The counterterrorism division for the FBI has issued a grave warning about potential violence coming from “Black Identity Extremists” (BIE).
“The FBI assesses it is very likely Black Identity Extremist (BIE) perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement and will very likely serve as justification for such violence,” reads the report, marked for official use only and obtained by Foreign Policy.
The report which was dated just days before the violent Charlottesville rally is the first known reference to labeling “black identity extremists” as a movement. Despite this, officials still want to claim that no such movement exists and go a step further, attempting to shoot it down as saying it’s just a political cover to equate movements like this to white supremacists.
Granted, this is an entirely new concept with very few references to be found by searching for it online, though one reference does link to law enforcement training saying “domestic terror groups and criminally subversive subcultures which are encountered by law enforcement professionals on a daily basis.”
In addition to the previously mentioned training topics, and due to several recent highly publicized law enforcement deaths and large scale protest violence, a portion of the course will focus on an emerging anti-police climate anchored by numerous protest groups that are routinely encountered by law enforcement in towns and cities small and large. An overview of current popular movements, including Antifa activity, and their influential impact on social media and direct action protest will also be covered.
In an email to Foreign Policy, the FBI (while declining to comment), said “the FBI cannot initiate an investigation based solely on an individual’s race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or the exercise of First Amendment rights.”
“They are grouping together Black Panthers, black nationalists, and Washitaw Nation,” said the former homeland security official. “Imagine lumping together white nationals, white supremacists, militias, neo-Nazis, and calling it ‘white identity extremists.’”
The FBI, however, is focusing more on the threat of white supremacists, warning that their violence is, indeed, growing. In the same reported, they also noted that violence from these groups is even higher than ISIS-like groups.
(H/T Foreign Policy)
