DHS Says Returning Vets Potential Recruits For RIght WIng Extremists

FROM THE REPORT:

(U) Disgruntled Military Veterans
(U//FOUO) DHS/I&A assesses that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and
radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from
military training and combat. These skills and knowledge have the potential to boost the
capabilities of extremists—including lone wolves or small terrorist cells—to carry out
violence. The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist
groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned, or suffering from
the psychological effects of war is being replicated today.
— (U) After Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, some returning military
veterans—including Timothy McVeigh—joined or associated with rightwing
extremist groups.
— (U) A prominent civil rights organization reported in 2006 that “large numbers
of potentially violent neo-Nazis, skinheads, and other white supremacists are now
learning the art of warfare in the [U.S.] armed forces.”
— (U//LES) The FBI noted in a 2008 report on the white supremacist movement
that some returning military veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have joined extremist groups.

MY TAKE:

Everyone bitches and moans that this is unfair and that vets shouldn't be targeted this way, but I'm not suprised at the assesment. Not only are skinheads and neo-Nazis joining the military to learn how to fight, but so are gang members. Here's just one youtube video with the details: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gqShQTSDCM.

But what do you expect? Civil disobedience and crime in many parts of the world can be blamed for the sudden loss of jobs for young males with previous military or police training. When the Soviet Union collapsed and young men in the military, police and intelligence found themselves out of work they turned to what they knew how to do best; kill, intimidate and spy, but they did it for gangs and international criminal networks. The same can be true in other parts of the world like El Salvador, so why would it be any different in the United States? Unemployment among veterans is higher than the national average, and yes, vets today are trained to kill and many have done so already. Not only are vets trained in warfare, but they have skills in many other areas including communications, small unit leadership, avionics, driving, etc. I can completely understand why a returning vet who has above average work skills and has done more than most civilians can become disgruntled when unable to find work. Not to mention the military gives little to no help to many vets who are in need of better health and dental care, educational assistance, housing, etc.

The solution is simple: STOP TREATING ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN LIKE SHIT AND GIVE THEM THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THEY NEED WHEN THEY GET OUT. We can give officers $60,000 a year pensions, but can't even give an enlisted grunt who served for a year and a half getting shot at in Iraq proper dental care for a couple months after getting out of the military. BULLSHIT! Well I guess this will put me on the DHS target list, but I've probably been on it for awhile anyway. Luckily for the government I'm not disgruntled, just a bit frustrated with how the whole system works, but I'm trying in the most legal and honest way to make it better.

More from me on preventing domestic terrorism: http://scott-albright.newsvine.com/_news/2008/07/07/1645330-how-to-prevent-domestic-terrorism