Archives: FBI Says PNW's Liberal "Philosophy" Helps Terrorists
HardPressed has reviewed a 45-page unclassified Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report that reveals new information concerning FBI operations and viewpoints in Washington State.
The 2003 report, obtained from the Washington State Archives, was produced by the FBI Seattle Division and is titled “Washington State Threat Assessment Terrorism.”
One cryptic sentence from the report states that “the philosophy of the Northwest, premised upon autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties, breeds an atmosphere of participation and reformation which accommodates domestic terrorist groups."
Asked to clarify what this sentence means, the FBI Seattle wrote to HardPressed that “in general, the FBI does not comment on the content of files released through public records requests, individuals we may or may not have spoken with, or any specific intelligence products the FBI or law enforcement partners may or may not have produced.”
In response to numerous other questions, the FBI Seattle wrote to HardPressed that “the FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment and other Constitutional rights, and we can never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity. We focus on individuals who commit or intend to commit violence and criminal activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security.”
Another sentence from the report casually states that "sympathetic members of the legal and illegal immigrant population provide an instant support network for terrorists living in or passing through Washington State.” That language that is almost identical to the totally unsubstantiated rhetoric across right-wing media today about “Hamas support networks” across America and on college campuses.
In 2003, the FBI wrote that “the largest Middle Eastern population in the state of Washington resides in Snohomish County. During the federal effort to interview Iraqis prior to the 2003 Iraqi War, it was determined that more than 3,000 Iraqis alone resided in the county. The county also houses several Islamic mosques, which are attended by subjects of investigations. In addition the Monroe Detention Center, a medium security prison for the state, has a number of practicing Muslims, some of whom are followers of more militant African American Muslim groups. Others are followers of an Islamic faction that has been known to spread Islamic fundamentalism."
Its not clear if any of these FBI Seattle investigations led to charges. During this period, numerous Muslim Americans were targeted by the FBI for investigations that were unsubstantiated and closed.
The FBI also viewed “public demonstrations and rallies” as a potential “recruitment technique” for terrorist groups, showing how the FBI might justify surveillance of protected constitutional activity through the lens of thwarting or identifying targets of terrorist recruiting efforts.
The FBI reported in 2003 that “several companies in Washington have been approached by various national and non-state groups that are on federal national security lists.”
The document includes a section on FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) history and operations, domestic and international terrorism threats, and an attachment of FBI Seattle Division Resident Agency contacts.
Joint Terrorism Task Force
The 2003 FBI report states that the “Puget Sound JTTF was formed in July, 2000” and that "the JTTF mission is to investigate and infiltrate terrorist organizations in order to gather intelligence that will ultimately disrupt the organization, and when feasible, allow for the prosecution of participating members."
These types of infiltration operations have led directly to FBI-manufactured terrorist plots, reported extensively within Trevor Aaronson’s must-read book The Terror Factory. One of these plots involved an informant run by the FBI Seattle Division.
The 2003 FBI report states that the “Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) was formed as a multi-Divisional partnership between the Spokane FBI Resident Agency, Seattle FBI Division; the Coeur d'Alene FBI Resident Agency, [&] Salt Lake City FBI Division.”
Right-Wing, Militias, White Supremacist & Christian Identity Groups
The FBI’s section on right-wing extremists immediately lumps labor organizers in with "Christian identity movements.”
"The Pacific Northwest has historically been a hotbed for extremist groups from the Wobblies labor riots of the 1910's to the militia and Christian identity movements of the late 1980's and early 1990's,” the FBI wrote. “A large number of radical right-wing and hate groups have operated out of Washington State to include militias, anti-government, Christian identity, and white supremacists. The proximity of Eastern Washington to Idaho and Montana has contributed to the presence of extremist groups that have established themselves in Washington State without regard for state lines.”
“In the past, these groups are known to have participated in paramilitary training, separatist/anti-government activities, stockpiling of weapons, weapons violations, intimidation and paper terrorism as well as other criminal acts such as theft, drug trafficking, assault and murder,” the FBI wrote. “Washington State is the home of numerous hate groups whose belief system provides both a religious basis for racism and anti-Semitism and an ideological rationale for violence against minorities and their white allies. Members of these groups have violated numerous state and federal laws and are known to commit crimes of intimidation, hate, assault, and sabotage.”
“Recruitment of younger people by these groups at middle and high schools and via the Internet is a recurring situation. Recruitment of persons in and out of the military has also been attempted,” the FBI wrote.
Last year, two military veterans were arrested and charged with striking a man in the head with a hammer and stealing military gear from Joint Base Lewis McChord. During a search warrant service, law enforcement found a cache of 35 weapons, an MG32 machine gun, military munitions, blasting caps, smoke grenades and Nazi flags.
The 2003 report states that “the main north/south Interstate 5 corridor is becoming the home of hate groups which have traditionally been located in more remote areas of the state.”
According to the FBI, the passage of laws has fueled the growth of right-wing movements. “Several factors fueled the growth of this radical movement over the last decade including the passage of gun control legislation, fears of increased United Nations involvement in domestic affairs, and confrontations between law enforcement and right-wing group members,” the FBI wrote. “At this time, the propensity of these groups towards violence is considered a serious threat in Western Washington.”
In Eastern Washington, the FBI wrote that “maintenance of existing right-wing sources is crucial.”
Anarchists
The 2003 FBI report lists anarchists under the banner of domestic terrorism threats, highlighting how President Trump’s recent Executive Order designating Antifa as a “domestic terrorist organization” is a formalized continuation of decades of FBI assessment.
In 2003, the FBI indicated that "Anarchist activities range from the proliferation of graffiti to rioting. This is a loose-knit organization of individuals who routinely commit damaging and dangerous acts under the guise of ‘freedom of speech’ in order to attract public attention for their causes, which include protest against globalization of trade and capitalism in general. The World Trade Organization [WTO] riots of December 1999 is an example of the high levels of damage and destruction anarchists have caused in Seattle, WA."
If you're searching for more context here, the film WTO/99 is an exemplary historical record of the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle.
"Self-proclaimed anarchists are believed to participate in a number of illegal activities including intimidation, assault, sabotage, and destruction of property and other acts of vandalism,” the FBI report stated. “They appear to require a minimum amount of financing to fund their activities. Anarchists use student and social organizations as an opportunity to recruit new members.”
The FBI wrote that anarchists “were responsible for a near riot, criminal acts of vandalism and property destruction during the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit (LEIU) Conference held in Seattle, WA, in June, 2003. These individuals are calling for an end to "Big Brother's" spying, harassment, and intimidation."
Environmental/Animal Rights Extremists
The FBI also identified “Environmental/Animal Rights Extremists” as a domestic terrorism threat in 2003.
"Environmental and animal rights extremists have perpetrated criminal acts in Washington State over the past year ranging from property damage and arson, to smoke bombs in public places and animal releases at local fur farms. Intelligence assessments predict an increase in this activity over the next several years. This assessment is based on several factors, including: 1) the growing number of animal rights, environmental, and anarchist related activists with ties to surrounding states; and 2) the target rich environment which includes animal testing and genetically engineered crop research facilities.”
The FBI wrote that “the U.S. Navy's use of sonar is being blamed as the cause of the deaths of several whales and dolphins in the Puget Sound. This perception by animal rights extremists may result in the targeting of U.S. Naval facilities. Based upon the above information, animal rights and environmental activist groups pose a significant potential threat in Washington.”
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) did not immediately respond to a request for comment, asking if this nexus would pull NCIS into domestic counterterrorism operations within Washington State targeting animal rights activists.
“ALF/ELF members use protests and rallies to engage in recruiting and networking,” according to the FBI. “They actively recruit at local university and college campuses which often provide facilities for lectures by movement leaders.”