Introduction
Radical extremism is a sought after media subject today. However, the real picture is always missing. The entire world focusses only one type of radical extremism. The world chooses to forget that there is yet another type which is far more dangerous. The callous campaign of the Crusaders in the Eleventh Century destroyed the peace in the Middle East and is responsible for all the animosity towards the West from this region. Yet, European scholars at the time did not document the massacres or acts of cannibalism by the Crusading armies. Similarly, while the Western media is busy covering news about suspected Islamic extremism, they neglect to report the largest threat to humanity today; Christian Radical Extremism.
The criminal justice systems across the world had to reorganize their strategies whenever an extremist group made its presence known. Unlike conventional criminal actions, extremists have a goal or target which remains ambiguous until it is too late. This is why it is simpler to foil a bank robbery than to stop a White Supremacy group member from unleashing horror inside a mosque. The federal law enforcement agencies in all nations keep a lookout for such groups and attempt to neutralize them swiftly before they become a serious threat. Unlike foreign extremism, domestic extremist threats are difficult to predict. There is no trail of information or the possibility to plant an informant.
Christian Radical Extremism
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports that Christian Right Wing Radical Extremism claimed forty-six lives in the United States since 9/11. The figures are double of the killings attributed to Islamic extremists. Moreover, the FBI states that the Right Wing extremists have the potential to cause maximum destruction in the United States in comparison to any other form of extremism. This section discusses some of the most prominent Christian Right Wing Radical Extremist groups in the world at present.
Ku Klux Klan
The Klan made its first appearance in the 1860s and remained active until 1871. The primary goal of the Klan was to marginalize the Catholic Church, and the Republican Party. Originating from Pulaski in Tennessee, the Klan preached hatred for any non-Caucasian race. The Klan’s goals remained unachieved since the federal government imposed a uniform clampdown on the group in 1871. The Klan made its second appearance in 1915 and remained active until 1944. This time, the Klan resorted to hiring members and like the last time, they remained focused on decimating immigrant populations and African Americans. Their second stint ended abruptly in 1944. However, the Klan was back in 1946 and remains active with at least eight thousand members in the United States and Canada (FBI, 2015).
The Army of God
This American domestic terrorist organization leads a campaign against abortion clinics across the United States. Founded in 1982, the terrorist organization is responsible for several acts of kidnapping, bombing, and murder. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI declared the group as a secretive terrorist organization. The members are elusive and difficult to yield any form of cooperation. The group’s website, in recent years has included same sex relationships as part of their agenda. It is only a matter of time for the Army of God to unleash its terror on the gay and lesbian communities (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, 2016).
Church of the Almighty God (Eastern Lightning)
This little known radical extremist organization has the Chinese government anxious. The group is not a terrorist organization due to china’s intolerance policies however, it is on account of the potential damage it can cause. It specializes in rioting. In addition, it has a reputation to be brutal. Burning out eyes, cutting limbs and ears, and lynching appear as routine on the group’s agenda. So far, the Chinese Government executed two members and convicted three others. However, not even a ban in Communist China diminishes the will of this extremist organization to instigate terror (Hume, 2015).
The Lord’s Resistance Army
The most popular terrorist organization in Africa is Boko Haram. However, the deadliest terrorist organization in Africa is The Lord’ Resistance Army (LRA). Although the group’s name does not feature as an active terrorist group in the DHS’ list of terrorist organizations, the United States continues to fund and collaborate with Uganda to eliminate this threat. The LRA is notorious for using child soldiers in the front lines causing extensive loss of life. An estimated fifteen thousand children served and died in the ranks of the LRA until now. The LRA massacres entire villages and actively targets refugees (War Child International, 2014).
The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT)
The NLFT is a terrorist group in the subcontinent with an agenda to declare Tripura (State within India) independent. The group resorts to violent criminal activity to influence potential recruits and to convert local tribes. The NLFT terrorizes the Hindu population in the state and engages in forcible conversions. They use rape as an intimidation tactic to convert. Their numbers at present are three thousand to five thousand in all. The terrorist organization gets foreign aid from both Europe and China.
The changes in criminal justice on account of radical extremism
Radical extremist groups do not follow any particular trend or behavior. While they may share similar beliefs, their intimidation tactics and actions differ significantly. Hence, the majority of criminology theories will not apply for these groups. Hence, local law enforcement agencies have to use alternative strategies while dealing with these groups. The offensive against these groups will initially remain focused on cutting off finances. All groups discussed amass weapons and ammunition. However, this type of military hardware is expensive since it will not be readily available on the market. In addition, conventional weapons available at sporting goods stores require the applicant to wait for a certain period and subject to a background check. Bypassing these measures is impossible in certain countries. Hence, the groups have to purchase the weapons from the black market for exorbitant prices. Removing the financial support for the groups will cripple their ability to purchase ammunition and upgrade their existing weapons. Moreover, the recruits for the Klan are paid salaries. If there is no money, the members will eventually disband.
The next step in the offensive is to alienate the group from publicity. All radical extremist groups crave for publicity since it becomes a means of spreading their propaganda. Without the media reports and social media, they will not have the ability to influence supporters to volunteer or sponsor their needs. Pronouncing a blanket ban on any reports that portray these groups in the limelight will force the groups to come out of hiding to recruit or to seek financial assistance. Once the first two steps conclude, the group becomes vulnerable and opens up the possibility of splintering. Then the group becomes easier to suppress (USAID, 2011).
Dealing with radical extremism requires patience and human intelligence resources. These groups are unlikely to agree to peace talks or negotiations. Hence, total elimination or leadership elimination is the only options available. The following section details strategies by different countries in dealing with their domestic radical extremist groups.
United States
The federal government worked alongside churches and leaders of the Christian faith to declare the Ku Klux Klan as ‘not Christian’. This dropped enrollment in the organization and in their third enterprise, they had to employ paid staff. In addition, the federal government brought the weight of the FBI bearing down on the Klan to discourage new recruitment and participation by existing members. Their classification as a White Supremacy group is no longer appealing to a nation which has a diverse society at present. The Army of God faced the wrath of the federal government when its leadership faced life in prison. Their eventual incarceration led to a de-escalation of activities within the group. In addition, the groups are part of the list of terrorists maintained by the DHS. Hence, their members are subject to constant surveillance. It is possible that the groups have federal agents undercover. The group faces firearm charges that usually have a stiff sentence.
China
The Chinese government banned the Eastern Light organization and executed members for their participation in the killing of a young mother in a restaurant. Moreover, three others received ten-year jail sentences. The Chinese are no strangers to public exhibition of punishments. However, they are still unable to cut off the financial influx of this group since China has a poor human rights record. This record in turn affects the nation’s relationship with all Western governments who can interrupt the influx of money into this organization.
The Chinese government has the necessary influence to impose a media ban on the organization in an effort to curtail the organization’s plans to expand. The Chinese are also competent to impose the blocking of social media sites and preventing Eastern Light to spread its propaganda throughout the nation. China does not have a proper record in promoting rights for Christians in the past and present. However, this group is not a victim of any such action. A negative propaganda against the group or the screening of a documentary aimed at spotlighting the various atrocities and rumors that the organization spread in the past regarding the end of the world.
Uganda
The Ugandan Government solicited the assistance of the United States to combat with the LRA. In all, a group of one hundred military advisors and strategists are present in Uganda to help them with their situation. The popular strategy of the Ugandan government is to divide and conquer. There are several splinter groups which emerged from the LRA during the 1990s. Dispute and internal conflicts forced at least eight splinter groups to leave the LRA over difference of opinions in several decisions. Eventually from a headcount of five thousand to eight thousand fighters, the LRA’s strength depleted to just three or four hundred lately.
The Ugandan nation is not a prosperous nation and was always part of some war. This led to the economy diminishing with the government fighting a war it cannot win. Hence, knowing the commitment provided by the DHS post 9/11, the Ugandan government reached out to the United States for assistance. In response to this request, the United States came up with a program to disarm all members of the LRA. The program has wide scale acceptance throughout the countries that are actively involved in this eradicating this extremist group.
India
In Tripura, the Border Security Force of the Indian Army leads the charge against the NLFT. Their objective is to ensure that there is no infiltration from neighboring Bangladesh. The local police follow up on leads and arrest divisional or sectoral leaders belonging to the NLFT. This campaign is successful however, there is always someone new to occupy the position. The leaders of this group face public trial in an attempt to discourage the existing membership.
In a follow up strategy, the Indian Army and the Tripura police conduct surrender camps in which NLFT extremists can surrender and escape serious charges. Moreover, the Indian Government used its influence with its neighbors to prevent the NLFT gaining finances or provisions from their countryside. In recent years, the Indian federal agencies are successful in the divide and conquer strategy (USAID, 2011). The combination of lack of resources and the depletion of its cadre forced the NLFT to approach the Tripura State Government for rounds of peace talks (Datta, 2015).
References
Datta S. (2015). NLFT faction seeks talks. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150217/jsp/northeast/story_3817.jsp#.VypTJYR97IU
FBI Staff (2015). The Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Retrieved from: https://vault.fbi.gov/The%20Ku%20Klux%20Klan%20(KKK)
Hume, T. (2015). 'Eastern Lightning': The banned religious group that has China worried. Retrieved from: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/06/world/asia/china-eastern-lightning-killing/
National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism Staff (2016). Terrorist Organization Profile: Army of God. Retrieved from: http://www.start.umd.edu/tops/terrorist_organization_profile.asp?id=28AFRICOM_Boko%20Haram%20Deep%20Dive_Jan2015.pdf
USAID Staff (2011). The development response to violent extremism and insurgency. Retrieved from: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1870/VEI_Policy_Final.pdf
War Child International Staff (2014). The Lord's Resistance Army. Retrieved from: https://www.warchild.org.uk/issues/the-lords-resistance-army
