Big Sis
In 2009, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security began a program to monitor white supremacists and “militia/sovereign-citizen extremist groups” for terrorist activities.
Included among the suspected terrorists were Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
At the time it was revealed, the program called “Operation Vigilant Eagle” caused some controversy but was quickly forgotten and buried by the media.
For the DHS, Vigilant Eagle was the expression of the misdirected paranoia that exists at the agency’s highest levels, which since President Obama stepped into office have issued multiple reports about a supposed wave of terrorism by American conservatives of various stripes, from Tea Party members to off-duty cops.
At the time, Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security secretary and chief conspiracy theorist, told NBC that, “This is an assessment of things just to be wary of, not to infringe on constitutional rights, certainly not to malign our veterans.”
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