(MintPress) – A 115 page U.S. army training manual was recently leaked to the press, making clear intentions to kill and disarm civilian protesters in the case of riots, violent demonstrations or any kind of mass uprising. The manual, titled “Civil Disturbance Operations,” was written in 2006 and has explicit instructions for crowd control including both lethal and non-lethal ways to end domestic uprisings, a seemingly imminent threat discussed in the report. As the number and size of armed militias continues to grow, it appears that the report may take on increasing importance should there be any kind of uprising. However, rights groups of the liberal and conservative ilk have expressed opposition to the plan which many say usurps citizen rights.
Civil disturbance operations
The report broached a number of topics, but above all else, matters of security prevailed as the most widely discussed issue in the training manual. Summarizing the contents, Reporter Paul Joseph Watson writes in his recent piece, Army Manual Outlines Plan to Kill Rioters, Demonstrators in America, “The document outlines how military assets will be used to ‘help local and state authorities to restore and maintain law and order,’ in the event of mass riots, civil unrest or a declaration of martial law.”
Those taken prisoner will be held in internment camps, according to the report, where they will be, “re-educated” in how to, “appreciate U.S. policies.” Unlike other prisons and internment camps maintained on foreign soil, it appears that these proposed facilities will be inside the U.S.
Should an uprising grow in size, the military would be given the authority to limit the transfer and purchase of sensitive materials, namely firearms, ammunition, gasoline and explosives.
This limitation on the purchase and transfer of firearms will likely draw criticism from the pro-gun lobby. The National Rifle Association (NRA), a non-profit 501-(c)(4) organization has previously expressed a clear objective to uphold the Second Amendment and promote gun ownership as a constitutional right. However, the manual details how the military should confiscate firearms from civilians should there be a mass uprising. While the NRA, a group representing over 4 million members, has yet to issue a statement on the leaked manual, these plans are certain to upset the staunchly pro-gun lobby group.
Additionally, in 2008, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. government had planned to station an additional 20,000 troops within the U.S. as a means to fortify national security in the event of a total economic collapse or a terrorist attack. Critics charge that the troop placements move American closer to being a military police state.
Military units have been called in previously during infrequent rioting. For example, both the 1965 Watts riots and the 1992 Rodney King riots resulted in the deployment of national guardsmen to restore the peace.
The domestic troop increases have been criticised by both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Libertarian Cato Institute, both denouncing the plan as “a creeping militarization of homeland security.” Some will contend, however, that there is an increased risk of homegrown domestic terrorism which necessitates the increased military powers.
Rise of militias and domestic terrorists
In 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center found that right-wing extremists and militias were on the rise in the United States. According to the report, called “Rage on the Right,” armed extremist groups had grown 250 percent, mostly during the time of the Obama administration. The Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the largest civil rights groups in the U.S. found the trend to be “deeply concerning.”
While the threat of international terrorism looms large in the post 9/11 landscape, domestic terror cells representing a wide range of political views pose a serious threat to security as well.
The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing stands as a stark reminder of the threat posed by domestic terrorism. The attack carried out by Timothy McVeigh and his accomplices led to the deaths of 168 and more than 600 injuries.