US Army has labeled pro-life groups ‘terrorists’ for seven years, say officials
For the last seven years, the United States Army has been using training materials that refer to pro-life organizations as “terrorist groups,” according to top officials.
Earlier this month, training slides used for anti-terrorism instruction at Fort Liberty in North Carolina were leaked. Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, is the largest military base in the US and one of the largest in the world.
One slide named pro-life organizations National Right to Life and Operation Rescue as “Terrorist Groups.” It noted that such groups oppose Roe v. Wade and listed activities like demonstrations and protests, life chains, picketing, truth displays, and other non-violent forms of advocacy. The presentation also pointed out that pro-life groups engage in counseling for pregnant women, whether on the sidewalk or in crisis pregnancy centers established for that purpose.
A popular pro-life vanity license plate was also displayed on the slide. The license plate reads “IM4IT” and “Choose Life” and is sold in 34 states.
Towards the bottom, the slide falsely associated National Right to Life with abortion center bombings and attempted murders.
According to independent journalist Sam Shoemate, the slide followed one that discussed ISIS.
Fort Liberty backtracks
The training material drew backlash, prompting a Fort Liberty Garrison Public Affairs Office spokesperson to claim the slides “were not vetted by the appropriate approval authorities, and do not reflect the views of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.”
“The slides were developed by a local garrison employee to train Soldiers manning access control points at Fort Liberty,” the spokesperson told The Washington Examiner. “These slides will no longer be used, and all future training products will be reviewed to ensure they align with the current DoD anti-terrorism guidance.”
Several years in use without being vetted
However, an inquiry by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) revealed that the slides have been in use for several years without being vetted by senior leadership. Budd and Hudson led 20 other senators and 66 House representatives in signing a letter to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth demanding more information.
Wormuth replied that the slides have been used to train soldiers for the last seven years.
“The information that I have at this time indicates that this set of slides has been used for at least the last seven years by the Directorate of Emergency Services at Fort Liberty to train soldiers as they prepare to take on instillation access duties,” Wormuth wrote, adding that XVIII Airborne Corps is launching an investigation into the matter.
