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CULTS & SECTS

General Introduction

A cult is a new, highly personalized, tightly organized religious group with teachings and practices outside the dominant culture. The cult gathers like-minded followers to address some societal problem that they believe is not being solved through normative avenues. A cult is not a mainstream religion. Most cults are not violent. The group typically is intensely devoted to a charismatic personality who may be seen to have some divine or supernatural qualities. Charismatic leadership is a central element. Strict discipline is another element of cults. The Unification Church and Scientology are considered to be contemporary cults. Christianity, Quakers, and the Church of Latter Day Saints were cults but are generally considered to be mainstream churches today (see below for more on the distinctions between church, denomination, religion, etc). It is virtually impossible to know for sure how many cults exist in the United States. Estimates range from 500-5,000 with between 200,000 to 20 million members. If one includes groups such as Scientology and the Unification Church, international membership is easily in the millions (perhaps 50,000 Americans profess to be Scientologists (ARIS survey). "Moonies" may number about 200,000 members worldwide.

A sect is similar to a cult though it has broken away from an earlier group. For example, Branch Davidians broke from Seventh Day Adventists.

RELIGION: A system of beliefs, symbols, and rituals based on some sacred or supernatural realm. Some examples include:

▪ Animism

▪ Theism

▪ Polytheism

▪ Monotheism

▪ Transcendent Idealism (e.g., Confucians)

CHURCH: Large, bureaucratically organized religious organization

DENOMINATION: Large organized religion that fits into society but doesn't dominate it

Religious Denominations in the United States:

▪ Protestants: Over 64%

▪ Catholics: 22%

▪ Jewish: 2 %

Membership in "mainstream" religions has recently declined by 50% while membership in small, charismatic groups has grown

How can we explain the dramatic drop in membership and attendance among the mainstream denominations? This trend is not confined to the USA

TYPES OF CULTs

Many different models are used by scholars, but the general table below differentiates the foci of cults:

1) RELIGIOUS (Neo-Christian, Hindu/Eastern, Satanic/Occult)

2) MYSTICAL (Spiritualist, Zen, Philosophical)

3) PSEUDO-SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC (Racial, Psychological, Political, Self-Help, UFO)

Some see the emergence of cults as an “emergency response” to rapid social change, growing social problems, and a feeling that large bureaucratic denominations are impersonal and unfulfilling. Examples include various religious “renewals” or crazes in the United States at different periods of rapid growth. For example:

Great Awakening (1730-1760): in New England, itinerant preachers traveled the area, drawing huge crowds. This resulted in even greater religious enthusiasm among the more mainstream preachers and congregations. All of this interest was no doubt generated by uncertainty and anxiety about rapid change—westward expansion and the growth of a commercial-industrial economy.

Second Awakening (1800-1830) Massive waves of White European immigrants arrived in the United States, cities exploded in size and in social problems. Here, we see the beginnings of the American temperance movement.

Third Awakening (1890-1920) The social gospel movement addressed social problems—especially alcohol. The movement was powerful enough to enact national prohibition of alcohol sales.

Fourth Awakening (1960-1990) This was a fascinating time of religious and social change in the United States. A large and relatively secure generation (Baby Boomers) sought meaning through eastern philosophies, communal living, drugs, etc., while, in response, the country experienced a powerful revitalization of conservative, fundamentalist, and evangelical Christianity. Science came into question as a solution to societal problems (in fact, it was seen as causing more serious ones—nuclear power plant failure, acid rain, depletion of fossil fuels, environmental degradation, etc)

Millennialism (various times, the most recent widespread prediction being 1999): “End-of-the-World prophesies have always been with us. But in 1999 technology provided an additional fear factor...the Y2K Bug. Concerns spread around the world that a decision made two decades ago (to use 00 rather than 2000 in the programming of computer chips) meant that virtually all computer systems would malfunction on 1/1/2000. Hoarding food and supplies, buying gasoline generators, moving to the countryside, refusing to fly on New Year’s Eve, and generally preparing for the worst represented a small but collective response to the Y2K fear.

Characteristics of the Cult:

Recruitment:

1) Conversion experience (dramatic transformation)

2) Esprit de corps

3) Rewards for participation

4) Personal identification with group

5) Break ties to Conventional Society (isolation/giving material belongings to the cult)

Strategies:

Control through:

▪ Intensive Interaction

▪ Sense of Urgency

▪ Control of environment

▪ Imposition of strict rules (e.g., celibacy)

Important to note that research shows cult members exhibit no more incidence of mental illness than the rest of the population. Brainwashing is not shown to be a common characteristic of cult recruitment and membership (though very intense recruitment techniques are associated with some known cults!)

Selection of potential cult members tends to focus on those who:

1) are suffering with acute tension

2) are easily distracted by alternative solutions to their problems

3) have a history of religious seeking

4) are at a critical point in their life

5) are willing to emotionally connect with the cult

6) are willing to let go of non-cult (extra-cult) bonds (e.g., family, friends, community)

7) through intensive interaction with cult members, are willing to enter total conversion (these 7 steps are indicative of the conversion process in Scientology and the Unification Church)

VIOLENCE & CULTS

Remember, most cults are not violent. Apocalyptic cults and those with persecution beliefs (especially the government as enemy) have a higher probability of violence:

Heaven's Gate: 1997 apocalyptic UFO, suicides in California

Solar Temple: 1995-1997 apocalyptic; suicides in Canada, Switzerland, France

Aum Shrinkrikyo: 1995 Sarin gas killed 10 and injured 5000+ in Tokyo

Branch Davidians: 1993 Anti-federalist; apocalyptic sect; 80 died in confrontation with government

People's Temple: Apocalyptic; 1978: 914 died from cyanide poisoning or gunshots

Examples of apocalyptic counterculture cults with religious, mystical and pseudo-social scientific elements:

PEOPLES TEMPLE CULT

914 Died (altruistic suicide/murder)

November 18, 1978

Guyana in South America

Isolation, total control, charismatic leader



More about People's Temple

HEAVENS GATE CULT

39 died (2 members committed suicide later = 41)

March 26, 1997

San Diego, CA

For more information:

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SOLAR TEMPLE CULT

The International Chivalric Order Solar Tradition was a counterculture apocalyptic cult founded by Luc Jouret in 1984. It absorbed the Foundation Golden Way led by Joseph Di Mambro (1926-1995). While Jouret assumed much of the public leadership, Di Mambro convinced members that he was a member of the 14th Century Christian Order of the Knights Templar during a previous life and that his daughter Emanuelle was "the cosmic child." Together, Jouret and Dimambro convinced followers that they would lead them after death to a planet which revolves around the star Sirius. They regard death as an illusion and that life continues on other planets. Solar Temple groups were organized in Quebec, Canada, as well as in Australia, Switzerland, and other countries. They follow a form of Christianity mixed with New-Age philosophy, homeopathic medicine and high finance. Jouret believed himself to be Christ. He ran into legal difficulties in Canada and was convicted of illegally possessing gun silencers.

The leadership felt that the Solar Temple was being persecuted by various governments. They anticipated the imminent end of the world due to an environmental catastrophe, and felt that they were to play a major role in the collapse. They decided that some members should leave the earth prematurely and "transit" to a better world. Fire forms an important part of their belief. They believe that the world will end in fire. In order for them to transit to another world, they must die in a fire.

For many months prior to the murder/suicides, rumors of financial mismanagement had circulated within the Solar Temple. An infant, aged three months, was killed in 1994-OCT at their Canadian site by driving a wooden stake through his heart. Former group members explained that Di Mambro ordered the killing because the baby was believed to be the Anti-Christ described in the Bible. A few days later, Di Mambro and twelve followers had a ritual Last Supper together. A few days later, mass suicides and murders were conducted at two villages in Switzerland and in Morin Heights, a ski resort north of Montreal, Quebec. 15 inner circle members (called the "awakened") committed suicide by the use of poison. 30 (called the "immortals") were killed by bullets or smothering. 8 others (called the "traitors") were also killed.

On 1995-NOV-16, close to winter solstice, 16 of the remaining members of the group disappeared from their homes in France and Switzerland. Four left notes which hinted at a second mass suicide and expressing a desire to "see another world". 13 adults and 3 children were later found dead in a remote forest on the Vergers plateau, in southeast France. Investigators concluded on 1996-NOV-15 that at least four of the 16 did not die willingly. Three were children. The fourth, Ute Verona, 34, had her jaw fractured before she died; this indicates a struggle had occurred. Most had been given sleep-inducing drugs. During the trial of Solar Temple leader Michel Tabachnik, French magistrate Luc Fontaine stated that two members -- policeman Jean-Pierre Lanchet and architect Andre Friedli -- shot the others, including three children aged 18 months, two years and four years. The two poured gasoline over their bodies, set them on fire, shot themselves and fell into the flames.

Five additional adult members, and three teenage children apparently tried to committed suicide on the day of the spring equinox 1997-MAR-20, in St. Casimir, Quebec, Canada. The attempt failed due to faulty equipment. The teenage sons and daughter of one of the couples convinced their parents that they wanted to live. They were allowed to leave, while the adults made their second, successful, attempt to burned down the house with themselves in it. Four of their bodies were arranged in the form of a cross. The teens were found drugged and disoriented, but otherwise safe, in a nearby building. A note was found there which described the group belief that death on earth leads to a transit to a new planet where their lives would continue.

Members of this religious group appear to synchronize their mass murders/suicides to follow shortly after the solstices and equinoxes. The Quebec police carefully monitored the Queze family during the summer solstice in 1996. But there was no unusual activity at that time, or following the 1996 fall equinox in September or winter solstice in December. So, the deaths just after the spring equinox came as a surprise to the authorities.

The police decided on 1997-APR-25 to not charge the three teen-age survivors of the St. Casimir mass suicide with arson. They are aged 13, 14 and 16. Although they triggered the incendiary device, they were under the influence of sedatives at the time, and had been psychologically affected by living with members of the Solar Temple group. Other factors considered by the prosecutor were that they tried to persuade the adults to not commit suicide, and that they chose life for themselves.

The Solar Temple group continues to exist; it is believed to have over 30 surviving members in Quebec and from 140 to 500 worldwide. Additional mass murders and suicides in Quebec, France or Switzerland are possible following future solstices and/or equinoxes near the end of March, June, September and December. The Canadian police are limited by the country's Charter of Rights and Freedoms; they cannot investigate religious groups that are registered as such with the government. They can only investigate individuals.

Total deaths through murder and suicide (1995-1997): 74

References:

Jennifer Sloan, "Order of the Solar Temple," (1999) at:

"French magistrate rejects idea that outsiders killed cultists," AFP, 2001-APR-24, at:

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SECT is a cult that broke from an established group. For example, the Branch Davidians broke from Seventh Day Adventists...

BRANCH DAVIDIANS SECT

April 19, 1993

Mt. Carmel, Waco, TX

79 died

David Koresch

Branch Davidians was an apocalyptic anti-federalist sect. Earlier known as variously: The Shepherds Rod, the Branch Seventh-Day Adventist or Branch SDA's. Broke from the Seventh Day Adventist Church and in 1935, Victor Tasho Houteff started the Mount Carmel Center near Waco, Texas with eleven followers. He died in 1955. His followers were astonished because they had come to think of him as the new Elijah who would "help usher in the reign of God." With his mission incomplete and his prophetic claims unfulfilled, unease swept throughout the group.

Houteff's wife, Florence, assumed leadership of the movement despite splintering within the group. One such splinter group, the Branch Davidians, led by Benjamin Roden, would later take control of the Davidian movement. Before this occurred, however, Florence Houteff predicted that the time of God's judgement would fall on April 22, 1959 because the 1,260 days of Revelation 11 would be completed and on that day God would intervene in Palestine. Followers began to assemble at the New Mount Carmel, located east of Waco, on April 16, 1959, prepared to move to the Holy Land.

When Florence's prophecy did not come true, intense splintering began within the group. Admitting her errors, Florence dissolved the Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist Association in 1961 and sold Mount Carmel to Ben Roden in 1965.

Roden named his faction the Branch Davidian SDA's. Roden declared himself the fifth angel (Revelation 9:1), in the same vein as Houteff, who had declared himself the fourth angel (Revelation 8:12). He lead the Branch until his death in 1978, whereupon his wife, Lois Roden, assumed the role of the sixth angel (Revelation 9:16). She was regarded as a prophet and thought to possess new insight into the "femininity of the Holy Spirit."

Vernon Howell joined the group in 1981 and Lois expressed her belief that he would be the group's next prophet. However, George Roden, Lois's son, forced Howell and his followers out of Mount Carmel in 1984. In 1988, Roden was sent to jail for contempt of court, a charge which stemmed from a series of obscene documents he filed with the court. With him behind bars, Howell took control of Mount Carmel and the Branch.

In 1990, Vernon Howell changed his name to David Koresch (Koresch is a form of Cyrus). He chose this name from Isaiah 45, which states that Cyrus "was the only non-Israelite who was given the title 'anointed' or 'a messiah' or in Greek, 'a christ'." Koresch regarded himself as the Lamb from Revelation 5, and took it upon himself to open the seven seals and interpret the scroll (Revelation 5:2). If he could accomplish this task, Koresch believed, he would bring about the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Investigating possible firearms violations within the compound at Mount Carmel, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) agents raided the Branch Davidian compound on February 28, 1993. The fact that those who the agents were investigating were involved in what was believed to be a cult heavily influenced the way in which the agents went about dealing with David Koresch and the others suspected of firearms violations. This is evident in BATF agent Davy Aguilera's "Probable Cause Affidavit," which became part of the search warrant issued on February 25, 1993. After the unsuccessful raid, in which six Davidians and four BATF agents died and at least one Davidian and 24 agents were wounded, the FBI took over. Subsequently, a siege ensued which ultimately lasted 51 days. Running out of patience and time, the FBI attacked the compound with tanks on April 19, 1993. Koresch and about 75 of his followers perished, including 21 children. Eight members escaped. (the date is significant)

Numerous debates ensued about the use of CS (tear) gas and how the fire started. It appears that three fires started simultaneously throughout the compound, implying that the Davidians started the fires. In addition, some of the members did not die from the smoke or falling debris but from gun shots. Subsequent testimony from coroners stated that the pattern and placement of most of the bodies was not consistent with a theory of mass suicide.

For more information:

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

 

SOCIAL MOVEMENT:Organized efforts by a substantial number of people to change, resist change, or protect change in some major aspect of society (e.g., environmental movement).

SOCIAL MOVEMENT ORGANIZATION (SMO): A specific group falling under the larger umbrella of Social Movement (e.g., women's rights/suffrage may be represented by NOW)

What Turner & Killian have to say about social movements:

▪ SMs are dynamic

▪ Power, value, & participation direct course of movement

▪ SMs are shaped by external relations

▪ Movements bring change in society

▪ SMs are based on a sense of injustice

▪ Movement goals = Societal manipulation & personal transformation

SOCIAL MOVEMENT MEMBER RECRUITMENT & COMMITMENT

Recruitment

1) Conversion

2) Esprit de Corps

3) Rewards for Participation

4) Personal Identification with Movement

5) Break Ties to Conventional Society

Control

1) Intensive Interaction

2) Sense of Urgency

3) Control of environment

4) Imposition of strict rules (e.g., celibacy)

Another Model to Explain Social Movements (Armand Mauss). This is more complete than Blumer’s model as it shows what happens after institutionalization ...ya gotta love these terms!

1) Incipiency

2) Coalescence

3) Institutionalization

5) Fragmentation

6) Demise

Why Get Involved in a Social Movement?

1. A Condition (real or imagined)

2. A Subjective Feeling

3. An Organized Means for Making the Dissatisfaction Collective

How are Social Movements Representative of Collective Behavior?

▪ Latency

▪ Spontaneity

▪ Unpredictability

▪ Extrainstitutionality

▪ Emotionality

▪ Improvisation

Collective Violence

Now, we are talking about counterculture movements...

Important Distinctions:

Subculture: A group that follows the dominant culture but also adds its own (sororities, fraternities, Republicans, Sociology majors, et al.)

Counterculture: A collectivity, group, or organization that disagrees with the dominant culture and wants to replace it with their own (KKK, Aryan Nations, revolutionary groups, et al.)

So, a counterculture is deliberately opposed to certain aspects of the larger culture. Not all militias or survivalists are counterculture movements, nor are they all violent.

"Hate groups" describe counterculture groups expressing discriminatory attitudes and behaviors toward members of a specific group--e.g., Jews, Blacks, Muslims, women, homosexuals, et al.

Important Terms Associated With the Study of Counterculture Groups:

Anomie: A sense of normlessness; of being disconnected from society

Scapegoating: Blaming someone else for our own problems

Prejudice: A preconceived attitude or opinion toward an entire group of people; typically based on stereotypes

Discrimination: A behavior directed at an entire group of people usually based on prejudicial attitudes

Stereotype: A broadly generalized, inflexible, and largely inaccurate belief about an entire group of people

Propaganda: The spreading of information or disinformation in order to further one's cause

Homophobia: An irrational fear and/or hatred toward those perceived as not being heterosexual

Anti-Semitism: Commonly used to describe prejudice &/or discrimination against Jews (but a Semite describes a member of any member of groups of people from southwestern Asia; in ancient times these included Phoenicians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Aramaeans, and Canaanites)

Racism: The belief that one race is inherently/naturally better than another

White Supremacist/Anti-Semitic/Homophobic

▪ Ku Klux Klan

▪ Aryan Nations

▪ The Order

▪ Volksfront

▪ Covenant, Sword, and Arm of the Lord (CSA)

▪ (Some Skinhead Groups)

Anti-[Federal] US Government Groups

▪ Posse Comitatus

▪ Various Militias

▪ Various survivalist organizations

▪ Also the groups above

Many groups co-exist without threatening the social fabric; but when a group consciously challenges the dominant culture, it is then considered to be a counterculture movement. When such a group commits violence against others, it is considered collective violence and falls under the heading of hate group.

Militias have a long and important history in the United States. We will be studying those groups termed "new militias" to distinguish these anti-Federalist groups from the National Guard and state defense forces. The new militia movement is not authorized by either state or federal law. Members of the new militia have no privileges, rights, duties, or immunities for their actions over and above those of other members of society. The only way they can obtain privileges, rights, duties, or immunities would be by laws passed by either the federal or state government. No such laws exist. The new militia are not protected by the militia clauses of the Constitution nor by federal or state law. This does not mean they are illegal. It simply means that the new militia movement is not sanctioned nor protected by the US Constitution nor by any other federal or state law.

Definitions

A militia is a body of armed citizens, with some military training, who may be called to temporary active military service in times of emergency. Militias are generally understood to be a part-time, nonprofessional fighting force, distinguished from regular troops or a standing army. In the United States, the term "militia" has historically been associated with the colonial and state militias that existed since the early days of settlement.

History

Militias have been part of the armed force available to the government(s) of the day since the early days of the American colonies.

The federal government had power over organizing, arming and disciplining the militia, which actually increased when in 1792 the federal government called for the universal militia. Then the militia consisted of every able-bodied white male aged 18-45 except for those exempted (often reaching 50% or more), but never was completely armed. In fact, most militiamen did not have guns. New England states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut were very well-armed, with most militiamen having guns, but Southern and Western states were very poorly-armed, with only a fraction of the militia having weapons (beyond hoes and rakes)

When militia duty became optional, only those who wanted to serve did so. The federal government rather than the local (states) controlled the militia when federalized. But the states granted widespread exemptions and eventually ended compulsory militia duty.

In large part because of the labor strikes of the late 1870's, the militia was revived once again as the National Guard. The National Guard, as the militia of the states, traces its history back to those who volunteered for militia duty. Militia units were used both defensively and offensively against Native Americans, put down slave rebellions and insurrections in the early days of the American Republic. Militia units broke strikes and put down riots, fought in America's colonial wars, the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

In the twentieth century, the National Guard has increasingly become part of the armed forces of the United States. The National Guard fought in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf today. Such units have also been used in times of disaster or calamity. The National Guard was at Kent State in 1970 and the National Guard was on guard duty in Oklahoma City in April, 1995.

The "New Militias"

The militia movement represents one of three right-wing anti-government movements in the United States (the sovereign citizen movement and the tax protest movement are the two others). The extreme right in the United States has long had a fascination with paramilitary groups. Before World War II, right-wing and fascist groups such as the Silver Shirt Legion and the Christian Front were popular in America. Later, the Cold War ushered in a new wave of paramilitary organizations like the California Rangers and the Minutemen. In the 1980s, survivalists and white supremacists formed a variety of paramilitary groups ranging from the Christian Patriot-Defense League to the Texas Emergency Reserve to the White Patriot Party.

The "new militias" are not sanctioned by state or federal governments. In fact, the philosophy of most new militias is anti-government. The militia movement is a relatively new right-wing extremist movement consisting of armed paramilitary groups, both formal and informal, with an anti-government, conspiracy-oriented ideology. It formed under a unique set of circumstances that gave the movement its own character, orientation, and purpose distinct from its predecessors.

Militia groups began to form after the Ruby Ridge, Idaho standoff in 1992. Popularity grew in the wake of the deadly standoff at Waco, Texas, in 1993. By early 1996, virtually every state had at least one militia group, and most states had several. Not surprisingly, many of the initial militia leaders had personal associations with the standoffs at Ruby Ridge and Waco. One of the leaders of the new militia movement was a friend of Randy Weaver, John Trochmann, who with his brother and nephew formed the Militia of Montana in January 1994. Thompson and Trochmann, along with other militia pioneers and supporters, helped other groups to form. Active militia groups arose in Ohio, Idaho, California, Florida and many other states. None grew so fast as those in Michigan, loosely formed into an umbrella group known as the "Michigan Militia," headed by a pastor and gun shop owner, Norm Olson. Militia activists recruited at gun shows, held public meetings in libraries and schools, and broadcast on shortwave radio, where talk-show hosts such as Michigan militia leader Mark Koernke were particularly popular. Note: evidence was not found tying the Michigan Militia to the Oklahoma City bombing...

After the Oklahoma bombing on April 19,1995, the militia movement attracted the attention not only of the media and general public, but also of law enforcement. Intensive investigation discovered signs of significant criminal activity. Many members of militia groups have been arrested, usually on weapons, explosives and conspiracy charges.

The militia movement is heir to the right-wing paramilitary tradition, but it is heir, too, to another tradition, the anti-government ideology of groups like the Posse Comitatus...

The Posse developed an elaborate conspiratorial view of American history and government, one that claimed the legitimate government had been subverted by conspirators and replaced with an illegitimate, tyrannical government. Posse members believed that the people had the power and responsibility to "take back" the government, through force of arms if necessary. As a result, many Posse figures engaged in paramilitary training. Most notable among these was William Potter Gale, a Christian Identity minister who was one of the founders of the Posse. In the 1980s, he appointed himself "chief of staff" to the "Unorganized Militia" of a group known as the Committee of the States. Gale's appropriation of the term "unorganized militia" is significant; it is a statutory term in federal and state law that refers to the nominal manpower pool created a century ago when federal law formally abandoned compulsory militia service. In using the term, Gale implied that his organization was not only legal but that it was, in fact, a constitutional arm of the government.

This argument would be amplified by later militia proponents (Gale himself died in the late 1980s) who claimed that militia groups were:

a) equivalent to the statutory militia;

b) not, however, controlled by the government; and

c) in fact, designed to oppose the government should it become tyrannical.

The combination of anger at the government, fear of gun confiscation and susceptibility to elaborate conspiracy theories is what forms the core of the militia movement's ideology. Although there are white supremacists in the movement, and although groups and individuals within the movement often belong to or at least agree with the philosophy of various hate groups, the orientation of the militia movement remains primarily anti-government and conspiratorial. The militia movement appeals to many radical libertarians just as it appeals to traditional proponents of extreme right-wing causes. There is room even for African American militia leaders whose shared anti-government views allows them to break bread with racist and anti-Semitic adherents of Christian Identity.

By the fall of 1996, the movement was in decline. Several prominent early leaders dropped out, including Idaho militia leader Samuel Sherwood; he disbanded his group in September of 1996, complaining that "the whole movement is being distorted on one side by the press and the media and taken over by the nuts and the crazies on the other. "Although the militia movement has declined in strength, it remains an active movement, especially in the Midwest, and continues to cause a number of problems for law enforcement and the communities in which militia groups are active.

"HATE" GROUPS

All hate groups have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics. Hate group activities can include criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing. The Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project counted 844 active hate groups in the United States in 2006. Here is the list for Idaho:

Idaho

Athol

– National Socialist Movement - NSM

Boise

– Gospel Ministries

Coeur d'Alene

– Aryan Nations (mostly defunked)

– European-American Unity and Rights Organization

– International Conspiratological Association

Idaho Falls

– Folk and Faith

Sandpoint

– America's Promise Ministries

Because of its central role in the white supremacy movement and as it was based in Idaho, a brief history of Aryan Nations follows...

Otherwise known as the Church of Jesus Christ Christian, Aryan Nations followers subscribed to the doctrines of "Christian Identity", a pseudo-religious movement which maintains that Anglo-Saxons, not Jews, are the biblical "chosen people"; that non-whites are "mud people" on a par with animals; that Jews are the children of Satan (Jesus was an Aryan). The primary goal of the Aryan Nations was to create a racially-pure white republic independent of federal government.

In the early 1970s, Butler, a former aviation engineer at Lockheed in California, built a 20-acre barbed wire-encircled compound at Hayden Lake, Idaho to serve as the base of a new homeland for the white race. Butler's goal was to seize control of five states - Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington and Montana, take them out of the American federal system and form an Aryan homeland (the "Northwest Imperative")..

Over the next 30 years, the Aryan Nations compound became the center of an international racist network with cells in more than a dozen states and links with neo-Nazi groups around the world. From his head office - a cabin cluttered with Third Reich memorabilia - Butler distributed racist and fascist pamphlets with such titles as Our Nordic Race, The Cain-Satanic Seed Line and Did Six Million Really Die? He organized paramilitary training, launched race hate campaigns, staged cross-burnings, hosted annual international gatherings of neo-Nazi organizations (on Hitler's birthday), Aryan Youth Congresses, and gave sanctuary to skinheads, KKK members, and allies from other hate groups.

In September of 1983, Robert Matthews gathered a number of Aryan Nations members to create the Silent Brotherhood, or The Order. Ken Loff, Dan Bauer, Randy Duey, Denver Parmeter, Bruce Pierce, David Lane, Richie Kemp, and Bill Soderquist committed a series of robberies, forgeries and bombings, and murdered Alan Berg, the Jewish host of a Denver radio talk show. In 1985, 10 Order members were convicted of racketeering and other charges (David Lane died in prison last month). Robert Matthews, the ringleader, died in a confrontation with agents on Whidbey Island on December 8, 1984 and is heralded as a martyr for the cause.

Yet Butler himself operated more or less unhindered until 1998, when Aryan Nations guards fired at a passing car, forced it into a ditch, then assaulted its driver, Victoria Keenan, and her son. In 2001, after a civil law suit, the Keenans won damages of $ 6.3 million from the organization, forcing it to file for bankruptcy. The Keenans subsequently gained control of the Aryan Nations compound and sold it to a human rights organization where it was made into a park.

Richard Girnt Butler was born at Denver, Colorado, on February 23 1918, moving with his family to California during the Depression. He studied Aeronautical Engineering at Los Angeles City College and served in the US Army Air Corps during the Second World War, in the Pacific and in India.

Butler was impressed by the Indian caste system, observing that members of higher castes tended to have lighter skins. "It got me thinking," he said in a recent interview, "that we, the white race, were losing the war." Hitler, he was convinced, had the right idea: "It seemed like he was the only one who stood up to fight for the life of our race." He came to regard the Nazi dictator as the second-greatest man who ever lived - after Jesus Christ.

After the war, Butler worked as an engineer for Lockheed in Southern California, but resigned his job in protest when the government required the company to recruit more people from ethnic minorities as a condition of a federal loan. He also resigned from his local Presbyterian church after a new pastor announced his intention to invite black people to worship alongside whites.

Instead, Butler joined the Christian Defense League, a white supremacist "church" founded by Wesley Swift, a virulently anti-Semitic Los Angeles preacher and important figure in the Christian Identity movement. Butler worked under Swift for 10 years, becoming the organization's national director.

After Swift's death in 1971, Butler proclaimed his new Church of Jesus Christ Christian to be a direct successor to Swift's ministry and moved his "congregation" to his new base in Idaho, where it became known as Aryan Nations. The organization's goal, according to an early newsletter, was to form "a national racial state. We shall have it at whatever price is necessary. Just as our forefathers purchased their freedom in blood, so must we… We will have to kill the bastards."

The organization's missionary efforts centered on disaffected youths and convicted prisoners, the latter becoming an increasingly important element as more and more members ended up behind bars. In 1987 Aryan Nations began publishing a "prison outreach newsletter".

On several occasions, authorities tried to link Butler to crimes committed by his supporters. In 1987, an Arkansas grand jury indicted him and several followers on charges of sedition. But the defense claim that a key prosecution witness had made up his story was believed, and all were acquitted.

In the 1990s, Aryan Nations was weakened by further arrests and a series of acrimonious splits and defections as several leading members went off to found new groups. The judgment in the Keenan case was the final nail in the coffin.

Butler, described during the court case as the "elder statesman of American hate", remained unrepentant. In 2003, he staged an unsuccessful bid to become mayor of Hayden Lake. In July he was seen at a rally of about 40 supporters in Coeur d'Alene, dragging the flag of Israel through the dirt from the back of a truck.

Richard Butler died in September of 2004 at the age of 86. His wife Betty died in 1995. They are survived by two daughters.

With the demise of the Aryan Nations in Hayden Lake, Idaho, new groups have risen to fill the void. The most prominent of these new hate groups is Volksfront. As you will see below, the "Northwest Imperative" (to claim states in the Northwest as an Aryan homeland) is one of the platforms of Volksfront: 

Volksfront, comprised mostly of neo-Nazi skinheads, has become the most active neo-Nazi group on the West Coast and maintains close alliances with many other hate groups. Since its creation in 1994, the group has been growing nationally and internationally. One of Volksfront’s primary goals is to establish an autonomous whites-only living space in the Pacific Northwest and, to this end, the group claims to have purchased several acres of property in Oregon and Washington State. Volksfront holds hate rock concerts, publishes hate literature, and produces a white power radio show on the Internet. While Volksfront presents itself as a non-violent “pro-white fraternal association,” many of its members have been convicted of violent hate crimes. Since Volksfront founder Randal Krager returned the group to the public sphere from an “underground” period lasting from roughly 1999 to 2001, it has opened up several new chapters, has held large gatherings and has forged alliances with other hate groups.

Leaders: Randal Lee Krager and Richard Arden

Founded: Created by four inmates in an Oregon prison in 1994

Headquarters: Portland, Oregon

Publications: Quarterly magazine Folk Tribune; Thule Publications (defunct)

Other ventures: White power rock concerts, online discussion forums, Internet radio

Composition: Mostly young white males, the majority of whom are neo-Nazi skinheads

Ideology: White supremacy, neo-Nazism

Criminal Activities: Assaults, murder, violent intimidation

Affiliations: Hate rock bands Intimidation One, Frontline, Jew Slaughter and Criminal Culture; closely associated with Women for Aryan Unity, Hammerskin Nation, Christian Guard, Aryan Nations, Golden State Skinheads and American Front; the group has chapters in other countries including Canada, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Australia

(Source: ADL)

The National Socialist Movement (NSM), a Minneapolis-based hate group known for its Nazi uniforms and open display of explicit Nazi symbols, has outpaced its rivals on the far right in both membership and activity, and is the largest neo-Nazi group in the United States today.

With chapters in 32 states and a growing Internet presence that includes online radio and a "news service" geared to white supremacists, the NSM has substantially raised its profile in the last year by holding public events in various cities while dressed in full Nazi regalia and shouting "Sieg Heil!" Klan members and other white supremacists have joined NSM rallies to denounce Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, immigrants and gays.

At the same time, the National Alliance -- formerly the largest hate group in America and for more than two decades a formidable presence on the white supremacist scene -- has continued its steady decline, with the arrest of its current leader being the latest blow to its ability to effectively recruit and organize.

"The National Socialist Movement's anti-Semitic and racist public demonstrations and activities make them an attractive alternative to formerly prevailing extremist groups such as the National Alliance, who have been weakened," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "While the NSM's rhetoric is virtually unchanged, and their tactics derive from the playbooks of others, they have made inroads by taking advantage of a power vacuum and seizing on the technologies of the Internet to spread their particular brand of anti-Semitism and hate."

Increased cooperation between the NSM and like-minded groups has helped bolster the group's image in extremist circles while swelling its ranks with new recruits willing to spread its message of racism, bigotry and anti-Semitism. Last year (2006), the group escalated its activity, with NSM-sponsored rallies scheduled to take place in Olympia, WA; Fairdale, KY; Columbus, OH, as well as a hate music concert planned for August in North Carolina.

While some neo-Nazi organizations prefer blazers to brownshirts, the NSM is a throwback to the 1960s-era American Nazi Party from which it descended: members wear Nazi uniforms and openly display swastikas to a degree unusual even among white supremacists.

There is a confluence of factors contributing to the group's swelling ranks and growing influence:

* The weakened leadership of once powerful neo-Nazi groups, including Aryan Nations and the National Alliance -- whose leader, Shaun Walker, was indicted in Salt Lake City on federal civil rights charges -- has provided an opening for the NSM.

* NSM has successfully garnered attention and used it to recruit new members, particularly among racist skinheads. Rallies, gatherings and literature distributions in Seattle, WA; Orlando, FL; and Lansing, MI have raised the group's profile through media coverage and public outcry. Some rallies have led to violent confrontations with counter-demonstrators.

* Over the last 18 months, the NSM has absorbed members from various racist and skinhead groups. The group's activities, ranging from literature distribution to raucous rallies, have proven popular among these young recruits.

* NSM has exploited the Internet and related technologies, such as audio and video streaming and Web hosting, to spread their message. In January 2006, the group launched its own in-house white power music label, NSM Records. NSM has announced plans for the release later this summer of an anti-Semitic video game called "ZOG's Nightmare," whose object is to kill minorities and Jews. ZOG is a racist abbreviation for "Zionist Occupied Government."

* Videos taken of NSM rallies have found their way to popular Internet Web portals for home video sharing, enabling the group to garner additional attention as the videos have taken on a life of their own in cyberspace. Links to such videos have been widely forwarded via e-mail among non-racists who found them offensive, resulting in a spike in complaints to ADL about the videos and their presence on mainstream video-sharing sites.

(Source: ADL)

EXTREMISM IN AMERICA

The landscape of American extremism constantly changes. Recent years have witnessed:

* increasing emphasis on "lone wolf" activism (acting in small, leaderless cells or alone to avoid getting caught);

* the ascendancy of the Internet as an instrument for extremist organizing and disseminating information;

* the use of white power music as a recruiting tool by professional bigots like National Alliance head, William Pierce;

* the emergence of Holocaust denial as an extremist lingua franca, both domestically and worldwide as well as budding alliances between Western deniers and their Middle Eastern counterparts;

* the increasing role of women in far-right movements;

* the apparent demise of neo-Nazi stronghold Aryan Nations after the group lost a multimillion dollar civil decision (stemming from an assault by its security guards) and the death of aging leader, Richard Butler. Only to be replaced by Volksfront and other neo-Nazi, white supremacy groups.

* opportunistic support of the antiglobalization movement and of the Palestinian cause by some on the far right;

* the convergence between the radical right and some elements of the radical left -- conspiratorial antiglobalists and hard-core anarchists in particular;

* and, most recently, financial and philosophical support for foreign anti-American terrorists.

Revolution: Please refer to the Barkan Text

TERRORISM

Terrorism is like beauty. It is in the eye of the beholder. --Zacarias Moussaoui

Violence. The word invokes feelings of unease or fear. Images of individual acts, interpersonal violence--one person against another—robbery, murder, rape, assault-- come to mind. But there is another kind of violence that affects all of our lives: collective violence. This is violence perpetrated by a collectivity in their effort to stop, cause, or protect change. Collective violence has been part of the human experience for thousands of years.

We have examined collective violence in a number of different settings already. Now we will focus on terrorism. The word originates from the Latin term terr(ere), meaning “to frighten.” The term “terrorism” was first used to describe the Reign of Terror that characterized the French Revolution (1793-1794).

But even terrorism is too broad a topic for our brief study. Therefore, we will focus our attention on only three types of terrorism: Vigilante, Transnational, and State Terrorism. It should be noted that even breaking the study of terrorism into three categories reveals only the tip of the “terrorism iceberg.” Within these areas are cyber-terrorism, eco-terrorism, nacro-terrorism, and many other aspects of collective violence.

Terrorism, like any other social problem, is socially constructed. To define an act as terrorism is problematic as it is a highly complex political phenomenon.

The question of a definition of terrorism has haunted the debate among states for decades. A first attempt to arrive at an internationally acceptable definition was made under the League of Nations, but the convention drafted in 1937 never came into existence. The UN Member States still have no agreed-upon definition. Terminology consensus would, however, be necessary for a single comprehensive convention on terrorism, which some countries favor in place of the present 12 piecemeal conventions and protocols.

The lack of agreement on a definition of terrorism has been a major obstacle to meaningful international countermeasures and to a coordinated and thorough examination of the phenomenon by social scientists.

Cynics have often commented that one state's "terrorist" is another state's "freedom fighter," showing that the observation and interpretation of terrorism can be extraordinarily subjective. As noted in the quote above, what one person may view as a murderous act, another may see as the act of a heroic religious martyr, or patriot. How terrorism is defined is conditioned by ideologies and special interest group politics. I have yet to hear a contemporary group describe themselves as terrorists because of the perjoritive connotations associated with the term. Rather, they call themselves liberators, freedom fighters, urban guerrillas, etc.

Because of these characteristics, the social scientific study of terrorism is wrought with difficulty. For example, data-gathering, the most basic task of the researcher, is problematic as clear evidence is often difficult to ascertain. There is no broad consensus on what constitutes a terrorist act. From a cursory analysis of the definitions below, violence (or threat of violence), fear, intimidation, and politicism are the most common elements. To help illustrate the many facets of terrorism a list of definitions of terrorism held by American government agencies is found below:

State Department: Title 22 of the United States Code section 2656f(d) contains the following definitions: The term "terrorism" means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. The term "international terrorism" means terrorism involving citizens or the territory of more than one country. The term "terrorist group" means any group practicing, or that has significant subgroups that practice, international terrorism. SOURCE: 1999 Patterns of Terrorism.

FBI: The FBI defines terrorism as "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives." The FBI further describes terrorism as either domestic or international, depending on the origin, base, and objectives of the terrorist organization.

SOURCE: terrusa.html.

Vice President's Task Force: "Terrorism is the unlawful use or threat of violence against persons or property to further political or social objectives. It is usually intended to intimidate or coerce a government, individuals or groups, or to modify their behavior or politics."

SOURCE: Vice President's Task Force, 1986.

United Nations: Terrorism is the act of destroying or injuring civilian lives or the act of destroying or damaging civilian or government property without the expressly chartered permission of a specific government, thus, by individuals or groups acting independently or governments on their own accord and belief, in the attempt to effect some political goal. A terrorist is any person who, acting independently of the specific recognition of a country, or as a single person, or as part of a group not recognized as an official part or division of a nation, acts to destroy or to injure civilians or destroy or damage property belonging to civilians or to governments in order to effect some political goal.

SOURCE: res9596/terror.html.

 

Defense Department: Terrorism is the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives.

SOURCE: terms/t0000282.html.

Defense Intelligence Agency: Terrorism is premeditated, political violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine state agents, usually to influence an audience.

SOURCE: terms/t0000282.html.

Let’s use the following definition of terrorism for our study this semester:

Terrorism is a tactic aimed at winning political objectives. The vehicle is sudden, unexpected violence or the threat of violence against civilians to provoke fear in the general population.

Terrorism is with us, a part of human cultures domestically and internationally. We need to understand the sources, dynamics, and outcomes of terrorism, one of the most important examples of collective violence in the world today.

BRIEF HISTORY & USEFUL TERMS

Extremism: radical expression of political values; intolerance toward opposing ideas; primary motivation for terrorist behavior; includes both content of one's beliefs and the style of expression.

Guerrilla Warfare: from the approach taken by Spanish people against Napolean's army in the early 19th Century. This is "hit-and-run" warfare by a group of individuals who operate as a military unit

Hate Crime: bias-motivated crime; when political, also fits definition of terrorism; see Vigilante Terrorism

Ideology: system of belief (see below for description of classical ideological continuum)

Mala prohibita: (Latin) crimes that are made illegal by legislation (drinking age, prostitution, gambling, etc)

Mala in se: (Latin) crimes that are immoral or wrong in themselves (murder, rape, child abuse, canibalism, etc)

Total War: warfare that uses all possible means of attck against both enemey troops and civilians (WWII)

Tyrannicide: assassination of tyrants

Regicide: assassination of kings (common in Rome; e.g., Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.E.)

Sicarii: Rebels attacked Romans during occupation of Paestine; named for their use of the sica or curved dagger; belonged to Zealots (see below)

Zealot (from the Gree zelos, meaning strong spirit) group opposed the Roman occupation of Palestine (66-73 C.E.). Considered to be the first experts at guerrilla warfare and terrorist acts

Luddite: English workers in the 1800s; industrialization threatened their jobs; targeted machinery in textile factories. Named for Ned Ludd, the supposed found of the movement.

Sabotage: willful destruction of machinery; from the term Sabot; a wood shoe that workers wore and threw into the machines

Narodnaya Volya: Russian terrorist organization from the 18th Century; opposed czarist regime

Who's Right? Left?

Interestingly, the designations of left, right, and center to describe political ideologies had their origins with the Legislative Assembly convened during the French Revolution. Those members of the assembly who wanted to protect the old order or slow and deliberate change sat on the right. Those who favored radical change--even a complete reordering of French society and culture sat on the left. Those who couldn't make up their minds or didn't care one way or the other sat in the center of the assembly room.

Moderate Center: Consensus; works within accepted traditional institutions; rarely expresses activism or agitation.

Conservative: Edmund Burke is considered to be the founder of conservatism (after French Revolution). Rather than overthrowing the established order, preserve the good; change should be questioned.

Neo-conservativism: (USA 21st C) advocates strong international intervention. Aggessive promotion of democracy among allies and adversaries; ideology is to end "tyranny in our world" (G.W. Bush, 2005). Global intervention is seen as necessary to reach goals and preemptive wars justified.

Far Right: Strong adherence to social order and traditional values. Chauvinistc racial/ethnic dimension to world view; undercurrent of religion. Does not necessarily engage in political violence to promote ideology.

Fringe Right: Uncompromising belief in ethno-national or religious superiority. Terrorist violence is justified as a protection of the purity and superiority of the group.

Right-wing extremism: generally a reaction against perceived threats to a group's value system. Group seeks to return to a time of past glory; nostalgic. KKK is a good example.

Far left: Usually applies Marxist theory to promote class or ethno-national rights; do not necessarily use violence

Left-wing extremism: future oriented; seeks reform or to overthrow existing structure; idealistic. IRA is a good example.

Fringe left: Usually represents an extreme interpretation of Marx; uses theories of class warfare or ethno-national liberation to justify political violence.

NOTE: rightist terrorist have been more likely than violent leftists to engage in indiscriminate bombings and other attacks that produce high numbers of victims

New Terrorism does not fit nicely into the above categories; the goals are often the destruction of society and the elimination of large sections of population through a horizontal organizational of independent cells that operate independently and anonymously without reporting to a hierarchical command structure (leaderless cells, lone wolf, etc).

It is important to understand the definitions and differences between:

– Vigilante Terrorism

– Insurgent Terrorism

– Transnational Terrorism

– State Terrorism*

*State terrorism has been responsible for many more deaths and much more suffering than terrorism originating from any other type

Here is a brief overview of one example of transnational terrorism:

OVERVIEW OF OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE AL QAEDA, AND THE UNITED STATES

Since about 1989, an international terrorist group has existed dedicated to opposing non-Islamic governments with force and violence. This organization grew out of the "mekhtab al khidemat" (the "Services Office") organization, which maintains offices in various parts of the world, including Afghanistan, Pakistan (particularly in Peshawar), and the United States. The group was founded by Osama Bin Laden and Muhammad Atef, a/k/a "Abu Hafs al Masry," together with "Abu Ubaidah al Banshiri," and others. The group calls itself "al Qaeda" ("the Base"). Between 1989-1991, al Qaeda was headquartered in Afghanistan and Peshawar, Pakistan. In or about 1991, the leadership of al Qaeda, including its "emir" (or prince) Osama Bin Laden, relocated to the Sudan. al Qaeda was headquartered in the Sudan from approximately 1991-1996 but still maintained offices in various parts of the world.

In 1996, Osama Bin Laden and other members of al Qaeda relocated to Afghanistan. Members of al Qaeda pledged an oath of allegiance (called a "bayat") to Osama Bin Laden and al Qaeda. Those who were suspected of collaborating against al Qaeda were to be identified and killed.

Bin Laden and al Qaeda violently oppose the United States for several reasons:

1. The United States is regarded as an "infidel" because it is not governed in a manner consistent with the group's extremist interpretation of Islam.

2. The United States is viewed as providing essential support for other "infidel" governments and institutions, particularly the governments of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the nation of Israel, and the United Nations organization, (all regarded as enemies of the group).

3. al Qaeda opposed the involvement of the United States armed forces in the Gulf War in 1991 and in “Operation Restore Hope” in Somalia in 1992 and 1993. In particular, al Qaeda oppose the continued presence of American military forces in Saudi Arabia (and elsewhere on the Saudi Arabian peninsula) following the Gulf War.

4. al Qaeda oppose the United States Government because of the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of persons belonging to al Qaeda or its affiliated terrorist groups or those with whom it worked.

For these and other reasons, Bin Laden declared a jihad, or holy war, against the United States, which he carries out through al Qaeda and its affiliated organizations.One of the principal goals of al Qaeda was to drive the United States armed forces out of Saudi Arabia (and elsewhere on the Saudi Arabian peninsula) and Somalia by violence. Members of al Qaeda issued fatwahs (rulings on Islamic law) indicating that such attacks were both proper and necessary.

Al Qaeda function on its own and through some of the terrorist organizations that operate under its umbrella, including: Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which was led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, and at times, the Islamic Group (also known as "el Gamaa Islamia" or simply "Gamaa't"), and a number of jihad groups in other countries, including the Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia, Croatia, Albania, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, the Philippines, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and the Kashmiri region of India and the Chechnyan region of Russia.

al Qaeda also maintain cells and personnel in a number of countries to facilitate its activities, including Kenya, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Malaysia, and the United States.

al Qaeda have a command and control structure which includes a majlis al shura (or consultation council) which discusses and approves major undertakings, including terrorist operations. Al Qaeda also have a "military committee" which considers and approves "military" matters.

Osama Bin Laden and al Qaeda also forged alliances with the National Islamic Front in the Sudan and with representatives of the government of Iran, and its associated terrorist group Hizballah, for the purpose of working together against their perceived common enemies in the West, particularly the United States.

Since 1989, Osama Bin Laden and the terrorist group al Qaeda sponsored, managed, and/or financially supported training camps in Afghanistan, used to instruct members and associates of al Qaeda and its affiliated terrorist groups in the use of firearms, explosives, chemical weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction. In addition to providing training in the use of various weapons, these camps were used to conduct operational planning against United States targets around the world and experiments in the use of chemical and biological weapons. The camps were also used to train others in security and counterintelligence methods, such as the use of codes and passwords, and to teach members and associates of al Qaeda about travelling to perform operations. For example, al Qaeda instructed its members and associates to dress in "Western" attire and to use other methods to avoid detection by security officials. The group also taught its members and associates to monitor media reporting of its operations to determine the effectiveness of their terrorist activities.

Since 1996, Osama Bin Laden and others operated al Qaeda from their headquarters in Afghanistan. During this time, Bin Laden and others forged close relations with the Taliban in Afghanistan. To that end, Bin Laden informed other al Qaeda members and associates outside Afghanistan of their support of, and alliance with, the Taliban. Bin Laden also endorsed a declaration of jihad (holy war) issued by the "Ulema Union of Afghanistan." Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces on May 2, 2011 in Pakistan.

The September 11 Hijackers

The morning of Tuesday September 11, 2001 was not expected to be any different from any other autumn morning. Most Americans went about their business--rushing to work, dropping their children off at school, and planning their day. However, at approximately 8:45 a.m., the world stood still with images of a civilian airplane crashing into the north tower of the World Trade Center, New York City, New York.

On September 11, 2001, Mohammed Atta, Abdul Alomari, Wail al-Shehri, Waleed al-Shehri, and Satam al-Suqami hijacked American Airlines Flight 11, bound from Boston to Los Angeles, and crashed it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.

On September 11, 2001, Marwan al-Shehhi, Fayez Ahmed, a/k/a "Banihammad Fayez," Ahmed al-Ghamdi, Hamza al-Ghamdi, and Mohald al-Shehri hijacked United Airlines Flight 175, bound from Boston to Los Angeles, and crashed it into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.

On September 11, 2001, Khalid al-Midhar, Nawaf al-Hazmi, Hani Hanjour, Salem al-Hamzi, and Majed Moqed hijacked American Airlines Flight 77, bound from Virginia to Los Angeles, and crashed it into the Pentagon.

On September 11, 2001, Ziad Jarrah, Ahmed al-Haznawi, Saaed al-Ghamdi, and Ahmed al-Nami hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, bound from Newark to San Francisco, and crashed it in Pennsylvania.

Significant Terrorist Incidents, A Brief Chronology

The security situation in Iraq improved in 2008, but outside Iraq there were more terrorist incidents and more fatalities as a result of these incidents; Pakistan is rapidly being engulfed by terror: in 2007 there were 890 incidents which killed 1,340 people; in 2008, 1,839 incidents which killed 2,293 people.  Across the border in Afghanistan, 1,125 incidents in 2007 killed 1,961 people, while 1,220 incidents in 2008 killed 1,989 people.

Mexico (mostly drug cartel violence; hundreds dead)

Yemen (2011)

Southern Sudan (2011)

Pakistan (January 1, 2010)

Iraq (especially Baghdad) throughout 2007-2010; mostly car bombs

London, England (August 10, 2006)

Mumbai (July 11, 2006)

Bali (October 1, 2005)

London, England (July 7, 2005)

Madrid, Spain (March 11, 2004)

(2003 was a quiet year for terrorism)

The Role of Al-Qaida

Al-Qaida and al-Qaida associated networks remain the greatest terrorist threat to the U.S. and to its partners. Core al Qaeda has exploited the FATA as a safe haven, reminiscent of Afghanistan in the run up to the 9/11 attacks, which could be used to plan future terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies. Al Qaeda’s franchises also continued to leave a bloody trail throughout many countries during 2008.

Algeria, Somalia, and Yemen all experienced terrorist attacks by groups with ties to al Qaeda. In Algeria, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb conducted numerous attacks using al Qaeda’s hallmark of suicide bombings and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Somalia is plagued by the Al-Shabaab militia, which continues to attack the fragile unity government. Events in Somalia continue to concern U.S. counterterrorism officials who say Somali-Americans are traveling to the country to fight for the Islamic insurgency and raising fears that someday they may return home and present a domestic terrorism threat.

Al Qaeda in Yemen has also increased its terrorist activities in 2008, targeting the Yemeni government and U.S. targets. In September, a suicide bombing ripped into the U.S. Embassy there in Sanaa, killing 18.

While there have been defections since the death of bin laden, new members in Somalia, Algeria, and Yemen (among other locations) are increasing.

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Course Reader Part 3

Sociology 313

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