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Faith

FBI Invites Virulent Westboro Baptist Church to Assist in Counterterrorism Training Program

Jun. 29, 2011 1:16pm Billy Hallowell

The Westboro Baptist Church (which is not part of any legitimate Christian denomination) has made headlines the world round for its protests at U.S. military funerals, hatred of homosexuals, support of dangerous foreign regimes and the like.

And now, NPR reports that the FBI invited the group, which prides itself on crafting protest signs that read “God Hates the USA” and “Pray for More Dead Soldiers,” to assist in a counterterrorism training program…on a U.S. military base.

This spring, bureau officials invited leaders of the radical group to Quantico Marine base in Virginia. NPR has more:

…after four sessions this spring, the FBI canceled the arrangement amid criticism from inside the bureau, while church leaders claimed that they had been misled…

The FBI first invited the church group to address the FBI’s law enforcement training classes back in 2008. And initially, there were no apparent problems. But the most recent sessions, including three at Quantico and one in Manassass, Va., stirred up controversy.

According to Timothy Phelps, church leader Fred Phelps’ youngest son, he spoke to local law enforcement officials at the FBI Academy at Quantico and later to agents in Manassas. Phelps says that the program was intended to assist agents in maintaining composure and balance when chatting with suspects with whom they vehemently disagree.

In the most recent sessions, which each contained about 50 individuals, tensions were high. According to NPR:

Phelps said the sessions were contentious. “Some of the students in the class take the gloves off and basically push the envelope about, ‘what will happen when the day comes that your so-called leader tells you to use violence,’ ” Phelps said. “Our leader won’t tell us to do anything except what is written in scripture. We don’t have a leader like what they want to believe we have. … We have a preacher.”

There seemed to be a disconnect between Phelps’ definition of the intended purpose of the classes and the FBI’s. Law enforcement officials who attended the classes claimed that they were focused upon helping agents better understand domestic terrorists and extremists. Phelps, though, claims that the FBI lied to him and that he had no idea that he was part of a domestic terror curriculum.

Regardless of these technicalities, there is painful irony in the fact that, considering their anti-Americanism and anti-military sentiment, Westboro leaders were invited to speak at a military base. As NPR notes, these classes occurred at the same time that Westboro was engaged in a Supreme Court battle (which the group inevitably won) with the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew. If you’ll recall, the group staged a protest at the fallen hero’s funeral.

Following internal questions at the FBI, a memo has gone out telling staff not to invite Westboro congregants back to speak. The official who originally asked the group to participate claims that he saw the “church’s” leaders as a viable resource for training agents in counterterrorism approaches.

What say you?

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Comments (126)

tom
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:35pm
This group of idiots have no right to enjoy the freedoms so many of our brave fought and died for. The FBI should be investigating them, but you know where these idiotic orders came down from. The so called church group sound more like terrorist than a church group! I’m sure many of our excellent agents in the FBI, Secret Service, and A.T.F are looking forward to 2012. God Bless Our Law Enforcement Everywhere!

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affinnity
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:33pm
Has anyone ever considered the fact that this fake Christian group may actually be a leftist organization pretending to be a religious group? I have never met a true Christian that would consider doing and saying what these people are doing and saying. This is the kind of stuff we should be doing to make the liberal progressives look like the nut jobs they really are.

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- Texas Grasshopper
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:57pm
  good call …
  
  Report this comment
- SouthSideLib
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 6:18pm
  Are you serious? These people stand for the same things many of you do, they share the same religion as you, they are you with a megaphone.
  
  Report this comment
capecodsully
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:16pm
I don’t know why you guys are upset with the FBI over this, they did not invite the WBs over for tea and cookies. The WBs were a training tool in terrorism, extremism and overall wackjobism. The trainer who came up with the idea is a genius, the WBs are so arrogant they walked right in thinking they had something to offer the country. It’s probably the higher ups at the FBI that chickened out of a good training plan.

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JeffersonTeaParty
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:14pm
Fred Phelps isn’t a Christian. He’s a Democrat. (true story)

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- bytorandthesnowdog
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 11:25pm
  He’s a subhuman Bastard. Has no soul either.
  
  Report this comment
Seamus236
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:08pm
The overwhelming majority of upper and mid-level “management” agents in the FBI have never even made a misdemeanor arrest of anyone. Therein lies a huge problem. The FBI has become a political career agency, that has SOME excellent law enforcement agents who actually care about what has happened to their agency.
There is a reason the FBI as a whole is held in such disdain by law enforcement agencies around the country, and it isn’t professional jealousy at all, it’s their gross incompetence.
Federal Bureau of Incompetence, Fan Belt Installers, there’s a reason or myriad of reasons, common sense is in extremely short supply within the Bureau.

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progressiveslayer
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:04pm
It’s official patroits we’re done,every day a more asinine program is thought up by this collection of idiots.

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- BetheLight
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:13pm
  honestly
  
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yosemitefan
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:58pm
How about Cloward & Piven them – follow them home and have “peaceful” protests on their front lawn every day for a week or two see how they enjoy the right to protest…

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capecodsully
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:58pm
It makes sense, if your trying to teach agents to maintain composure, you bring in the most despicable people you can find to confront your agents. My initial idea was have the WBs walk over a big pit with a false floor over it, but I guess the FBI had a better plan than mine.

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I_Hate_Libs
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:56pm
Laughing joke = FBI

The horror of the Democrat mind.

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chaoticupheaval
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:53pm
well hopefully they only had them there under a ruse just to to see them up close, possibly with their guard down…..if not…are they crazy?

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Monica2
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:52pm
They form alliances with our enemies every chance they get under the guise of diversity and understanding, thank gawd these useless idiots weren’t around to train people during WW11 or we’d all be speaking German and stoking the kilns for those who weren’t racially pure.

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FREDD The WILSON
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:51pm
Well, maybe it is true that the progressive have started taking over the military.

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lobo2525
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:46pm
I think the Marines father that lost the court battle to them should attend any of there Westboro Baptist Church Idots funeral with a full marching band some hot dog and t shirt sells… Sign like “Westboro burn in hell god hates you…like they do………… Bet they wouldn’t like taste of there own treatment

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- LiberalMarine
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:23pm
  No amount of counter protesting stops them. The only way to get rid of them would be for them to stop getting media coverage.
  
  Report this comment
It is their RIGHT, it is their DUTY...
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:43pm
My God loves the USA, sorry to hear about your God……

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- vennoye
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:13pm
  Searched my 22 different translations Bible software for “GOD hates” not one verse found!!
  
  Report this comment
- BOMUSTGO
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:54pm
  I thought it said he hated Esau??
  
  Report this comment
- BOMUSTGO
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 3:30pm
  Malachi 1:2,3
  I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals …
  
  Report this comment
wordweaver
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:38pm
I guess you can file this under “seemed like a good idea at the time”. Maybe next you can bring ol’ Charlie Manson in to teach about mass murder.

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Aggieboo_65
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:38pm
uh..okay…what????

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- BOMUSTGO
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:55pm
  SLIMNRANGER
  It ain’t over till the fat lady sings,and she hasn’t even begun to warm up yet
  ___________________________________________________________________________
  
  I didn’t know Moochelle could sing???
  
  Report this comment
elosogrande
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:37pm
Obviously, the crap that the American People put into office has won – it’s over for anyone who expected to live a decent life in this country. We are a minority that is too small to have a chance to fix what is wrong. We have disintegrated to the point of no return.

I hope they like the third world country they are creagting. I wonder what they’ll do when everyone runs out of money, and no taxes are being collected.

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- lobo2525
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:48pm
  Read Atlas stugged
  
  Report this comment
- SlimnRanger
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:58pm
  It ain’t over till the fat lady sings,and she hasn’t even begun to warm up yet
  
  Report this comment
SilentReader
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:37pm
I thought I had heard it all! This is so despicable as to be beyond the pale.

The Westboro Baptist Devil-worshipers are as despicable as it gets. There is not one Christian Church who supports them in any way, shape or form. They are an anomaly.

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- becauseitmatters
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:10pm
  They’re a disgrace, and it’s sad to see them get so much attention.
  
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- bytorandthesnowdog
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 11:05pm
  theres a neat little place reserved in HELL just for them….Burn…Baby…Burn!!!!
  
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Locked
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:36pm
“Not part of any legitimate Christian denomination”?

I missed where there’s a grand council that appoints “legitimacy” to a cult now. I support Mormons are out too, huh? Or hey, if we agree with the Catholic church, every non-Catholic denomination isn’t legitimate!

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- bytorandthesnowdog
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 11:32pm
  Mormons are good people, know quite a few.
  
  Report this comment
REETZBEE
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:34pm
This is the kind of civilian army Obama wants to police the land. How are we ever going to reverse all the crap these people are doing to our country?

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SubHuman
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:33pm
Well the Phelps crew are Democrat plants meant to gin up support for the gay activist agenda. Make the traditional marriage folks look horrible. Just like other Dems attempted with the Tea Party plants. After all, Phelps ran for election as a Democrat multiple times and is good buddies with Al Gore. So am I surprised the leftist plants are working with the leftist government? Not at all.

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muhamadhater
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:32pm
And we wonder why America is broke!!! freakin retards

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- RepubliCorp
  Posted on June 30, 2011 at 4:06am
  I wonder if Holder had something to do with this stupidity
  
  Report this comment
nomercy63
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:28pm
hmmmmm??? Dah dah???? rrrrrrrrrr? If you can figure what they hell they are doing let me know?

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- TomFerrari
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:53pm
  Perhaps there is SOMETHING the feds are not yet able to do under the “patriot act” that they are free to do once a person is invited into their offices. (some bit of surveillence or background investigation or something)
  
  Although, considering the broad, seemingly limitless scope of the ‘patriot act’, I’m not sure what the FBI or other agencies cannot yet do / research / investigate.
  
  That’s about the ONLY reason I can think of for inviting them.
  
  Anyone else have any ideas?
  
  Report this comment
- Texas Grasshopper
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:53pm
  they WERE invited to FURTHER discredit and alinate America from Law Enforcement , To foster distrust and incite actions that lead to tyranny and increasing an Agenda that conflicts with American Freedoms . When the gatekeepers can no longer be trusted ….what can you do ? ..what actions will result from this evil agenda ..
  
  how many rainbows flown at variuous Federal Agencies , and BATF operations , Tsa Policies etc etc How many other times we were shocked and enraged ….now the Gatekeepers are falling ..not good
  
  Report this comment
- emcee
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 4:31pm
  Seems pretty straight forward to me. The FBI wanted to study potential domestic terrorists. So they brought in potential domestic terrorist in to study them. To get them to go along with it, they fed WBC a line of BS. Apparently they caught on, and now they’re mad. Poor babies. Maybe they can sue over it, that seems to be their main source of income.
  
  Report this comment
pandora
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:23pm
Why would the FBI give these people any legitimacy?

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- ChuckJ
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 7:21pm
  It was show and tell and whoever brought the best dog and pony show got the free juice.
  
  Report this comment
I.Gaspar
Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:18pm
I say “it’s over, Johnny.”
We may be too late.

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- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:25pm
  It is not too late yet; there is still hope until the last line is drawn. When the last of us gives up the hope and the cause, then and only then will it end.
  
  In a way I find it kind of poetic that the folks of the Westborogh Church are invited to a counter terrorist seminar at a MILITARY BASE…with them, even privatly, the FBI and such get to see a potential domestic terrorist radical band first hand, while the military could have towed off their vehicles or something…would have been fitting.
  
  Report this comment
- fastfacts
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:27pm
  THEY WILL BE USING THEM AS TARGET PRACTICE…
  
  That or they will use them as the terrorists.
  
  NOTE: Sign the petition to take away the Terrorists that are Media Matter’s Tax-Exemption: http://tiny.cc/th9kn
  
  Report this comment
- KickinBack
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:33pm
  WTH? Might as well invite Al Qaeda to train with them. That at least would make better sense.
  
  Report this comment
- AmericanSince1619
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:45pm
  A Tree and Its Fruit
  
  33 A good tree produces only good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. 34 You are a bunch of evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts. 35 Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts. 36 I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken. 37 On that day they will be told that they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.
  Matthew 12 (Contemporary English Version)
  
  A Tree and Its Fruit, still works just as good today, as it did some 2000 years ago when Jesus said it.
  Some wisdom is timeless.
  
  Report this comment
- Rogue
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:48pm
  two words…. live rounds.
  
  Report this comment
- TomFerrari
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:52pm
  Perhaps there is SOMETHING the feds are not yet able to do under the “patriot act” that they are free to do once a person is invited into their offices. (some bit of surveillence or background investigation or something)
  Although, considering the broad, seemingly limitless scope of the ‘patriot act’, I’m not sure what the FBI or other agencies cannot yet do / research / investigate.
  
  This is the ONLY reason I can think of for inviting this group.
  
  Any other ideas anyone???
  
  Report this comment
- HKS
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:54pm
  Well let’s see, we sell guns to the drug lords, and that worked out so well,,,hummmm, maybe we could bring in the antichrist and take some lessons on world peace. Maybe we get it right next time if we shoot the watchdog, and won’t get caught. What a plan,,,, What a country,,,,.DA furor would be so proud, brings a tear to my eye.
  
  Report this comment
- banjarmon
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:02pm
  Dead Soldiers gave these people Freedom of Speech, The Military should give them Freedom FROM LIFE…RIP.
  
  Report this comment
- ZOMBIE JESUS LOVES ME
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:27pm
  The Westboro Baptist Church … not legitimate Christian denomination?
  
  B.S.! They seem like an ideal Christian organization to me, just without the hypocrisy. All you folks are pretty much the same.
  
  Westboro Baptist Church shouts that EVERYONE is going to hell for their sins … whereas most of you just go on about the Liberals and the Democrats burning in hell.
  
  You’re all f’ed in the head.
  
  Report this comment
- Rightsofman
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:31pm
  Do any of these JOs have jobs/ They seem to be able to get around a lot. Does Soros finance them (Ha,Ha)? Bring back J Edgar Hoover. He may have worn a dress to a party but he did a better job of protecting the domestic tranquility of the USA than the current crop of idiots.
  
  Report this comment
- drbage
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:44pm
  Does FBI now stand for Federal Bureau of Idiots? What next?…will they be inviting Al Qaeda members so they can practice counter-terrorism efforts?
  
  Report this comment
- 101
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 2:44pm
  If they use live ammo who cares!
  
  Report this comment
- Ebbertron
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 3:02pm
  Anyone else seeing something fishy here?
  
  Westboro Baptist Church is only guilty of exercising their federally upheld right to assemble and protest….yet they’re being looked at by the FBI as domestic terroists, That to me is disturbing and should alarm everyone on this board.
  
  yes, they’re terrible ignorant morons who spew nothing but hate, but they’re exercising a right we take for granted and when we lose that right the kind of real grassroots change we’ve come to expect from things like the teaparty disappear.
  
  Not cool with me.
  
  Report this comment
- zoro51
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 4:11pm
  DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU… “YOU” WOULD DO TO UNTO YOU.. rings clear. How ever to have a HATE based CULT of westboro to assist in terroist agenda fighting or other wise is RETARDED, HATE based CULT like westboro could give a rats ass less about ANYONE who donesnt smell like they do. Theyd soon enough ENDF YOUR LIFE and praise god for it. THESE folks are a CULT.. why the fbi is so gung ho in inviting them to “HELP” is beyond me. WTF america IF YOU DONT WAKE UP its all GONE to hell in a hand made basket… I dont understand this at all. musliums want to kill us west boprro church qa CULT desires to KILL all n THEY are asked to help the fbi???? FIRE that bstrd who suggested this. , HIRE some one wiht BALLS wholl stand UP for whats right. true and beiificial for america and the fbi not this crap,, its like saying Hey lets invite the hells angels/kkk.and black panthers over for5 a bbq.. NO logic right.. same thing here….
  
  Report this comment
- Eleutheria
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 4:26pm
  I’m too stubborn to give up.
  
  Report this comment
- CultureWarriors
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 4:36pm
  Question why does the media ignore the fact that the Westboro Baptist Church is a Democrat hate group? If they were associated with the right you would always hear right wing extremist or republican associated with the name. It’s fact they are Democrats and the media ignores it. Anyone who leaves out the association of the Westboro Baptist Church and the Democrat party has a liberal bias.
  
  Report this comment
- VanGrungy
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 4:55pm
  “Westboro Baptist Church is only guilty of exercising their federally upheld right to assemble and protest….yet they’re being looked at by the FBI as domestic terroists”
  
  that’s because the Westboro Lawyers want to destroy Christians… That’s their raison d’etre
  
  Report this comment
- toto
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 5:56pm
  Each of us needs to grow a backbone and face these kinds of people head whenever and wherever we find them. We need to do it the style of Martin Luther King.
  
  Report this comment
- ISRAELISOURFRIEND
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 6:24pm
  Obama’s Civilian Army taking center stage.
  
  Sadaam Hussein and Barack Hussein have the same plans…
  
  Report this comment
- Kalish
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 6:32pm
  Maybe they could use them as targets
  
  Report this comment
- ME
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 6:44pm
  these guys as vile and much as I disagree with them are saints in the shadow of Islam
  
  Report this comment
- obama-mecca-me-sick
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 8:27pm
  Blazers
  The trolls on this site get paid everytime you respond to one of them. Don’t pay the trolls. Ignore the Soros puppets.
  
  Report this comment
- Down2TheC
  Posted on June 29, 2011 at 8:55pm
  That’s great training! Imagine trying to keep your composure with one of them spewing. Only better test would be putting Pelosi up there.
  
  Report this comment
- billtgh
  Posted on June 30, 2011 at 5:08am
  @Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  “Posted on June 29, 2011 at 1:25pm
  the FBI and such get to see a potential domestic terrorist radical band first hand.”
  
  We’ve got the REAL DOMESTIC TERRORISTS sitting, right now, IN THE WHITE HOUSE. Instead of doing its JOB, the FBI obsfucates by creating training exercises!
  
  please please PLEASE READ THIS:
  http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/37633
  
  Report this comment
- billtgh
  Posted on June 30, 2011 at 5:11am
  * obfuscates
  
  Report this comment
- frodis
  Posted on June 30, 2011 at 8:02am
  Those protesters better hope they don’t get a **** whooping from someone.
  
  Report this comment

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