Militia raided in Michigan

[Vekseid]

Homeland Security, FBI Raid Militias in Multiple States 1/2

Homeland Security, FBI Raid Militias in Multiple States 2/2

[Vekseid]

More details

...

"I can confirm that there is ongoing law enforcement activity in the Ann Arbor general area," Pack said in a written statement. "Since the federal warrants are under court ordered seal, legally we cannot provide further comment at this time."

Local Michigan militia member Jimmy Schiel said he was told five people were arrested - including one known member of Hutaree. Schiel said the five were reportedly arrested during a raid at a service in the Ann Arbor area for a Hutaree member who died recently. Schiel was told about eight Hutaree members were present. Schiel, who said he was invited but did not attend, spoke to a Hutaree member who was at the service, he said.

Hutaree members couldn't be reached for comment today. As AnnArbor.com reported last week, several Hutaree members were recently involved in searches in Bridgewater Township after two residents went missing in separate incidents. Schiel worked closely with Hutaree members during those searches.

The Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia has not been targeted in any raids, spokesman Mike Lackomar said. The group posted a message on its website today saying, "Neither michiganmilitia.com nor the SMVM have been 'raided' by the FBI. We do nothing illegal."

...

[Merlyn]

From what I can see from reading about what happened in Michigan and Ohio it seems they went after the Hutaree in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.  It seems to me that the authorities were worried about the weapons, and the possibility of explosives.  In Sandusky Ohio they responded with the bomb squad and k-9 units, which stresses the worry of explosives. 

It will be very interesting to see what comes out with the court dates on Monday.  It seems that they have involvements with both the Michigan Militia as well as a militia in Ohio.  (I didn't look into it at all for Indiana)  But both militia's were left alone, so either they aren't involved or it has something to do with the religious influence of the Hutaree.

Some more info from Ohio.

[Merlyn]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/29/michigan.arrests/index.html

(CNN) -- Nine suspected members of a militia group were charged Monday with seditious conspiracy and related charges, federal prosecutors said.

A federal grand jury in Detroit, Michigan, indicted six Michigan residents, two Ohioans and an Indianan on the conspiracy charges, plus attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade and Andrew Arena, FBI special agent in charge, announced.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14778313?source=rss

Nine suspects tied to a Christian militia in the Midwest are charged with conspiring to kill police officers, then attack a funeral in the hopes of killing more law enforcement people, federal prosecutors said today.

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said agents moved on the group because the Hutaree members were planning a violent reconaissance mission sometime in April — just a few days away.

Members of the group called Hutaree are charged in the case, including their leader, David Brian Stone, also known as "Captain Hutaree."

Once other officers gathered for a slain officer's funeral, the group planned to detonate homemade bombs at the funeral, killing more, according to newly unsealed court papers.

The indictment includes charges of seditious conspiracy, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, teaching the use of explosives, and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction — homemade bombs.

The indictment charges members of the group conspired "to levy war against the United States, (and) to oppose by force the authority of the government of the United States."

The charges follow FBI raids over the weekend on locations in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

According to investigators, the Hutaree view local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel as a "brotherhood" and an enemy, and planned to attack them as part of an armed struggle against the U.S. government.

[HairyHeretic]

Given what it says there, I wonder why they're not being referred to as Christian terrorists, rather than Christian militia. They certain sound like terrorists to me.

[Merlyn]

Indictment linked from cnn.com

It seems that they are getting the book thrown at them rather expertly.  And that the FBI and ATF have been keeping an eye on them for a while.  Basically they are getting charged with the bomb making/teaching, and 'seditious conspiring' as well as attempting to use the bombs, and carrying weapons during the commission of a violent crime. 

The weapons charges are basically trumped up in my opinion.  They are saying that since they had weapons on them while conspiring it is carrying/possessing/using a weapon during the act of a violent crime.  Honestly I don't see how conspiring is committing a violent crime, but I suppose they are saying that conspiring is just as violent as actually committing it. 

As of right now cnn is referring to them as a 'Christian warrior' militia.  I think the news agencies are worried about how people would react to seeing Christianity linked with terrorism in the states.  Too many people believe that Christian automatically means good, and Islam automatically means terrorist.  The furthest they have gone is to call them extremists. 

I think it's going to be interesting to see if this case ends up setting a precedent towards eliminating the 'legal' militias in the States.  And what I mean by legal is the groups that do train as a militia with the fear of and attempt to prevent/react to a 'red dawn' type of scenario.  Which in case you don't know is basically another nation invading the US and effectively catching the county off guard and managing to take over almost immediately. 

And yes Hairy they do sound like terrorists, and it's a good thing they got stopped.  From the sounds of it they were planning a sort of final test run of their plan in which anyone who stumbled onto the 'operation' would be most likely killed or kidnapped.  According to the indictment they were going to kill an officer, and then once they had the funeral hit the processional (which would be filled with fellow officers, family, and loved ones) with roadside IED's as well as makeshift RPG's and small arms fire.  This would have ended up being a huge tragedy which would have led to a rather long bloody incident between this group and police, and most likely FBI and the military.

I just hope they catch the other two before they try something stupid.  The last thing that this country needs is to have two armed men attack a government facility to try and 'rescue' their friends, hopefully they aren't as 'leave no man behind' as the Marines.  Not to mention that guys like this are good at leaving and sometimes at hiding.  Which is why the case was sealed, if they had caught wind of it they'd have vanished. 

[Arhys]

Bizarre...  "Scar My Tattered Body No More With Your Punishing Dildo Mallet"...direct quote from one of these guys in a YouTube video, now taken down but TPM has a compilation at the end of the article.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/scar_my_tattered_body_no_more_with_your_punishing.php?ref=mp

[Jude]

The leaked homeland security memo about "right wing extremists and militiamen" which became a source of outrage is now being proven over and over again to have been a prophetic document, yet I don't think Janet Napolitano is going to get any apologies from the people who demanded again and again that she resign her position because of it.  Just goes to show you, when we live in such a hyper-partisan political environment even people who perform their duties excellently to a clearly objective standard will be marked by polemicists as "part of the problem."

[September]

The leaked homeland security memo about "right wing extremists and militiamen" which became a source of outrage is now being proven over and over again to have been a prophetic document, yet I don't think Janet Napolitano is going to get any apologies from the people who demanded again and again that she resign her position because of it.  Just goes to show you, when we live in such a hyper-partisan political environment even people who perform their duties excellently to a clearly objective standard will be marked by polemicists as "part of the problem."

Right.

Most of the indicted militia members accused of being anti-government extremists have active voting records, a check with area voter registration offices showed yesterday.
One is a registered Democrat, and the party affiliations of the rest could not be determined.

http://toledoblade.com/article/20100401/NEWS16/4010369

[Vekseid]

The technical definition of 'Right wing' when discussing 'right wing extremism' or 'right wing authoritarian' refers to following established and recognized authority. It's associated with Republicans because more republicans are authoritarian, it does not mean that democrats are not also authoritarian (even assuming his situation is not something like me still being a registered Libertarian). "Right-wing antigovernment" is usually a sign of a group that wants to establish their own totalitarian rule (fascists, etc) because they do not view the current governing authority as legitimate.

Check their promotional video, skip to 1:05

Hutaree Z-01

Where they take down a U.N. flag, burn it, and raise a Christian flag in its place.

They're theocrats.

[September]

The guy was left wing until he became a terrorist, I guess.

[Jude]

September, the Michigan Militia movement was founded as a response to the Clinton Presidency and their tightening of gun control laws.  They're afraid of the federal expansion of power.  Those are right-wing ideas, not left-wing.  If you think this is anything but right-wing then you're being purposely obtuse.  Left-wingers are quite clearly not afraid of the expansion of federal authority (certainly not enough to arm themselves with weaponry they don't think they should be able to own legally in order to start an armed revolt against a President of their own political ideology).

[September]

You're probably right, Jude, I know very little about this case.