Ryan J. Reilly September 22, 2011, 2:35 PM

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has expanded their interaction with other federal and state agencies to combat militia extremists, the bureau said in a blog post this week.

“In addition to our lawful use of sophisticated investigative techniques, we’ve expanded our work with other federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and with our state and local partners,” the FBI said in the blog post.

“And we use intelligence and analysis to help identify gaps in our knowledge, emerging tactics and trends, and effective investigative strategies,” the post states.

Using the case against nine members of the Michigan-based Hutaree militia as an example, the FBI writes that militia extremists “usually go after the government itself — including law enforcement personnel, representatives of the courts, and other public officials, along with government buildings.”

“Militia extremists often subscribe to various conspiracy theories regarding government,” the FBI’s blog post says. “One of their primary theories is that the United Nations — which they refer to as the New World Order, or NWO — has the right to use its military forces anywhere in the world (it doesn’t, of course).

“The extremists often train and prepare for what they foresee as an inevitable invasion of the U.S. by United Nations forces,” the FBI writes.

The FBI’s website has done similar profiles of other domestic terrorist threats like sovereign citizens and eco-terrorists. Given that other government agencies have gotten into dicey political territory when discussing the threat of right-wing extremism, the post was careful to note that simple rhetoric against the government wasn’t against the law.

“One important note: simply espousing anti-government rhetoric is not against the law,” the post states. “However, seeking to advance that ideology through force or violence is illegal, and that’s when the FBI and law enforcement become involved.”

Here’s how the FBI described militia extremists:

Who they are. Like many domestic terrorism groups, militia extremists are anti-government. What sets them apart is that they’re often organized into paramilitary groups that follow a military-style rank hierarchy. They tend to stockpile illegal weapons and ammunition, trying illegally to get their hands on fully automatic firearms or attempting to convert weapons to fully automatic. They also try to buy or manufacture improvised explosive devices and typically engage in wilderness, survival, or other paramilitary training.

Who and what they target. They usually go after the government itself—including law enforcement personnel, representatives of the courts, and other public officials, along with government buildings. When caught, most militia extremists are charged with weapons, explosives, and/or conspiracy violations.

What they believe in. Many militia extremists view themselves as protecting the U.S. Constitution, other U.S. laws, or their own individual liberties. They believe that the Constitution grants citizens the power to take back the federal government by force or violence if they feel it’s necessary. They oppose gun control efforts and fear the widespread disarming of Americans by the federal government.

Militia extremists often subscribe to various conspiracy theories regarding government. One of their primary theories is that the United Nations—which they refer to as the New World Order, or NWO—has the right to use its military forces anywhere in the world (it doesn’t, of course). The extremists often train and prepare for what they foresee as an inevitable invasion of the U.S. by United Nations forces. Many militia extremists also wrongly believe that the federal government will relocate citizens to camps controlled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or force them to undergo vaccinations.

One important note: simply espousing anti-government rhetoric is not against the law. However, seeking to advance that ideology through force or violence is illegal, and that’s when the FBI and law enforcement become involved.

What is the FBI doing to combat the militia extremism threat? In addition to our lawful use of sophisticated investigative techniques, we’ve expanded our work with other federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and with our state and local partners. And we use intelligence and analysis to help identify gaps in our knowledge, emerging tactics and trends, and effective investigative strategies.

FBI, Hutaree, Militia Movement, Militia movement, Militias