UPDATE 2… Fox News reports that raids took place in Indiana as well. Also: “Seven people have been arrested for allegedly selling pipe bombs.” While Fox notes that the arrests “are related to alleged militia activity in the region,” the conservative news organization states the arrests are “not related to international terrorism.” A law enforcement source tells Fox there is no “current threat” to the public. Arrestees in Michigan will be in court Monday.
UPDATE… AnnArbor.com confirms the raids in southeast Michigan are linked to the Hutaree. From the linked article:
The FBI conducted raids Saturday night in Washtenaw County and Lenawee County in an investigation involving members of Hutaree, a Christian-oriented militia group based in Lenawee County, AnnArbor.com has learned.
Read on for more information about the Hutaree…
EARLIER… As MediaElites surmised and reported well in advance of most other publications, the FBI/Homeland Security/Joint Terrorism Task Force raids that took place yesterday in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan targeted a series of interlinked militia groups. In a report above from WXYZ TV, which confirms the raids are targeting militias, the Detroit station references raids targeting a home connected to a Michigan militia group in the Lenawee area.
Yesterday the FBI and others also raided a Sandusky, OH trailer park and were seen arresting at least one white male.
Sandusky is home to the Ohio Militia, and all the groups are tied together online via MySpace friendships:
- The Ohio Militia
- The Michigan Militia Corps, or Wolverines – not to be confused with The Michigan Militia, which appears to be a separate group
- Hutaree, an Ann Arbor area group we originally and mistakenly reported was an individual
- The Lenawee Militia
The feds and local law enforcement in Sandusky OH and in Washtenaw County, MI are still close-mouthed about the raids, saying only that arrests have been made and sealed warrants and subpoenas issued.
Hutaree Z-01
For an indication as to what makes these particular milita groups tick (militias nationwide are not as single-minded or lockstep as you may think), take a look at Hutaree.com. The site is owned by a “Jt. Duvall” who listed his address in the site registration data as Morenci, MI, which is located in Lenawee County. The following is from the Hutaree “About” page:
We believe that one day, as prophecy says, there will be an Anti-Christ. All christians must know this and prepare, just as Christ commanded. […]
Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment. The only thing on earth to save the testimony and those who follow it, are the members of the testimony, til the return of Christ in the clouds. We, the Hutaree, are prepared to defend all those who belong to Christ and save those who aren’t. We will still spread the word, and fight to keep it, up to the time of the great coming.
Being Hutaree is to stay the Testimony of Christ alive, and follow a motto, John15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” We are hoping that through this website we can reach out to those who have not the word of God and those who are lost in there ideas of Christ. Many of the things Christ said would happen have happened and some things are still in the works of happening.
We all must know that we all carry a cross and a soldiers cross is just as heavy as any other. Just as Jesus did we must also carry our cross to our destination our life abounds us to. All people are givin a destination by God’s will and have to continue there walk to there own golgotha. But many people, even christians don’t agree with the things we do but all we have to say is, we will not argue over the Bible, read it for what it is. We believe only what the Bible says and not on only philosophy, as many christians of this day do. Christ is our king of kings and top general of all things, for we are not of this world but we live in it.
The Hutaree will one day see its enemy and meet him on the battlefield if so God wills it. We will reach out to those who are yet blind in the last days of the kingdoms of men and bring them to life in Christ. Daniel 11:32-35, “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33, “And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34, “Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join them by intrigue. 35 “And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.”
Some emphasis was added.
It may be educational to take a look at the Hutaree Doctrine as well. It further clarifies the Hutaree’s self-identification as a Christian militia:
The Doctrine of the Hutaree is based on faith and most of all the testimony of Jesus. Hebrews 11:1, ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, The Evidence of things not yet seen.’
Jesus spoke of the ten virgins in Matthew 25: 1-12. The wise ones took enough oil to last the whole night, just in case the bridegroom was late. The foolish ones took not enough oil to last the whole night and figured that the bridegroom would arrive earlier than he did.
These bridegrooms represent the Christian church of today. The oil, just as Jesus explained, represented faith. If you read the story right, you find out that the people with enough faith to last as long as it might take are the wise ones. They know and believe in the testimony of Christ, even through the darkest and most doubtful of times. This day is soon.
The foolish ones are the ones who expect Christ to arrive too soon. They have brought for themselves only enough oil to last for a short time, having not enough faith to last through the darkest hours. When the time comes for those without enough faith, they will fall to the Anti-Christ’s doctrine. And it will make perfect sense to the whole world; even the elect.
We all as Christians should stand firm in Christ and believe in him until our uttermost end. The testimony must by no means pass away and we must spread the word believing in Christ’s words, even during the end times.
Again, emphasis added.
Even if the Hutaree were not directly targeted by federal raids in the last couple of days, their regional proximity to one another as well as their online connections indicate a shared outlook and purpose with their brothers in Sandusky and other parts of southeast Michigan.
Left-leaning political blogs will most certainly want to conflate the targets of the FBI/Homeland Security raids with the Tea Party movement, which does bring into its fold far right-wing conservatives and libertarians. There may indeed be, as Frank Rich has suggested in a recent NYT column, some overlapping ideology at work. But there is no evidence yet that any of these militias actually identify with the Tea Partiers as well. If anything, militia members probably consider tea baggery far too mild-mannered; a half measure.
Still, due in part to the Tea Party’s suspicion of and loathing for big government as well as the federal secrecy currently surrounding these actions, look for tensions to rise.