Secretary Janet Napolitano blamed an underling for releasing a report warning that veterans were vulnerable to the recruiting tactics of right wing extremists before jerking the report back into the department.
“The report is no longer out there,” she said. “An employee sent it out without authorization.”
The report was shared with state and local law enforcement officials nationwide via the department’s internal Web site on April 7, angering Republican lawmakers and military veterans who said it unfairly stereotyped veterans.
Ms. Napolitano did not say when the report was taken off the “intel Web site” and all Homeland Security Department Web sites, but she said it is in the process of being “replaced or redone in a much more useful and much more precise fashion.”
Rep. Christopher Carney, Pennsylvania Democrat, said that as a veteran he “took offense personally,” and his constituents were offended by the report as well.
“It really hit home hard to me and in our district,” Mr. Carney said. “It’s not a good start when I go to town hall meetings and I hear people calling for your resignation.”
Ms. Napolitano said the report titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” is not the only report she has seen that says veterans are targets for recruitment by racist and other hate groups.
“It was an assessment, not an accusation,” Ms. Napolitano said.
“It didn’t say that,” Mr. Carney interrupted.
As a veteran, I was not at all surprised that the most radical left wing administration of my lifetime has these feelings about me and other vets. Yeah, I’ve written about it before.
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