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Right-wing militia groups - United States of America
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| 11 June 2001 |
Group
Right-wing militia groups including: the Michigan Militia (with which the Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh was linked); the Montana Militia; the North American Volunteer Militia; the Big Star One; the Texas Constitutional Militia; the Indiana Militia (most closely associated with the traditions of the Ku Klux Klan); and the West Virginia Mountaineer Militia.
Alias/front organisation
n/a
Aims/objectives
These groups have a history of armed confrontation with law enforcement agencies. They are vehemently opposed to `government' over and above county level and accuse the administration of being in the hands of `foreigners' and `Jews'.
Political/religious affiliation
Mostly Christian extremists.
Date of founding
The origins of the militias can be traced back to the Posse Comitatus Movement of the 1970s and the Arizona Patriots, its 1980s offshoot.
Status
Active.
Insurgent alliances
There are links between militia groups and suspected links with white supremacist organisations like the Ku Klux Klan.
Rival insurgent groups
n/a
Method of funding
Some criminal activity, for example withholding taxation payments. The militias are funded by their members.
Membership and support
There are estimated to be between 40 and 100 militias which claim a membership of over three million people but are more likely to number around 25,000; the members of militia groups are not `full-time', `professional' terrorists. They consider themselves patriots, zealously defending the second article of the US constitution which allows provision for a well regulated civilian militia with the right to bear arms.
Area of operation
Active in 30 states in the USA but particularly strong in Texas, Arizona and Montana.
Foreign bases/supply lines
None proven.
Weaponry/arsenal
A variety of US-made hand guns and rifles, hunting weapons, explosives, machine guns and pipe bombs. Some militia groups stockpile weapons.
Sources of weapons
Members supply their own firearms, which are fairly easily obtainable both with and without a licence.
Tactics/methodology
Most militia groups concentrate on training for what they see as an inevitable confrontation with the government; individual members have been accused of acts of terrorism and there have been a number of incidents where militias have declared `independence' on land which they own, directly challenging the authorities.
Command structure
The militias are independent of one another and command structures are loosely based on a military structure.
Leadership
No overall leadership.
Political wing
n/a
Level of threat
The threat from militia groups and those associated with them varies; however the number of bombings (including the Oklahoma City bombing) would indicate that this phenomenon is a threat to life, particularly for federal government workers. The threat from associated survivalist groups could increase as the millennium approaches.