Lawmakers outraged after army training slides list pro-life groups as terrorists
By isabelle // 2024-07-19
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The U.S. Army is facing tough questions by the House Armed Services Committee regarding highly controversial slides it used in a domestic counterterrorism training module implying that pro-life groups are domestic terrorists. The slide was presented at a training session at Fort Liberty (previously known as Fort Bragg) for the military police who are in charge of controlling the base’s access points. Right after a slide featuring the brutal terrorists ISIS, they showed a slide listing pro-life groups under the heading “Terrorist Groups”. National Right to Life and Operation Rescue were singled out by name. The slide, which was shared online by journalism watchdog Sam Shoemate, also showed a license plate featuring the pro-life slogan “IM4IT,” which some people who are against killing babies display on their cars. It explained that the members of these groups could pose a threat to the safety of American military installations and that their logos could be an indication of terrorism. A list of the activities these “terrorist” organizations take part in include being pro-life, “Truth Displays," and opposing Rowe v Wade. Subcommittee on Military Personnel Chair Jim Banks (R-Indiana) penned a letter to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth voicing outrage over the classification and training materials and demanding an explanation for them. Banks told Fox News that the slides date back to at least last summer, which means that countless people could have been trained using this hateful mischaracterization. The person who uses the slides for their training is still employed by the facility. "For over a year, someone at Fort Liberty has been teaching our troops that pro-life Americans are terrorists, and the Biden Pentagon didn’t stop it until House Republicans and the public raised the alarm," he commented. "I’m an Afghanistan war veteran, and it sickens me to see far-left radicals poisoning our military with this extremist hate. We must get woke activists out of our Armed Forces so that we have a military that’s focused on countering foreign terrorists overseas and not on targeting conservative Americans." Officials claim that the slides were “not vetted by the proper authorities,” adding that "The slides do not reflect the views of the 18th Airborne Corps, Fort Liberty, the U.S. Army or Department of Defense." In the letter, Banks accused the military of trying to silence conservative military personnel, noting: "That is, the Army is utilizing an overly broad policy to police the speech of conservative servicemembers, quiet dissent, and require servicemembers who believe in conservative ideals to hide their identities for fear of retaliation from their commands." In a statement, Fort Liberty representatives said that they will no longer use the controversial slides and vowed to carefully review future training products. One representative said that the presentations using the slides typically occur every two or three weeks at sessions attended by as many as 40 individuals.

Pro-life group head speaks out against unreasonable classification

National Right to Life President Carol Tobias spoke out against the inclusion of her group, which has always rejected the use of violence when advocating for protecting life, and accused Fort Liberty of spreading “outright lies.” She added that this is something that speaks volumes about the current administration. She stated: “Only under the Biden Administration can peaceful law-abiding citizens and their peaceful activities be considered ‘terrorism.’ The Biden Administration promotes the deaths of preborn babies and advocates for unlimited abortion, but peaceful pro-life Americans are labeled ‘terrorists.’” Sources for this article include: X.com FoxNews.com WRAL.com WashingtonTimes.com
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