DHS Identifies People Involved With The Military, Religion As Potential Terrorism Threats
A recent report has revealed that President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) considered being “religious” or “in the military” as potential indicators of domestic terrorism. Documents obtained by America First Legal (AFL) show that in 2023, the DHS’s “Homeland Intelligence Experts Group” explored ways to expand their surveillance on American citizens, including integrating into local communities to gather intelligence discreetly.
The “Homeland Intelligence Experts Group,” which included figures such as John Brennan and James Clapper, both previously involved in controversial activities, proposed that religious Americans, military members, and Trump supporters could be seen as security threats. According to the documents, the group suggested that indicators of extremism might include military service and religious beliefs. “This being identified as an indicator suggests we should be more worried about these,” stated one segment of the documents.
The documents also allude to a “political backdrop” tied to former President Donald Trump, indicating a perceived advantage in associating domestic terrorism with his supporters. “It seems that most of the Domestic Terrorism threat now comes from supporters of the former president,” the documents stated. Despite the administration’s claim of nonpartisanship, these findings suggest a focus on Trump supporters as primary threats.
Following an AFL lawsuit, the Biden administration agreed to disband the “Experts Group” in May. However, other federal agencies have continued to ramp up efforts to monitor political dissidents. In October, Newsweek reported that the FBI had expanded its “anti-government or anti-authority violent extremists” (AGAAVE) classification to include political and social agendas, effectively creating a new category, “AGAAVE-Other.” An FBI officer noted that, while the language was nonpartisan, it effectively targeted supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
The FBI has faced criticism for using documents from left-wing groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center to target individuals with traditional Catholic beliefs, labeling them as “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists.” This has raised concerns about the potential misuse of government power to suppress political opposition and infringe on civil liberties.
These revelations have sparked significant debate about the role of government in monitoring its citizens and the potential for overreach in targeting specific groups based on political or religious affiliations. As the DHS and other agencies continue their efforts, the balance between national security and protecting individual rights remains a contentious issue.
