Conservatives Raise the Threat Level, According to West Point

Washington, DC – “While the threat of Islamic terrorism is playing out in various parts of the world, the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point is studying America’s ‘violent’ conservatives, including anti-federalists and fundamentalists,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.

The love of God and country and the desire to “to restore or preserve values and practices that are part of the idealized historical heritage” are marks of terrorists, according to the 147-page study entitled Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right. The author of the so-called study is Dr. Arie Perliger who recently obtained his Ph.D. in 2007 and began working in August 2010 at the United States Military Academy at West Point as the Director of Terrorism Studies in the Combating Terrorism Center. Perliger says, “In both Israel and the United States, the far right encompasses strong religious dimensions.” Perliger continues, “If there is one ideological doctrine about which there is almost full consensus regarding its importance for understanding the far right worldview, it is that of nationalism.” “America is exceptional because our country was founded on a belief and respect for God and an understanding that government should protect our unalienable rights that come from our Creator,” said Mat Staver. “It is beyond ironic that a study from West Point, where young men and women are trained to give their lives for the love of country, demonizes loyalty and devotion to America.”

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Furthermore, Perliger says that America faces threats from those who defend the natural definition of marriage and protection of the preborn. According to the study, the “violent far right” exhibits an intense fear or dislike of foreign people “including people with alternative sexual preferences.” Author Arie Perliger cites “anti-abortionists” as an active threat for terrorist and points to speeches from Dr. C. Everett Koop and Francis Schaeffer. However, four pages from the end of the study he admits, “Violence perpetuated by anti-abortionists...is in decline,” and pro-lifers are “probably...a less salient threat.” Finally, Perliger calls those who want to protect the Second Amendment and who want to bring down high taxes “anti-federalists.” “To label people as a terrorist threat simply because they believe in God, support the Constitution and limited federal government, affirm natural marriage, and believe that aborting preborn children is murder is outrageous, but this is par for the course of the Obama Administration. A similar comment appeared in a Department of Homeland Security document under the leadership of Janet Napolitano, which labeled veterans and pro-lifers as ‘domestic terrorists.’ It is very disturbing to see Dr. Perliger as the Director of Terrorism Studies at West Point. It is even more disturbing to see our own government label God-fearing, law-abiding, freedom-loving citizens as terrorists. This government is really confused. Obama refuses to call the conflict with radical Islamic extremists a ‘war on terror’ but freely calls pro-life constitutionalists ‘terrorists,’” said Mat Staver. www.LC.org