Homeland security chief apologizes to veterans groups

[bemildred]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano apologized Thursday after veterans groups were offended by a department report about right-wing extremism.

The report said extremist groups may try to attract veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also said extremists also may use the recession and the election of the nation's first African-American president to recruit members.

The American Legion was among those who objected to the report's mention of veterans.

"I think it is important for all of us to remember that Americans are not the enemy. The terrorists are," the American Legion's national commander, David K. Rehbein, said in a letter to Napolitano.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/16/napolitano.apolo... /

[Enrique]

1. did the American Legion complain when Bush's FBI warned about veterans?

http://mediamatters.org/items/200904160006?f=h_top

Additionally, the Post did not note that the DHS assessment cited a 2008 FBI report -- authored during the Bush administration -- as evidence that "some returning military veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have joined extremist groups." In the July 2008 FBI report, titled "White Supremacist Recruitment of Military Personnel since 9/11," the FBI's Counterterrorism Division determined with "igh confidence" that "ilitary experience is found throughout the white supremacist extremist movement as the result of recruitment campaigns by extremist groups and self-recruitment by veterans sympathetic to white supremacist causes." The 2008 report further stated that a "review of FBI white supremacist extremist cases from October 2001 to May 2008 identified 203 individuals with confirmed or claimed military service active in the extremist movement at some time during the reporting period," and that "ccording to FBI information, an estimated 19 veterans (approximately 9 percent of the 203) have verified or unverified service in the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

[NJmaverick]

2. The American Legion is just another Republican group

they represent righ wing views, not vets. Plus it's been like 40 years since one of their members would have come back from a war.

[bemildred]

3. They don't speak for US military veterans, that's for sure.

A bunch of self-serving assholes.

[Captain Hilts]

5. Ain't that the truth. The legion is a bunch of former supply corps lard asses. nt

[bemildred]

6. Kind of like AARP represents old people.

Or Fox is a "News Company".

[Brgotn]

7. Yes they do.

They are one of the groups representing the returning vets. Groups like the AL and DAV help returning vets apply for and get the care and compensation they need.

[bemildred]

10. They claim to.

Helping vets get services they are owed is not the same as representing all vets.

[NavyDavy]

14. yeah if you pay them a membership fee....and like my dad told me

when I got out of the Navy, and hes a 25 yr vet from the Army, "why would you want to join a club that is full of wannabe heroes retell stories that most really never had a part in"

[Captain Hilts]

16. The DAV has turned into a racket. Sad. My grandfather was a member. nt

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. DON'T APOLOGIZE!!!!

Dammit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Historic NY]

8. Tell that to Oklahoma City.

[jewishlibrl]

15. Another example is the DC Sniper

John Allen Mohammed. He killed 16, in the early 2000's, a decade after returning from the Gulf.

[ashling]

9. Anybody got a link to the actual report?

A guy I knew in college is ranting about it on facebook, and about "Obama thugs" ^%$&^%*&^*(&%^!!!

[abq e streeter]

11. What??? A Democratic official apologized for a reasonable and accurate statement?

I'm just SHOCKED !! ( just in case that's needed)

[jewishlibrl]

12. There is no need to apologize for telling the truth

The report accurately states that extremists could use disgruntled veterans such as Timothy McVeigh to carry out attacks. History proves this is true.

Napolitano disappointed me on this one.

[Bonhomme Richard]

13. That's the ticket. Let's all put our heads in the sand. n/t

[CRK7376]

17. I'm a veteran

and I wasn't offended....But then it's the AL, Repubs and Fox.....I've belonged to VFW, but as stated earlier, I've stopped sending money to them. Not too concerned about what others did or didn't do overseas. I know what I did and my teammates did. That's who counts....