Bomb-Maker Case Highlights Links Between Domestic Extremists and Jihadists
Posted By Bill Morlin On June 12, 2013 @ 4:34 pm In Domestic Terrorism,Extremist Crime,Muslim Extremism | 16 Comments
A young man from Clarkston, Wash. – who idolized Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and nearly died exploding a test bomb before becoming interested in radical jihadists – was sentenced Tuesday to 12.5 years in federal prison.
The federal investigation and prosecution of Joseph Jefferey Brice shines a spotlight on the antigovernment, anti-Semitic links shared between Islamic jihadists and white supremacists.
“Tim’s characteristics are nearly the same as myself, physically (and) politically,” Brice, 23, wrote in an Internet message posted on Jan. 14, 2010.
But the former “self-declared, conservative, right-wing Christian,” appeared to undergo a rapid radicalization to Islam after he nearly died on April 18, 2010, when an acetone peroxide ammonium nitrate bomb he built prematurely exploded near his rural home in eastern Washington.
Local sheriff’s deputies wrote that case off as a teenage prank and didn’t seek criminal charges, but federal investigators later became interested and launched an investigation after a backpack bomb attempt in Spokane in 2011.
“The actual nature and circumstances of manufacturing the ‘unregistered
Firearm’ … is nothing like lighting firecrackers in the driveway,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Smoot wrote in a memo for the sentencing in U.S. District Court in Spokane.
Rather, the prosecutor said, the homemade bomb that left Brice unconscious for 12 days “was the result of years of internet research, experimentation
with dangerous chemical mixtures, and involving others in both the manufacturing process and the detonation of pipe bombs and chemical IEDs.”
Later, recovering from severe injuries, Brice became interested in Islamic extremists and attempted to communicate with members of that movement via social media, ultimately providing them with bomb-making formulas.
Brice wrote posts on a “I’m a Proud Terrorist” web forum and bragged that his “Strength of Allah” videos of bombings were some of the best and most-exciting posted on YouTube, court document say.
Brice pleaded guilty [1] last September in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to manufacturing an illegal explosive device and attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
After he was arrested by FBI agents on May 9, 2011, court documents disclose he struck up a jailhouse friendship and began communicating with Wayde Lynn Kurt [2], a neo-Nazi skinhead gang leader and Odinist [3] implicated in a terrorist plot to kill President Obama. Kurt also boasted of carrying out “coon-hunting” racial attacks in the Pacific Northwest. Both Brice and Kurt were incarcerated for a time together as federal inmates in the Spokane County Jail.
Federal agents assigned to the Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force obtained warrants to search the jail cells of Brice and Kurt and seized a document suggesting “after their release from Bureau of Prisons custody, [Brice] and Kurt plan to associate together in possible future criminal conduct.”
Instead of labeling Brice as an Islamic jihadist convert or a white supremacist, Brice appeared more interested in a religion of “violence and chaos,” according to federal investigators.
In arguing for a 15-year sentence for Brice, Smoot said the young man “does not appear to show remorse or contrition” and has “bragged about” his bombing-making prowess.
The defendant and his attorney told the court that he was “just joking with Islamic terrorists when, the day after U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden, he posted on the Internet that now was the time to strike back at the United States.
Brice, an individual with a demonstrated interest and expertise in chemical explosives and violence, may have said he was just joking with the “terrorist,” but once he provided detailed formulas for making chemical-based improvised explosive devices, that expertise was no longer under his control, Smoot said.
Dr. Gregory Saathoff, a board-certified psychiatrist, was prepared to testify as an expert witness for the government if the case had gone to trial. In a report, court documents say, he described Brice as “a chronic user and abuser of street drugs, with a significant history of risk-taking behavior, and an interest in bomb-making, the use of deadly poisons, and a demonstrated disregard for human life.”
Further, the psychiatrist said Brice “is a covert, clandestine individual who plans violent, criminal enterprises and the use of diversionary tactics.”
16 Comments (Open | Close)
Article printed from Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center: http://www.splcenter.org/blog
URL to article: http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2013/06/12/bomb-maker-case-highlights-links-between-domestic-extremists-and-jihadists/
URLs in this post:
[1] pleaded guilty: http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2012/09/26/washington-bomb-maker-pleads-guilty-feds-say-tried-to-help-jihadists/#more-9752
[2] Wayde Lynn Kurt: http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2012/05/10/fbi-washington-white-supremacist-plotted-to-kill-obama-in-2010/#more-9164
[3] Odinist: http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/1998/winter/the-new-barbarians
[4] : mailto:scott.pittinsky@splcenter.org
Click here to print.
16 Comments To "Bomb-Maker Case Highlights Links Between Domestic Extremists and Jihadists"
#1 Comment By Reynardine On June 12, 2013 @ 5:55 pm
To be exact, we have a malignant narcissist, a murdering psychopath, and a high SDO type rolled into one and just a-lookin’ for a home.
#2 Comment By concernedcitizen On June 12, 2013 @ 6:56 pm
well there’s an awful lot of that going around. I don’t see how the white supremacists and the Muslims have anything in common, and remember it’s not all Muslims who believe in acting out violently.
Just because they share a common enemy does not mean that they may work together side by side.
And it doesn’t take a psychiatrist to tell us that Brice is a covert clandestine individual who plant violent criminal enterprises with the use of diversionary tactics. I believe that his playing with bombs and his previous actions speak louder than Freud.
You know there was life before Freudian fraud.
#3 Comment By Sam Molloy On June 13, 2013 @ 1:26 am
12.5 years, in the real world, may mean a lot less. It would seem to me to be irresponsible to let him go at all.
#4 Comment By New Media Manager On June 13, 2013 @ 9:59 am
This is Scott, New Media Manager here at SPLC. I apologize for the stoppage in approving comments over the last few days. We’re back on track and will be moderating more frequently.!
#5 Comment By Aron On June 13, 2013 @ 11:37 am
Hi Scott! Welcome to the Crazy House ;)
I believe we’ve spoken on FB, but it’s a pleasure to have you here.
#6 Comment By Reynardine On June 13, 2013 @ 11:47 am
Hi, Scott. I’m glad there’s someone minding the store besides your old receptionist, Nada Thing.
#7 Comment By scott.pittinsky On June 13, 2013 @ 11:59 am
Thanks, you all are a pretty intense bunch!
#8 Comment By scott.pittinsky On June 13, 2013 @ 12:06 pm
Aaron – can you contact me at [4]. I’ll help deal with your email prob.
#9 Comment By Linnea On June 13, 2013 @ 3:00 pm
Hi Scott! Things are never dull around here for long (in both good and bad ways) as I’m sure you’ll soon find out. :)
#10 Comment By Ishamael Royer On June 13, 2013 @ 5:13 pm
How dare the SPLC compare Islam to white supremacists.
It is time the SPLC adds its own name to the hate group list of Muslim haters.
Lord knows I have seen many a group put on the SPLC hate group list for saying much less inflammatory words.
#11 Comment By aadila On June 14, 2013 @ 10:31 am
I hope SPLC remembered to issue Scott a fire proximity suit. It is the responsible thing to do.
#12 Comment By Steve On June 15, 2013 @ 10:09 am
Obama is also a domestic extremist for announcing on Friday that he decided to arm the terrorist (Al Quieda) rebels in Syria. This actually makes him a domestic terrorist. These are the people that supposidly did 9/11 that caused the whole phony war on terror in the first place. It’s congresses job to vote weather or not to go to war, not the president. This makes him a dictator and a terrorist. Of course Obama already armed the terrorists when he illegally took over Libia and at Bengazzi. This is justification after the fact. Kinda like fast and furious when Obama armed the Mexican drug cartels to blame on American gun owners. And then gave Eric Holder Executive Privlage when Congress found him in contemp of Congress. So he armed the wrong side then too.
#13 Comment By April On June 15, 2013 @ 1:19 pm
As a psychotherapist, I urge those using this site to not conflate evil and mental illness. The mentally ill are more often victims than perpetrators of crime. Psychopaths, (sociopaths), and narcissists can be charming. They tend to be politicians, successful businessmen, or work in the media, areas where manipulation leads to success. As police and in the military, they can legally kill. Some people are just plain bad.
#14 Comment By Kiwiwriter On June 15, 2013 @ 2:09 pm
Scott, good to make your acquaintance. I’m “Kiwiwriter,” and when you scroll through the twisted history of this website, you’ll see my handle turning up on an irregular basis.
I will be reaching out to you directly to address the issues some of us have brought up about trolls and shills who have plagued this site, which led to Mark Potok tightening up the moderation around here.
Good luck in your new role. I don’t envy you. You probably have to wade through a vast sea of muck from 10 percent of society that is either utterly cracked or has nothing better to do than wage flame wars…sort of like how the high school assistant principal spends 90 percent of his time dealing with the worst 10 percent of the student body.
Don’t let it get you down…their increasing fury is a measure of their increasing despair, as history stomps them into the ground and passes them by. What you are doing is important, and honorable.
#15 Comment By Scott/Moderator On June 17, 2013 @ 5:40 pm
Hi “Kiwiwriter”, thanks for the feedback.
I have talked with Mark about this often. Moderation is something he takes very seriously as he does allowing an active, open, heated and even unconventional debate.
We decided to tighten up the moderation together based on community input.
I’m generally just Mark’s support but over the last year I have learned quite a bit. By now I’m aware of the issues and history with trolls and shills. Mark (like many of of you) can tell when something is amiss right off the bat. I may be a bit slower – for now.
It’s important that I get your feedback so can use it to become a better moderator.
#16 Comment By Kiwiwriter On June 19, 2013 @ 3:18 pm
Scott, thanks for the response note…I know you take your job seriously.
As Robert E. Lee, an idol of the neo-Confederates once said, and it still applies: “Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less.”
I have no doubt you will do your duty.