Veterans groups smack down "political attack"

It would have been a different story if they had attacked real problems instead of trying to cause a comotion over this.

Homeland memo fails to rile VFW, AmVets

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 16, 2009 12:07:17 EDT

In the middle of a storm of controversy over a Homeland Security Department report that mentioned disgruntled veterans as a possible security threat to the U.S., two major veterans groups are staying calm.

Conservative talk shows, Republican lawmakers and the nation’s largest veterans group — the American Legion — have complaints about an April 7 report on the security threat of right-wing extremism because the report says that combat veterans might be targeted for recruitment.

“Men and women of our armed forces risk their lives every day to protect our citizens and the liberty we cherish, so it is inconceivable to me that the administration considers them a potential threat, but apparently does not have the same concern over anti-war protesters,” said Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana, ranking Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a veteran of the first Gulf War.

House Republican leader Rep. John Boehner of Ohio said the Obama administration ought to apologize. “To characterize men and women returning home after defending our country as potential terrorists is offensive and unacceptable. The Department of Homeland Security owes our veterans an apology,” he said.

VFW officials said the fuss over the new report seems contrived as a political attack on the Obama administration — because the concern about disgruntled veterans being recruited by domestic terrorist groups isn’t new. A similar concern was included in an FBI report issued during the Bush administration, according to a report by Politico.com. The report, issued on July 7, 2008, was specifically about white supremacist groups recruiting current and former service members, and did not result in any noticeable outcry from veterans groups or lawmakers about stereotyping. The report cited 203 cases of service members being recruited into the groups.

Homeland memo fails to rile VFW, AmVets/