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[Gaborn]

The FBI confirmed Wednesday that it invited members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church to speak at counterterrorism training sessions, to teach new agents about domestic terrorists.

NPR first reported Wednesday that members of Westboro Baptist Church attended four sessions this spring, three at Quantico Marine base in Virginia and one at an FBI facility in Manassass, but the program was canceled after complaints from within the Bureau.

Westboro Baptist, which is based in Kansas and led by Fred Phelps, is notorious for picketing funerals of members of the military killed in action with anti-gay signs.

Timothy Phelps, Fred's son, told Dina Temple-Raston of NPR that he was told the program was meant to teach agents "how to stay measured when they are speaking with a witness or a suspect with whom they have a strong, visceral disagreement." He contends he didn't realize he was going to be studied as an example of a domestic terrorist.

"Some of the students in the class take the gloves off and basically push the envelope about, 'what will happen when the day comes that your so-called leader tells you to use violence,'" he said. "Our leader won't tell us to do anything except what is written in scripture. We don't have a leader like what they want to believe we have. ... We have a preacher."

In the past, the FBI has had similar programs with members of the KKK, but Thomas Brown, the assistant director of the FBI's Training Division, issued a memo putting the kibosh on any future sessions with Westboro Baptist.

According to Temple-Raston, the FBI agent who initially made the arrangement with Westboro Baptist "said he found the group personally distasteful, but thought police and FBI agents needed to learn how to engage people they disagreed with and find ways to build relationships with them."

And one anonymous official told CNN that "it wasn't the purpose to give them another outlet to vent their views. It was more academic."

"We are not endorsing these groups at all," the official said. "The reality is there are groups out there who are making presence known who the police have to encounter."

Story Here

 

[TheRagnCajun]

Not a bad idea, really.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

"find ways to build relationships with them."

How about just shoot them in the head instead

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

Church meets State.

 

[Stinkles]

"find ways to build relationships with them."

How about just shoot them in the head instead

That is the opposite of the point.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

EDIT-I misread some of the paragraphs. God I'm tired.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

That is the opposite of the point.

Phelps family and WBC are terrorists.

 

[Orayn]

Learning to interact with people whose worldviews you find horribly offensive is a good skill to pick up. Most of the planet would benefit from devoting more time and effort to it.

Also, even if the WBC members in question knew they were being used as examples of potential domestic terrorists, I doubt they would care.

"find ways to build relationships with them."

How about just shoot them in the head instead

Wow.

 

[GaimeGuy]

haha, that's actually a really good idea. Helps them train to deal with and connect with terrorists for purposes of investigations and interrogations.

 

[TeegsD]

Came into the thread thinking target practice, leaving disappointed

 

[Evlar]

If WBC agreed to this they would literally be a group of professional trolls.

 

[Alucrid]

Phelps family and WBC are terrorists.

Can you define terrorist, or terrorism for that matter, for me?

 

[andycapps]

Church meets State.

The hell does this even mean?

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Haha, that's pretty awesome. When I first read the title I did a double take, but it's actually pretty clever and funny.

 

[SolKane]

"find ways to build relationships with them."

How about just shoot them in the head instead

avatar quote

 

[Orayn]

The hell does this even mean?

"I didn't read the OP and grossly misunderstood the story."

The FBI are using the Westboro Baptist Church as an example of people who hold repugnant views, and potential domestic terrorists to boot. The WBC is playing along, because they don't care.

Can you define terrorist, or terrorism for that matter, for me?

I'm guessing it's something along the lines of "People I think should be shot in the head."

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Can you define terrorist, or terrorism for that matter, for me?

Acts specific to invoke fear within a populace beyond the immediate area where the act took place in order to accomplish a specific goal.

 

[andycapps]

"I didn't read the OP and grossly misunderstood the story."

The FBI are using the Westboro Baptist Church as an example of people who hold repugnant views, and potential domestic terrorists to boot. The WBC is playing along, because they don't care.

I know, I was trying to see if he was really saying that the FBI is condoning their point of view and actually encouraging more people to adopt it. That's the whole point of the separation of church and state, for the government not to do that.

 

[Tesseract]

watching the westboro baptist church do their thing is like watching a museum come to life. let's peer through the lense.

 

[Alucrid]

Acts specific to invoke fear within a populace beyond the immediate area where the act took place in order to accomplish a specific goal.

I don't see how the WBC invokes fear amongst the majority of the population. Except the few crazies who actually take their message to heart, and being of unsound metal capacity they should be ignored, I believe that anger is actually what they intend to, and actually do, invoke.

 

[rpmurphy]

"find ways to build relationships with them."

How about just shoot them in the head instead

Because it would lead to breeding anti-government terrorism, like Waco and Timothy McVeigh.

 

[Meus Renaissance]

Acts specific to invoke fear within a populace beyond the immediate area where the act took place in order to accomplish a specific goal.

Sounds like Fox News, or more closer to home, the football transfer window for many fans

 

[Orayn]

Because it would lead to breeding anti-government terrorism, like Waco and Timothy McVeigh.

But we can just shoot them in the head too! Totally not seeing any problems with this idea.

 

[SUPREME1]

Thinking out of the box.


Fukc Westboro though.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Timothy Phelps, Fred's son, told Dina Temple-Raston of NPR that he was told the program was meant to teach agents "how to stay measured when they are speaking with a witness or a suspect with whom they have a strong, visceral disagreement." He contends he didn't realize he was going to be studied as an example of a domestic terrorist.

Someone explain why a gang of people who cheer at US soldier deaths and says the US are terrorists would want to help the FBI?

 

[Escape Goat]

what a waste of time. I'm all for ridiculing the WBC but taking time to teach your agents how to play nicely is dumb.

 

[Orayn]

Someone explain why a gang of people who cheer at US soldier deaths and says the US are terrorists would want to help the FBI?

They have absolutely no problem with the way they're perceived by the public. If they're presented with something that looks even vaguely similar to a soapbox, they'll jump on it in an attempt to spread their hateful shit. These are bigots who live in a crazy fantasy world, and are completely out of touch with reality.

what a waste of time. I'm all for ridiculing the WBC but taking time to teach your agents how to play nicely is dumb.

I dunno, there's some value in it. FBI agents have to deal with all sorts of extreme people on a fairly regular basis, and the last thing you want is an investigator who's not ready to deal with WBC-type stuff and winds up flipping his shit in the field.

 

[JDSN]

The hell does this even mean?

"Cant read for shit, here's some generic anti-religion crap that I copy & pasted from someone smarter than me"

 

[SouthernDragon]

Timothy Phelps, Fred's son, told Dina Temple-Raston of NPR that he was told the program was meant to teach agents "how to stay measured when they are speaking with a witness or a suspect with whom they have a strong, visceral disagreement." He contends he didn't realize he was going to be studied as an example of a domestic terrorist.

Ha ha, OWNED

 

[Dan]

I sure hope no one sees anything wrong with this. It's a pretty awesome little plan by the FBI but I can understand if complaints from within the bureau were big enough that they did away with it, at least in terms of dealing specifically with Westboro Baptists, not the overall concept of training agents to deal with crazies.

 

[Escape Goat]

They have absolutely no problem with the way they're perceived by the public. If they're presented with something that looks even vaguely similar to a soapbox, they'll jump on it in an attempt to spread their hateful shit. These are bigots who live in a crazy fantasy world, and are completely out of touch with reality.

I dunno, there's some value in it. FBI agents have to deal with all sorts of extreme people on a fairly regular basis, and the last thing you want is an investigator who's not ready to deal with WBC-type stuff and winds up flipping his shit in the field.

That type of thing would be caught in hiring process. Its not like applying to McDonalds or anything. Psych tests, background investigations, etc.

 

[Axion22]

the best.

 

[A Pretty Panda]

Read the title as "FBI invented Westboro Baptist Church"

 

[Esch]

Great topic title, designed to expose reactionaries and people that dont read the OP.

These interviews must be pretty funny.

 

[RiZ III]

"find ways to build relationships with them."

How about just shoot them in the head instead

Brilliant idea. If we only had world leaders like you the world would be such a peaceful place!

 

[LQX]

I can immediately see why the FBI would want to observe these people but I doubt they will get much out of it as they were basically indoctrinated from they were very young starting with the mother. No different really from parents that force their racism or vegetarianism on their kids.

 

[Orayn]

That type of thing would be caught in hiring process. Its not like applying to McDonalds or anything. Psych tests, background investigations, etc.

Ideally, yeah, but an extra layer of anti-wacko armor wouldn't hurt, as long as they're not spending an exorbitant amount of time and money on this program.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Church meets State.

The hell does this even mean?

It means not actually reading the article:

Great topic title, designed to expose reactionaries and people that dont read the OP.

 

[Of All Trades]

That type of thing would be caught in hiring process. Its not like applying to McDonalds or anything. Psych tests, background investigations, etc.

The hiring process would catch basic to moderate stuff. Learning to calmly interact with WBC-level insanity and gain useful information is a skill that very few people naturally possess.

 

[Henke]

Anyone who can remain calm talking to that lot deserves a medal.

 

[Boogie]

Phelps family and WBC are terrorists.

You clearly don't know anything about law enforcement or counterterrorism.

 

[TheSeks]

That is the opposite of the point.

Yes, but it's effective isn't it?

You got me, Gaborn. I came in to outrage like a typical GAF thread but found the FBI twist.jpg

 

[Fantasmo]

That type of thing would be caught in hiring process. Its not like applying to McDonalds or anything. Psych tests, background investigations, etc.

Yeah I don't really agree with this either. I mean that stuff is wonderful for training, but few things prepare you for real situations as much as real situations and this is pretty close. If someone cracks during this exercise, it could help them focus more on that type of training and technique.

Spending tons of resources to train an undercover agent and have them well prepared for a real and mission critical situation instead of breaking is definitely not a waste of time.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Someone explain why a gang of people who cheer at US soldier deaths and says the US are terrorists would want to help the FBI?

All their messages and philosophy is just bullshit. I'm sure they loved the attention.

 

[Escape Goat]

Yeah I don't really agree with this either. I mean that stuff is wonderful for training, but few things prepare you for real situations as much as real situations and this is pretty close. If someone cracks during this exercise, it could help them focus more on that type of training and technique.

Spending tons of resources to train an undercover agent and have them well prepared for a real and mission critical situation instead of breaking is definitely not a waste of time.

Simulations never give accurate results. And these people know they're being observed and will respond accordingly. This would only be useful if you had shitty hiring techniques and wanted to weed out the nutjobs.

And I seriously doubt this was intended for training undercover agents. But not to blow my objection out of proportion I don't really care one way or another. I just thought this training exercise was another example of government doing something without actually producing anything.

 

[Fantasmo]

Simulations never give accurate results. And these people know they're being observed and will respond accordingly. This would only be useful if you had shitty hiring techniques and wanted to weed out the nutjobs.

And I seriously doubt this was intended for training undercover agents. But not to blow my objection out of proportion I don't really care one way or another. I just thought this training exercise was another example of government doing something without actually producing anything.

I dunno, depends on the level of interaction. The best thought can be executed poorly. I don't really care either but I like the subject matter haha

 

[Ezalc]

Anyone who can remain calm talking to that lot deserves a medal.

This is why they're training.