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Anti-US Gov't Militias Are Awakening
By Rob Quinn
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Posted Aug 12, 09 4:53 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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Anti-government militia groups largely dormant during the Bush years are making a comeback and dozens of new ones are sprouting up, AP reports. Such groups, fueled by the poor economy and distrust of the Obama administration, are poised to grow rapidly, according to a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center. "All it's lacking is a spark," one veteran ATF agent told report investigators.
The militias are mainly based in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and the Deep South, and are making full use of the Internet as a recruitment tool, warning of impending gun control measures and a Mexican attempt to reclaim the Southwest. Violent acts from militia groups haven't reached the level of their '90s peak, the report finds, although a rising number of "lone-wolf" offenders, like the suspect in the April killings of three police officers in Pittsburgh, also appears to be increasing.