Paramilitary Group Discussed Bombing L.A. Sites, Court Told

Members of a paramilitary group called the Arizona Patriots had discussed, but never formulated plans, to bomb the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Los Angeles FBI office and two offices of the Jewish Defense League, according to Phoenix court proceedings and an FBI spokesman.

At a bail hearing this week for one of several alleged Arizona Patriot members charged with weapons violations and conspiracy to rob a Wells Fargo armored car, a federal prosecutor cited statements made about a year ago by members of the group, who referred to those organizations in a discussion about bombing targets.

Not Warned

JDL leader Irv Rubin told United Press International that he had not been warned of the bombing discussions, adding: “My sources at the Wiesenthal Center say they were not warned either.”

In Phoenix, FBI spokesman Herb Hawkins said that agents “were in a position to know what was going on” from a source in the Patriots organization and “appropriate warnings would have been made” if they had thought an action was imminent.

“We are always very concerned about the threat of life and the threat of property. Had we believed that there was any type of plan in effect, first we would have known it, based on the fact our source was in the group, and we would have certainly made such advisements if it were necessary,” including to their own Los Angeles FBI field office.

Several suspects were arrested in December, after a two-year undercover investigation of the group, which claims that most governments are illegal. Besides firearms and conspiracy charges, reports say some suspects face charges of planning to bomb the Internal Revenue Service office in Ogden, Utah, and a synagogue in Phoenix.

They also face the weapons charges, which involve mortars and plastic explosives.