Project Megiddo
 | |
| Author | Federal Bureau of Investigation |
|---|---|
| Subject | Terrorism |
Publication date | 1999 |
| Media type | Digital |
| Pages | 32 |
Project Megiddo was a report researched and written by the United States'
Introduction
The report began:
For over four thousand years, MEGIDDO, a hill in northern Israel, has been the site of many battles. Ancient cities were established there to serve as a fortress on the plain of Jezreel to guard a mountain pass. As Megiddo was built and rebuilt, one city upon the other, a mound or hill was formed. The Hebrew word "Armageddon" means "hill of Megiddo." In English, the word has come to represent battle itself. The last book in the New Testament of the Bible designates Armageddon as the assembly point in the apocalyptic setting of God's final and conclusive battle against evil. The name "Megiddo" is an apt title for a project that analyzes those who believe the year 2000 will usher in the end of the world and who are willing to perpetrate acts of violence to bring that end about.
Purpose
The report's purpose was to warn other domestic law enforcement agencies to "the potential for extremist criminal activity in the United States by individuals or domestic groups who attach special significance to the year 2000." The report also stated: "The threat posed by extremists as a result of perceived events associated with the Year 2000 is very real. The volatile mix of apocalyptic religious and (New World Order) conspiracy theories may produce violent acts aimed at precipitating the end of the world as prophesied in the Bible."
The groups named as "potentially violent" were "biblically-driven cults," "militias, adherents of racist belief systems such as Christian Identity and
Reception
Insight on the News commented, "In a polemic presented as a threat report, the FBI has targeted religious groups and rightwing eccentrics as potential terrorists likely to go postal as the new millennium arrives ... Even at the height of the Cold War during the 1970s and 1980s the FBI was not allowed to pursue openly declared revolutionary Marxists in this way, being required by the courts to show cause by establishing an actual attempt to commit illegal acts."[1]
The
Aftermath
On January 6, 2000, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said in response to a question at a news conference asking why the terrorist acts predicted in the report did not happen:[4]
I think that speculation as to why it didn't—it—the nice answer would be that there was no threat. What we must all do, I think, is make sure that we pursue situations, consistent with the law, consistent with due process; that we take reasonable precautions; that we—when we have specific information that can inform the American people, that we advise them; and that America proceed in the way it has always proceeded, that it won't back down, that it won't be intimidated, that it will take reasonable precautions, and that we will see our laws honored.
See also
References
- ^ "FBI Targets `Right Wing' - Project Megiddo lists possible threats in the millenium". Archived from the original on 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
- ^ "Mike Zieper v. Ashcroft". Archived from the original on 2006-10-03. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
- ^ IAOA news release
- ^ WEEKLY MEDIA BRIEFING WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO, JANUARY 6, 2000
External links
- Public US Government archive of the project..
- FBI Targets 'Right Wing' - Project Megiddo lists possible threats in the millenium Archived 2010-02-11 at the Wayback Machine
- www.cesnur.org Project Megiddo #2
- FBI Warns Of Millennial Violence Risk
- FBI warns of Y2K violence by apocalyptic groups
- The ACLU Strikes Back; Lawsuit Filed Against the FBI for Foul Play Archived 2006-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Media Briefing with Attorney General Janet Reno: January 6, 2000