Mixed Emotions

The Department of Justice is creating a new unit to focus on domestic terrorism.

Clearly, there is a need to address the predations of folks like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, but it is equally clear that this unit will after BLM and Occupy first, because law enforcement at all levels is objectively pro right-wing extremism, particularly that misbegotten child of the twisted mind of J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI:

The Justice Department is forming a new domestic terrorism unit to help combat a threat that has intensified dramatically in recent years, a top national security official said Tuesday.

Matthew G. Olsen, the head of the Justice Department’s national security division, announced the creation of the unit in his opening remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee, noting that the number of FBI investigations of suspected domestic violent extremists — those accused of planning or committing crimes in the name of domestic political goals — had more than doubled since the spring of 2020.

Olsen said that the Justice Department previously had counterterrorism attorneys who worked both domestic and international cases and that the new unit would “augment our existing approach.”

His testimony came just a few days after the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, an event that some lawmakers say showed that the FBI underestimated the threat posed by domestic extremists and violence-prone members of far-right groups.

“This group of dedicated attorneys will focus on the domestic terrorism threat, helping to ensure that these cases are handled properly and effectively coordinated across the Department of Justice and across the country,” Olsen said.

Call me a cynic, but I do not trust the FBI or the DoJ to administer this fairly.