Rightwing extremism is on the rise in the US as a result of election of the first black President and the ongoing economic crisis, including job losses to countries like India and China, according to American intelligence agencies.
While there is no specific information that domestic rightwing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, an internal intelligence report on the issue cautioned that they may be gaining new recruits, including military veterans, by playing on their fears about several emergent issues.
"The economic downturn and the election of the first African-American President (Barack Obama) present unique drivers for rightwing radicalisation and recruitment," says the report by the Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division of the US Department of Homeland Security, a report said.
According to the report prepared by the Extremism and Radicalisation Branch of the Division, a recent example of the potential violence associated with a rise in rightwing extremism may be found in the shooting deaths of three police officers in Pittsburg on April 4.
The alleged gunman's reaction reportedly was influenced by his racist ideology and belief in anti-government conspiracy theories related to gun confiscation, citizen detention centre and a Jewish-controlled "one world government", it said.
The document prepared in association with FBI also expressed concern over reports of high volume of purchase and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by rightwing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some places.
Many rightwing extremists are antagonistic towards the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programmes to minorities and restriction of firearms ownership and use, the report said.
Since the 2008 presidential polls, rightwing extremists have capitalised on related racial and political prejudices in expanded propaganda campaigns, it said.
While most of the statements by rightwing extremists have been rhetorical, the report said in at least two instances in the run up to the elections, extremists appeared to be in the early planning stages of some threatening activity targeting Obama, but the law enforcement agencies interceded.
Immigration is yet another issue for the rightwing extremists, it said, pointing to an increase in anti-Hispanic crimes over the past five years.
"Rightwing extremists' views bemoan the decline of US stature and have recently focussed on themes such as loss of US manufacturing capability to China and India; Russia's control of energy resources and use of these to pressure other countries and China's investment in the US real estate and corporations as part of subversion strategy," the report said.
