Atomwaffen: The Face of Domestic Terrorism in the US

Late last month, ProPublica reported that the California man accused of killing a gay and Jewish University of Pennsylvania student was an avowed neo-Nazi and a member of Atomwaffen Division, one of the country’s most notorious extremist groups.

The news about the murder suspect, Samuel Woodward, spread quickly throughout the U.S., and abroad. Woodward was accused of fatally stabbing 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein and burying his body in an Orange County park.

The report, it turns out, was also taken up in the secretive online chats conducted by members of Atomwaffen Division, a white supremacist group that celebrates both Hitler and Charles Manson.

“I love this,” one member wrote of the killing, according to copies of the online chats obtained by ProPublica. Another called Woodward a “one man gay Jew wrecking crew.”

More soon joined in.

Source

For most the name Atomwaffen doesn't mean anything. To the observant it is vaguely familiar. And that's just how Atomwaffen want it. While their origin is shrouded in mystery, what is known is that their name first started showing up last year. I think the first time I remember seeing it was in the wake of Charlottesville. An event that saw their membership blossom.

Since then their members have been associated with five separate murders and a terrorist plot to blow up a nuclear facility.

Unlike other groups that members of ATS like to label as terrorists, Atomwaffen has one clearly stated goal. Taking down the US government through guerilla style attacks.To achieve this goal they have hosted a number of camps designed to train their members in the use of firearms and hand-to-hand combat. One leader of the group has proposed that members pool their money so they can purchase land in remote areas to set up compounds they can plan their attacks from and get off the grid. Another leader is trying to get his FFL so he can legally manufacture firearms for the group. This same leader has stated that he has power grid maps for the West Coast.

They celebrate the expected far Right extremists like Timothy McVeigh, Dylann Roof, and Anders Breivik. But the truly scary part is their reverence for James Mason. Mason is an old-school neo-Nazi. He joined the American Nazi Party in the 1960s at the age of 14. When that Party failed he realized that the American population would never accept Nazism. Starting in the 1980s he began to publish a newsletter detailing his ideology. He believed that the only way forward was to launch a guerilla war with express goal of bringing down the System.

Since then Mason's writings have been compiled in a 500+ page book titled Siege. For new members of Atomwaffen this is required reading. It is essentially treated like a holy text while Mason himself is deified. Those familiar with the group have stated that they aren't like other white supremacy groups. Instead of simply following Nazi ideology they have become more like a cult. Which may explain why their members are going to more extreme measures than their other neo-Nazi counterparts. They don't just simply espouse an ideology. They are a group of true believers.

Despite all the murders, the foiled terrorist plot, and the threat of future attacks it seems like this group has slipped under the radar of the FBI and DHS. They continue to operate without impunity and the only time their members are taken in is when it's too late. This group is what domestic terrorism truly looks like in the US. Not only have they shown that they're ready and willing to commit violence but their members are spread across the company. And while their numbers may only be around 100 we have seen in the past that all it takes is one true believer to commit an atrocity.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

A thread mine about Atomwaffen from about a month ago:

Blaze Bernstein's Murder is the Fifth Tied to Same Neo-Nazi Group Since May

a reply to: theantediluvian

It really is disturbing that groups like BLM and Anitfa get labeled as terrorist groups despite not having a body count nor being linked to any terrorist plots.

Meanwhile five Atomwaffen members are tied to murders and a sixth is tied to plotting the destruction of a nuclear facility.

If we're being generous, they have 100 members. 6% of those members are now guilty of absolutely awful crimes. And that's over the course of a few months. And they have more terror attacks planned.

But let's keep talking about how Antifa is going to bring ruin to this country and needs to be labeled a terror organization worse than ISIS.

What are you talking about?

Only brown people and people who don't agree with my ideologies can be terrorists.

These are freedom fighters.

True story.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

I was just about to comment how the only two things missing from this thread was the outward blaming of the Atomwaffen on Trump and then defending Antifa by name.

I agree this group is bad, so is Antifa. Both are thugs and certainly not representative of the left or right. Wouldn't you agree?

originally posted by: The GUT
a reply to: Xcalibur254

I agree this group are bad, so is Antifa. Both are thugs and certainly not representative of the left or right. Wouldn't you agree?

Can't say about ANTIFA as most of what I read about them come from this site so I take it with a grain of salt.

I can say for sure that it's madness to want to consider BLM a terrorist group.

I bet some computer game designer is kicking himself for not thinking of the name Atomwaffen first. It sounds like a WW2 first person shooter where you have to break in to a secret Nazi lab, kill all the guards, and take the nuclear research.

a reply to: The GUT

Why would I blame Trump? He's simply another symptom of the same problem.

At the same time why would I equate a group that has has 100s of thousands members whose most egregious crime is burning a limo to a group of 100 that has killed five and wanted to create the largest dirty bomb that will ever exist?

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

We already have the sub base level in Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

Why would we want to ruin perfection?

a reply to: Xcalibur254

You forget Professor Bike-Lock-To-The-Head guy.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Big star for you.

The symbol of hatred is ever changing, the hate remains the same.

You'd think they support the uS gubment because they are blowing up non aryans round the world. What are they going to do if they succeed in overthrowing the gubment, go right on killing brown people?

a reply to: The GUT

You got me. That really makes up for five murders and a plotted terroris attack that would be the worst in history.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Extremist groups are infiltrated by our own security services. Great idea on the surface as it gets the good guys right on the inside where they can monitor the leaders. Downside is they have to go along, or make a name, to rise in the ranks and get close to the leaders.

Extremist groups are increasingly intelligent and learn from the security services. They watch and study LEOs, read the manuals and train to resist or overpower. They also use 'ghost skins' who seek to infiltrate the security services. Ironically, they have to go along, or make a name, to rise in the ranks and get close to the leaders.

It's like a Venn diagram. The little crossover section can have good guys playing at bad guys and bad guys playing at good guys. Perhaps that's part of the reason extremist groups aren't brought down as quickly as the public would like? The lines get blurred.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Not comparable but a point to be noted since you went all apologetic for the thugs and either don't know your subject or left such things out on purpose. They've done a lot of punching too. Give 'em some time, the violence is strong with ANTIFA to be sure.

I on the other hand acknowledged the sickness of both and pointed out neither was representative of the left or the right.

a reply to: Kandinsky

I almost addressed how cointelpro tactics are sometimes the blame for a lot of it. Probably has something to do with why the FBI doesn't do much---these orgs are often more their babies than not.

a reply to: The GUT

Extremists and mafias would exist regardless, but cointelpro tactics and mavericks make it a murky business. Tough world.

so-called "American Antifa" is the most liberalised activist representing the "Leftist" fight against fascism, calling them "thugs" and "domestic terrorist" is pathetic, and ignorant and falls into the "muh Left violence" rhetoric.

Antifa is not a "group" seeking political power or the creation and enforcement of 'Ethnostates" Antifa was an Umbrella group composed of communists, socialists, and anarchists who have always fought against each other, to come together to fight the rise of fascism through "Antifascist Aktion"

people that view "Antifa" as a sole entity and an Orgnasied group do so ignorantly, as "Antifa" is a decentralised "banner" in which people organise under. each "Chapter" is organised independently from one another, there is no "Ideology" other than the taking of action against fascism.

These Neo-nazi and neo-fascist groups are completely different, in that they seek political power, Ethnostates, the installment of national-socialism, and various other ideologies that are racially and heteronormative motivated. they are an ideology enforced by people, Trump did not create these groups, didn't give them any more power, or caused them to rise up, they have been gaining power throughout the years, they have switched optics and tactics to appear more 'normalised' instead of the Swastika flags they use American flags and fly under the banner of "Patriotism, instead of tattoos and shaved heads they started getting jobs as lawers, politicians, police officers etc,"

but they are not the typical "Trump supporting Republican" in fact, most gave up on Trump within months, as they view him just another corporate Neocon, they use Trump rallies, and Trump marches and "Free Speech" events as entryism, they wear the "MAGA hats" and Trump shirts so they can give off the optics of being attacked for being a Trump supporter, they have been crafting various optics to appear less neo-fascist and more normalised so people have a choice, defend their "Rights" and essentially defend neo-fascists, or go against them.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Without a doubt. The sad part is that the historical record shows that the murkiness has often come when the infiltrators introduce the violence speech to see who will bite. Or take someone mentally deficient and goad them into wearing underwear bombs or some such.

I think the Empire on this side of the pond is dancing to Nero's fiddle as our 'sins" are the flame that will burn us down. History, sadly, proves itself continually in that respect. I'm very saddened today as I look around and even in the mirror.

a reply to: XAnarchistX

Antifa is more fascist than you acknowledge. It's really not debatable, but to each his own.

originally posted by: The GUT
a reply to: Xcalibur254

Not comparable but a point to be noted since you went all apologetic for the thugs and either don't know your subject or left such things out on purpose. They've done a lot of punching too. Give 'em some time, the violence is strong with ANTIFA to be sure.

I on the other hand acknowledged the sickness of both and pointed out neither was representative of the left or the right.

In some cultures a man will eat with the right, and wipe with the left, but both sides play in part in what is left in the toilet.

I agree that neither of these groups (or any extremist group for that matter) is representative of good common sense political thoughts. Sadly though it's the continued radicalization of these "idealized" political thoughts that have, time and time again, birthed these groups into existence.
The best way to fight these people is to teach peolpe how to listen to others, and compromise when deciding for/with a group. Sadly this is not the ideology of today, but it should be.