William K. Wolfrum

The NIE says that leftist internet users are a major threat to national security

From the National Intelligence Estimate, called “bleak” by CNN, among others:

Anti-US and anti-globalization sentiment is on the rise and fueling other radical ideologies. This could prompt some leftist, nationalist, or separatist groups to adopt terrorist methods to attack US interests. The radicalization process is occurring more quickly, more widely, and more anonymously in the Internet age, raising the likelihood of surprise attacks by unknown groups whose members and supporters may be difficult to pinpoint.

As the commentator Syspog put so well on Glenn Greenwold’s blog:

That paragraph of the NIE is an amalgam equating leftists, nationalists, anti-globalization activists, etc., with fundamentalist Islamic terrorism.

“If the suspension of habeas corpus, the spread of state terror through the use of torture, and the labelling of U.S. citizens as “combatants” isn’t enough, this quote should remind us of how the government is thinking of handling those who criticize the Decider’s dictates.”

And as Greenwold wrote at Salon.com:

Prior to 9/11, the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil was in Oklahoma City, where Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in pursuit of his right-wing, anti-federal-government agenda. But there is nothing in the NIE findings about right-wing or anti-government groups. Instead, there is a rather stark warning about the danger of “leftist” groups using the Internet to engage in terrorist attacks against the United States. Is there any basis at all for that warning?

There have been scattered reports over the last several years that the Bush administration’s anti-terrorism programs have targeted domestic political groups solely because such groups espouse views contrary to the administration’s. That this claim about “leftist” terrorist groups made it into the NIE summary is particularly significant in light of the torture and detention bill that is likely soon to be enacted into law. That bill defines “enemy combatant” very broadly (and the definition may be even broader by the time it is enacted) and could easily encompass domestic groups perceived by the administration to be supporting a “terrorist agenda.”

Remember, they hate us for our freedom.

–WKW

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 27th, 2006 at 10:38 am and is filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.