Military affairs expert Ralph Peters is calling for the firing of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano over a report warning that right-wing extremists could recruit U.S. veterans for violent anti-government activity.
Peters, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army who is now a columnist and author, also called on President Barack Obama to apologize for the report.
Veterans groups are up in arms over a footnote in the report, which was released last week by Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, stating that violent acts could be committed by “right-wing extremists” concerned about illegal immigration, abortion, increasing federal power and restrictions on firearms — and singling out war veterans as vulnerable to recruitment.
Napolitano apologized to veterans for the report in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, saying: “To the extent veterans read it as an accusation . . . an apology is owed.
“The last thing we want to do is offend or castigate all veterans. To the contrary let’s meet and clear the air.
“If there’s one part of that report I would rewrite . . . after the fact it would be that footnote.”
Also appearing on Fox News on Thursday, Peters declared: “Let’s get right to it — she needs to be fired for her bigoted attitude toward our military veterans. And then give her a job at the International House of Pancakes because she’s good with waffles.”
Calling Napolitano “Janet from Another Planet,” Peters also said: “I encourage all Americans to read [the report]. It repeatedly warns of our military veterans being terrorists. That’s the word she uses, terrorists.
“It warns about people who oppose illegal immigration as being terrorist threats, people who may differ on right to life issues as terrorist threats. And it’s also racist because there’s no mention of minority violence, no mention of Muslim violence, of Islamist violence. Basically if you read it you get the idea that white Christians are a threat to the country.
“And oh by the way, watch out for those vets because Hollywood and Harvard warned us they’re coming to move in next door to kill you and hurt your child. It’s disgraceful.”
Peters said that in all his years of military service, “I never, never met a right-wing extremist. We all got along just fine. This is a Hollywood and Harvard myth about how our military works.
“They always bring up Timothy McVeigh. Look, Timothy McVeigh tried to get into Special Forces. He got the boot. And he’s the only person they can ever cite. My God, to assume that all vets are potential Timothy McVeighs is ugly.
“This attack on our vets, you can’t just say, sorry. Why did she issue the report in the first place? She is responsible and the president needs to apologize to our vets.”
Peter Hegseth, an Iraq veteran and chairman of Vets for Freedom, is also outraged. He said: “It’s amazing that they would single out veterans as a threat to this country.
“It underscores a pervasive belief that some are trying to spread that veterans are victims and we’re coming home as damaged goods.”
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