The Department of Justice [sic] is creating a special "domestic terrorism" unit

[Occam's Banana]

Justice Dept. Creating Unit Focused on Domestic Terrorism
The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism.
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics...stic-terrorism
Eric Tucker / AP (11 January 2022)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism, the department's top national security official told lawmakers Tuesday as he described an "elevated" threat from violent extremists in the United States.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, testifying just days after the nation observed the one-year anniversary of the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, said the number of FBI investigations into suspected domestic violent extremists has more than doubled since the spring of 2020.

"We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies," Olsen said.

The department's National Security Division, which Olsen leads, has a counterterrorism section. But Olsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he has decided to create a specialized domestic terrorism unit "to augment our existing approach."

[Occam's Banana]

DOJ Creates Specialized Unit For Domestic Terrorism Amid Attempts To Dub Jan.6 "Worse Than 9/11"
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/...jan6-worse-911
Tyler Durden (11 January 2022)

[all emphasis in original - OB]

From the beginning the Biden administration has clearly prioritized the threat of 'White extremism' as the prime and most pressing domestic security concern - for example in June issuing the White House's National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, which defined the "the two most lethal elements of today’s domestic terrorism threat" as : (1) racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists who advocate for the superiority of the white race and (2) anti-government or anti-authority violent extremists, such as militia violent extremists."

Naturally, this became a cause for concern as often simple 'middle America' Trump voters were increasingly labeled by mainstream media and in public discourse as associated with "terrorism" - given especially the events of Jan.6 - which some Republican leaders too have begun to label as a "terrorist attack". Prominent liberal pundits, for example over at MSNBC and other outlets, began to suggest that Jan.6 was "worse than 9/11".

Now, the Biden administration is ready to give the DOJ some teeth in enforcing a crackdown on this supposed #1 threat facing the nation, by creating a new special unit to tackle what's broadly defined as "domestic terrorism" - however loosely that label is currently being thrown about in Washington.

"The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism, the department's top national security official told lawmakers Tuesday as he described an elevated threat from violent extremists in the United States," The Associated Press reports Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/KevinFreyTV/stat...21663488790533


The unit is being described as necessary to handle the "more than double" the number of suspected violent extremism cases which have popped up since spring of 2020, according to Congressional testimony this week of Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen.

https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1479136629843701760



"We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies," Olsen stated.

The specialized domestic terrorism unit, he described, is further necessary to "to augment our existing approach" - despite the DOJ already having a counterterrorism section within National Security Division, and such cases also long being handled by FBI units.

Meanwhile ...

https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1480928569152917513

[Pauls' Revere]

Beware. Remember way back when Ron Paul supporters were placed on MIAC reports?

SECESSTION NOW.

https://apnews.com/article/united-st...04f73e65659e68

“We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies,” Olsen said.

The formulation of a new unit underscores the extent to which domestic violent extremism, which for years after the Sept. 11 attacks was overshadowed by the threat of international terrorism, has attracted urgent attention inside the federal government and at the White House.

[Anti Globalist]

You can bet this will be used against people who refuse the covid vaccine.

[Anti Federalist]

Translation: DOJ has created a unit focused on prosecuting white people.



Justice Dept. creating unit focused on domestic terrorism

https://apnews.com/article/united-st...04f73e65659e68

By ERIC TUCKER 11 Jan 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism, the department’s top national security official told lawmakers Tuesday as he described an “elevated” threat from violent extremists in the United States.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, testifying just days after the nation observed the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, said the number of FBI investigations into suspected domestic violent extremists has more than doubled since the spring of 2020.

“We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies,” Olsen said.

The formulation of a new unit underscores the extent to which domestic violent extremism, which for years after the Sept. 11 attacks was overshadowed by the threat of international terrorism, has attracted urgent attention inside the federal government and at the White House.

But the issue remains politically freighted and divisive, in part because the absence of a federal domestic terrorism statute has created ambiguities as to precisely what sort of violence meets that definition. The U.S. criminal code defines domestic terrorism as violence intended to coerce or intimidate a civilian population and to influence government policy, but there is no standalone domestic terrorism charge, meaning prosecutors have to rely on other statutes.

Olsen’s assessment about growing domestic threats tracked with a warning last March from FBI Director Christopher Wray, who testified that the threat was “metastasizing.” Jill Sanborn, the executive assistant director in charge of the FBI’s national security branch who testified alongside Olsen, said Tuesday the greatest threat comes from lone extremists or small cells who radicalize online and look to carry out violence at so-called “soft targets.”

“This includes both homegrown violent extremists inspired primarily by foreign terrorist organizations as well as domestic violent extremism,” Sanborn said.

The department’s National Security Division, which Olsen leads, has a counterterrorism section. But Olsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he has decided to create a specialized domestic terrorism unit “to augment our existing approach” and to “ensure that these cases are properly handled and effectively coordinated” across the country.

The partisan divisions around the domestic terrorism terminology were evident during Tuesday’s hearing.

Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic chairman of the committee, played video of the Jan. 6 riot at the outset of the hearing and urged everyone on the committee to “use this hearing to explicitly condemn the use or threat of violence to advance political goals.”

“It’s a simple request, but sadly a necessary one,” Durbin added. “This committee should speak with a unified voice in saying violence is unacceptable.”

Several Republican senators sought to shift focus away from Jan. 6 and asserted that the insurrection had taken away attention from the 2020 rioting that erupted in American cities and grew out of racial justice protests. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, castigated the law enforcement witnesses for what he said were “wildly disparate standards” in the department’s pursuit of suspects in the 2020 rioting and in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the panel’s top Republican, showed video of the 2020 violence as a counter to the Jan. 6 footage that Durbin showed.

“Those anti-police riots rocked our nation for seven full months,” Grassley said.

The FBI and Justice Department say they treat domestic extremist violence the same regardless of ideology. Sanborn said the FBI has opened more than 800 investigations tied to the 2020 rioting and arrested more than 250 people. Attorney General Merrick Garland said last week that the Justice Department had arrested and charged more than 725 people for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 attack.

[cjm]

The FBI and Justice Department say they treat domestic extremist violence the same regardless of ideology. Sanborn said the FBI has opened more than 800 investigations instigations tied to the 2020 rioting and arrested more than 250 people. Attorney General Merrick Garland said last week that the Justice Department had arrested and charged more than 725 people for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 attack.

Obviously a typo. Fixed.

[Anti Globalist]

They'll also probably prosecute people who refused the covid vaccine.

[tod evans]

Look for prosecution quotas.

[Occam's Banana]

Are You A 'Domestic Extremist'? It's Easier Than You Think!

The Biden Justice Department has announced that it is setting up a new "domestic terrorism" division to monitor Americans for "extremism." How do they define it? Among other things, it's being "anti-authority." What could go wrong? Also today, voting reform...or election fixing? Bernie Sanders wants to give you a new face mask! And...major Danish newspaper apologizes to its readers for printing government covid lies.

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