Thursday, August 13, 2009

Remember the 'report' on 'domestic terrorists' that DHS had to recall

because of the crap in it? Guess what?
The Department of Homeland Security had no particular groups or individuals under investigation and used no collected data on "right-wing extremists" threatening national security to create the report. Rather, they just read news articles from the main stream media like MSNBC and CNN (and sometimes not-so-mainstream media like the "Vernon County Broadcaster"). However, by far the most frequent source for the report was articles and blog posts from the Southern Poverty Law Center, according to a FOIA response obtained by Americans for Limited Government.
Remember that group? The one that told us all through the 90's about how the militia movement was racist and planning to overthrow the government? And did they mention we're all racists?
From the list, it looks like they had some interns google articles and grab a bunch from the SLPC. Then somebody wrote up a hit-job on the Right because...well, we don't know who wrote it or who directed that it be created or when. That information was not in the FOIA disclosure.

At least we know why the report was so short (only ten pages) and unprofessional (no citations to sources). It took no specialized knowledge or skill to create. Just an internet connection and a desire to brand the Right as fringe and dangerous. Remember that we might not even know about the report if members of local law enforcement hadn't leaked it. And it was conveniently timed to coincide with the Tea Parties in April
.
Yeah, but that was purely coincidence, don't you know?

Ace has a link to the FOIA response.

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