DHS Used Kook Website To Brand Conservatives As Terrorists

Do you remember when the Department of Homeland Security issued a report about right-wing terrorism, a report that classified millions of Americans, from Tea Party attendees to military veterans as potential terrorists? Well, the group Americans For Limited Government issued a FOIA request for all documents used to put that report together.

Good instincts.

It appears as if a large portion of the “research” for that report consisted of people doing Google searches on the internet. Isn’t it amazing that a government report could be based upon such a “research method?” It is normal practice, after all, to be just a LITTLE bit more thorough.

But it gets worse. The second most cited website on their list was a site called http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/. Go ahead and take a look… it has headlines like “Death Star Pandemic of 2009-2012: End of Age Begins“ and “’Radio To God’ Reported Destroyed By American Scientist.” DHS actually considers this a credible source??? They must consider it credible, because they cited it TEN TIMES!!!

“Whatdoesitmean.com contends that the government of the United States has been in direct contact with extra-terrestrial aliens through sophisticated radio waves. Its masthead contains unicorns, Tarot cards, secret numbers, and hieroglyphics. And it warns against a “manmade swine flu” and “fast-approaching global famine.”

“Based upon these and other similar observations on whatdoesitmean.com (as well as in the intensely frenetic Huffingtonpost.com and the far left Southern Poverty Law Center), the Department of Homeland Security condemned millions of patriotic Americans – including veterans -- to intense, daily surveillance by law enforcement officials nationwide.”

If you would like to read the DHS response to the FOIA request with the complete list of websites cited in the report, here it is.

And now ALG has issued a demand that Napolitano resign for relying heavily on a “kook” website to brand millions of Americans as potential terrorists.

"Janet Napolitano must resign immediately from her post at Homeland Security over this outrage," Wilson said earlier today. Wilson is chairman of Americans for Limited Government, a conservative activist non-profit.

"The Department of Homeland Security used a kook website to indict the American people in drafting the 'rightwing extremism' memo. Its use in intelligence gathering was deplorable and highly dubious, not mention insulting to the tens of millions of Americans who were targeted by the memo."

Personally, I find it VERY difficult to believe that the DHS did what is claimed. I mean, how stupid can you be? If this IS what happened, and they DID rely on fringe websites, then Napolitano should, indeed, resign. In disgrace. And be barred from any future public service with our government. Forever. Because the allegations, if true, clearly indicate the intent was to discredit and marginalize conservatives.

We’ll have to see how this one turns out.