UPDATE AT BOTTOM
Many of you have been following this story all day. Law enforcement has been very tight-lipped, but some details have gradually leaked out, and we've begun to learn a little more:
The FBI said Sunday that agents conducted weekend raids in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio and arrested at least three people, and a militia leader in Michigan said the target of at least one of the raids was a Christian militia group.
Well, someone's talking at least, and it turns out that it's...another militia.
Michael Lackomar, a spokesman for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, said one of his team leaders got a frantic phone call Saturday evening from members of Hutaree, a Christian militia group, who said their property in southwest Michigan was being raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
And what was the response of the militia team leader to the pleas of his fellow patriots under attack by Obama's minions?
"They said they were under attack by the ATF and wanted a place to hide," Lackomar said. "My team leader said, 'no thanks.' "
Nice knowin' ya, brothers in resistance!
Okay, they certainly deserve some credit for refusing to help out the whackjobs at Hutaree (no direct links from me), which happens to be a rather scary group, perhaps even too loony for their fellow militias:
"We believe that one day, as prophecy says, there will be an Anti-Christ," the group's Web site said. "Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment."
Alert readers will note that a recent poll found that 24% of conservatives nationwide happen to think President Obama is said Anti-Christ.
But the Michigan Militia isn't just refusing to help Hutaree. They're going a step further and cooperating with the dread FBI:
The team leader was cooperating with the FBI on Sunday, Lackomar said. He said SMVM wasn't affiliated with Hutaree, which states on its Web site to be "prepared to defend all those who belong to Christ and save those who aren't."
It's interesting to see how quickly they run when the heat comes down--even going so far as to "cooperate" (i.e., sing like canaries) with federal authorities. Isn't the whole point of their existence to resist federal "tyranny"?
Again, their cooperation is obviously welcome, and should be commended. It's certainly preferable to the alternative.
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Added: It's worth noting that the two groups (Hutaree and Michigan Militia) have some ties to one another:
Lackomar said about eight to 10 members of Hutaree trained with SMVM twice in the past three years. SMVM holds monthly training sessions focusing on survival training and shooting practice, Lackomar said.
So it's not as if the Michigan Militia is some boy scout troop that just doesn't want to get mixed up with the crazies. The heat is on, and they're running away, simple as that.
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UPDATE, 11AM Eastern 3/29: Well, here's why the Michigan Militia is running like hell from Hutaree:
The eight men and one woman are members of the "Hutaree," identified as an "anti-government extremist organization" in the indictment, and each faces three to five charges, including sedition, attempts to use weapons of mass destruction, teaching/demonstrating use of explosive materials and two counts of carrying weapons in relation to a crime of violence.
Sedition!
Thanks to Kristina40, who just published this in her diary.