Is America’s Militia Movement on the Rise?

[Purveyor]

Up an unpaved Idaho road, self-styled “patriots” gather to plan and train in close-quarters battle.

Leonard Zeskind and Devin Burghart September 9, 2013



You may have seen it on The Colbert Report. A proposed walled city of “patriots,” known as The Citadel, received the particular dose of sarcastic humor the show reserves for militiamen and gun nuts. Colbert’s reading of the requirement that all patriot residents must own one AR-15 and 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and periodically prove their weapons’ proficiency, drew the most laughs from the audience. Six months later, this past June, when several of the Citadel’s principals appeared on Glenn Beck’s television show, the tone was just the opposite. A measured, serious discussion occurred, and the pros and cons debated of patriots’ settling in mountainous Benewah County, Idaho, and building a city where Thomas Jefferson’s “rightful liberty” would rule, and employment be provided in a weapons-manufacturing facility.

Now, after a year of justifiable skepticism about the walled city’s prospects, expressed by the Benewah County Sheriff, and criticism of the project’s leadership by rival militia factions, the group behind the Citadel is taking the next steps. On September 6–8 it gathered at a twenty-acre plot it had already purchased as a starter base-camp, according to county records.

A couple dozen or more militia-types are thought to have traveled off the main highways and up the unpaved logging roads for close-quarters battle training and a self-styled patriot convention. They housed themselves in tents and RVs. Jim Miller, a fully licensed arms manufacturer at the heart of the Citadel’s plans, was in attendance. Perhaps he sold some of the guns he has recently built, AR-15s—a civilian replica of the American military’s M-16s. Chris Kerodin, the Citadel’s central idea man and principal propagandist, taught hand-to-hand combat courses known as CQB—close-quarters battle.

They also were slated to make plans to eventually attract 300 “patriots” to their ranks, people willing to “go into harm’s way,” and “clear Black Panthers from the voting stations,” according to one of Kerodin’s frequent blog posts.

Whether or not the Citadel is built, the gathering itself is important: it could become the most significant turning point in the militia and survivalist world since Timothy McVeigh bombed the Oklahoma federal building in 1995 and the FBI crackdown on armed paramilitaries that followed.

MORE...

http://www.thenation.com/article/176090/americas-militia-movement-rise#

[rdharma]

1. That was nice of them to build their own prison. nt

[Purveyor]

5. That is the beauty of it as at least we know where they are at and can monitor accordingly. eom

[Dawson Leery]

2. Their treasurer was thrown in jail for 10 years for making his own bogus currency.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_von_NotHaus

These kooks should ask Timmy McVeigh how his attempt ended.

[Earth_First]

7. Conviction awaiting sentencing...

I say sentence him to The Citadel.

That will be a hellacious place to reside eventually.

He can make his funny money and play fort with his buddies.

[orpupilofnature57]

3. " Rival Militia factions " sounds like a gang or religious group .

Last edited Thu Sep 12, 2013, 09:02 PM - Edit history (1)

And what's are " Armed Paramilitaries " ?? I know Para, Many, I know military has to do with soldiers and war or having like characteristics, so who's the enemy, criminals or anyone outside the gate ?






http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/militant?s=t


http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/military?s=t

[busterbrown]

4. Hey if I was twelve..

I’d think this is ‘Way cool”...

[rdharma]

6. Grown men with guns playing "fort".

Not a real bright tactical strategy.

[busterbrown]

10. On the head..

“Fort” and Indians attacking.. Who would have thunk back when I was a kid that the good guys practically destroyed an entire population of indigenous people..

[NightWatcher]

8. reflecting pool, hahaha

Stare longingly into the pool and contemplate what the hell happened to their life before diving face first and drowning

[NuclearDem]

9. That's no Citadel.

[Initech]

11. Yeah this is an idea that will not end well!

Hmm, let's see. Put a bunch of armed, angry, paranoid, dangerous, tin foil hat believing conspiracy theorists in one place and feed them anti government propaganda 24/7? Yeah sounds like a good plan!