
speech. Adherents of extremist organizations are
generally law-abiding citizens who have become
intolerant of what they perceive to be violations of
their constitutional rights. Certain extremists,
however, such as members of the “militia” or “patriot” movement are unable to work within existing
structures of government. These activists wish to
remove federal involvement from a host of issues.
For example, some militia members do not identify
themselves as U.S. citizens and refuse to pay federal
income taxes.
Membership in a militia organization is not an
illegal activity in the United States. FBI interest in
the militia movement is based upon the rise of violence or potential for violence or criminal activity
stemming from the militia movement.
Militias are typically loose knit in nature.
Adherents often are members of multiple groups,
and because leaders of these groups tend to greatly
inflate membership levels, actual group size is difficult to determine.
The most ominous aspect of the militias is the
conviction, openly expressed by many members,
that an impending armed conflict with the federal
government necessitates paramilitary training and
the stockpiling of weapons. Some militia members
believe that federal authorities are enacting guncontrol legislation in order to make it impossible for
the people to resist the imposition of a “tyrannical
regime” or a “one-world dictatorship.” Many militia supporters believe that the conspiracy involves
the United Nations as well as federal authorities.
The growth of the militia movement is traced,
in part, to an effective communications system.
Organizers promote their ideology not only at militia meetings, but at gun shows, patriot rallies, and
gatherings of various other groups espousing
antigovernment sentiments. Video tapes, computer
bulletin boards, and networks such as the Internet
are used with great effectiveness by militia sympathizers. Exploiting yet another medium, pro-militia fax networks disseminate material from wellknown hate-group figures and conspiracy theorists.
Another phenomenon related to militias is the
establishment of so-called “Common Law Courts.”
These courts, which have no legitimate legal basis,
have self-appointed judges and juries, and have
issued nonbinding “indictments” or “warrants”
against law enforcement and government officials
who have investigated or served them legal papers

SOURCE: http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terror_96.pdf