02 August 2009

Say What?


Found this artical quite fasinating as I (an Iraq War Veteran), fall into this catagory.

The Department of Homeland Security declared this month that Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are at risk of becoming domestic terrorists. While no other government in the world has stated it believes that U.S. soldiers are terrorists – the United States government puts them on a domestic terror watch list. The FBI has recently launched an investigative program, along with the Defense Department, called "Vigilant Eagle," to share information about Iraq and Afghanistan war vets who may have a propensity toward domestic terrorism.
The Homeland Security intelligence report, distributed to local and state law enforcement agencies April 7, is light on any evidence to back up its shocking claim, as put by a Washington Post report, that "the return of military veterans facing challenges with reintegrating into their communities 'could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.'" It cites only to their "skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat" to conclude that these soldiers are, somehow, likely to attack the country they risked their lives to defend.
How does the report get from point A to point B? How does being a soldier put one on the path to becoming a domestic terrorist? The answer is clear and simple – it doesn't.
This war has been going on for nearly eight years. Hundreds of thousands of troops have served in uniform since 9/11. Yet the report finds not a single incident of an Iraq or Afghanistan war veteran becoming a domestic terrorist – not one.

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