Aryan Nations Holds Racist Gathering as Trial Date Approaches
Closer ties to Pennsylvania Posse Developed
Aryan Nations' annual World Congress was held at the group's Hayden Lake, Idaho, compound on July 14-16. Last year's Congress included two public events and lots of press, but this year the racist rendezvous drew little press, fewer supporters and was confined to the compound. Aryan Nations may have purposely avoided the media spotlight to focus on its upcoming courtroom showdown with the Southern Poverty Law Center at the end of August.
This year's gathering seemed to solidify an alliance between Aryan Nations and the Posse Comitatus. The Posse has been around since the 1970s. It believes the highest legitimate government is the county level and spreads anti-Semitic global conspiracy theory. Aryan Nations' leader Richard Butler announced at the congress that August Kreis, the leader of Pennsylvania's Posse Comitatus, had joined Aryan Nations. Along with being named an Aryan Nations Ambassador, Kreis is also taking over maintenance of Aryan Nations' website.
There was already plenty of common ground between the Posse and Aryan Nations. On Kreis' Posse website, he claims "evil, Satanic, parasitic" Jews control the government. He also writes that "the rape of our women by the beasts of the field [people of color]" and "the theft of the minds of our young by the jewish Satanic public and private school systems" must be stopped. The solution to the Jewish problem is to "run this demonic jewry from our shores." All of these statements fit perfectly with Aryan Nations' Christian Identity religion. Identity believes that Jews are the literal descendants of Satan, and people of color are subhuman "mud people" or "beasts of the field."
Ideology isn't the only connection between Kreis and Aryan Nations. On Kreis' website, there is a picture of him with an Identity preacher named Neuman Britton. In 1998, Britton was named Butler's choice as a successor to the leadership of Aryan Nations. Along with Kreis, Britton was one of this year's featured speakers.
About 100 people attended the 2000 World Congress. Attendees listened to a slew of racist speakers, and the gathering celebrated Hitler's 111 birthday. A cross and two swastikas were burned, and some of the racists were baptized by Butler and Britton. The group did not stage any public events in downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Aryan Nations may have decided it will get enough publicity during its upcoming trial. The trial stems from a 1998 assault occurring on the road outside the group's compound. Victoria Keenan and her son were driving on that road when their car backfired. Three Aryan Nations' security guards believed the compound was under attack. They chased the Keenans, shooting at their vehicle and forcing it off the road. They pulled the Keenans out of their car and threatened to kill them. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has made its reputation by bankrupting Klan and skinhead groups, filed suit. The trial begins August 28 and is expected to last seven days.
Aryan Nations has hired attorney Edgar Steele. Steele has posted many messages on Aryan Nations' website demonstrating he is sympathetic to the racist cause. He calls himself a "separatist" and encourages people to read material by David Duke, the former Klansman, to understand race relations.
The lawsuit has hit Aryan Nations' pocketbook hard. Butler claims he is $50,000 in debt. However, there is a fund-raising effort being staged by producers of racist, white-power music. Early in August, Panzerfaust and Resistance Records announced that for a $15 donation to the Aryan Nations' legal defense fund, a person would receive a racist compact disc.