Posted on 10/15/2001 5:44:48 PM PDT by Merovingian
Backwoods militias suspected of being behind biowar threat IAN BRUCE
THE FBI's domestic terrorism unit is investigating the possible role of illegal militia groups in the spate of anthrax outbreaks in Florida and New York.
Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma bomber who killed 168 people when he blew up a federal building in 1995, was a supporter of one such group, the National Alliance.
Others have threatened to use biological weapons, including anthrax, botulism, and ricin, in their struggle against what they see as a global conspiracy between the US administration and the United Nations to disarm and enslave them. Every state has its own "patriot" group of disaffected right-wing Christian radicals opposed to central government and federal regulations. Most are organised along paramilitary lines.
The FBI estimates their numbers at up to 40,000, with the larger militias in backwoods country areas. They claim they are mobilising to fight the "New World Order".
In places like Idaho, Texas, Montana and West Virginia, they wear army surplus camouflage uniforms and train with assault rifles and explosives against the day when they might have to defend themselves against direct interference from the federal authorities.
They range in outlook from Pat Robertson, a failed 1988 presidential candidate, with his vision of a "Christian America" to the sinister Posse Comitatus, Aryan Nations and Minnesota Patriots' Council, who favour armed insurrection.
All have links with the National Rifle Association, the influential lobby group which represents weapons' manufacturers, hunters and gun clubs and campaigns for the right of all Americans "to own and bear arms".
There is some doubt as to whether this right is enshrined legally in the American constitution but the NRA has powerful supporters in both senate and congress and no-one has yet managed successfully to challenge the all-pervasive nationwide gun culture.
Most of the militias' philosophy is based on white-supremacist principles, looking down on blacks as "mud people" and Jews as instigators of the global plot against them and manipulators of the world economy for their own benefit.
Despite their redneck reputation, they have developed a sophisticated communications network using computer e-mail, shortwave radio, and fax. The North American Patriots, a group with members from California to Kansas, publish a newsletter entitled Firearms and Freedom.
After the disastrous FBI storming of the Branch Davidian headquarters in Waco, Texas, and the Ruby Ridge stand-off fiasco, where an FBI sniper killed an unarmed woman in a mountain cabin, the militias have turned to the threat of biological weapons to up the ante.
In January 1999, police and security forces responded to 30 anthrax hoaxes in southern California alone. Since then, there have been thousands of false alarms across the country.
Many aimed at government buildings, including deliveries of envelopes containing suspicious white powder, were militia inspired. Others targeting schools, hospitals or newspapers were sent by disgruntled former employees or jilted lovers.
However, the FBI has never discounted the possibility someone might lay hands on lethal biological agents. In 1992, two members of the Minnesota Patriots' Council were arrested carrying vials of ricin, an extremely dangerous toxin. They intended to use the substance to kill police officers over a local feud.
Larry Wayne Harris of the Aryan Nations managed to buy samples of bubonic plague over the internet. Fortunately, the plague bacteria were inert.
Three members of the Republic of Texas bought what they thought was anthrax in 1998. It turned out to be anthrax serum, the liquid used to inoculate people against the infection.
An FBI source said yesterday that up to 80% of the weapons of mass destruction inquiries carried out in the last few years involved the threat of anthrax.
Before the death of a British-born newspaperman in Florida last week, only 28 people in the US had died from effects of the bacterium in the last 100 years.
Before biowar became a potentially popular hobby, anthrax was known as "wool-shearer's disease" because it had been contracted only by farmworkers in close contact with sheep, a prime carrier of the infection.
An FBI source said: "We can never rule out al Qaeda's possible role in the current deliberate spread of anthrax. It is causing more panic than anything else and has not, thankfully, been disseminated in a very efficient way if the object was to inflict casualties.
"But our own militias may also have a hand in some or all of the incidents. Copycats and hoaxers could also be having a field day. The problem is, we just can't afford to drop our guard."
-Oct 16th
The feds have infiltrated every milita group out there. So if milita groups are responsible, then the feds are either acting as provokers or have direct knowledge of what is going on.
My guess is that the militia is not involved, and this is an attempt to demonize them to garner support for more gun legislation and more infringiments on our rights.
These bastards would have tried to pin the Sept 11 attacks on the 'militias' if 100 million people weren't watching it live on television.
Anthrax spores have several characteristics suitable for a biologic weapon, such as low visibility, high potency, accessibility, and relatively easy delivery, and could be used not only in war but during terrorist activities. A millionth of a gram of anthrax spores constitutes a lethal inhalation dose; a kilogram, depending on meteorologic conditions and means of delivery, has the potential to kill hundreds of thousands of people in a metropolitan area. Concerns have been raised by recent reports from Russia that scientists were able to insert all the B. anthracis genes determining the pathogenicity of anthrax into other bacilli, such as Bacillus cereus, against which the present available vaccine is ineffective. In addition, the vaccine may not protect against some rare B. anthracis strains. It is also possible to produce B. anthracis strains that are resistant to antibiotics.
Info: Bacillus anthracis Spores Used as a Biologic Warfare Agent
This sure as hell better be the drug-addled meanderings of a UK Socialist fantasy, and not any actual information from an investigative arm of the United States of America.
I really don't have the time or the patience for this crap right now.
Amazing
the "Minnesota Patriot's Council?" Were they trying to preserve lefse and lutefisk from the New World Order?
I *think* they may be referring to the Mississippi White Citizen's Council, but after reading the article, truly, who the hell knows.
OH Crap! I do too so that means I am on their "list". I have nowhere to hide because I have to go to the office tomorrow and I have no vacation time left. Darn, that means they are going to find me either at work or in my apartment!
Wait! I know what I can do, burn my NRA membership card and throw out all my American Rifleman magazines! No, that isn't going to work because I saw a weird guy in a cheap dark suit with sunglasses last night going thru my dumpster......
Alas, there is no hope
The Al Queda Muslims don't know such fine distinctions. Or they sorta know but don't really care and are sending them out for maximum impact.
If this keeps up they can put a real crimp in the postal service with their next targets being UPS FedEx etc..... Suffice it to say the people who handle mail might start rebelling. They are fearful.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.