The Ragged Edge On The Move With The Militia Extreme Fringe Of Anti-Government Movement Practices For War In Northwest Woods

At the end of a muddy mountain road, where a small clearing borders a North Idaho creek, an armed man in camouflage appears out of nowhere.

He crouches to a shooting position.

Seconds later, another masked man carrying a military-style assault rifle steps from behind a clump of pines.

Four other men in combat gear emerge at the edge of the clearing, holding their rifles and shotguns like soldiers ready for war.

This is a secret militia unit, one of many these men say are organized in cells throughout the Northwest.

The unit doesn’t have a name, but members say they’ve trained for more than two years.

They wear masks and won’t disclose their names or much of backgrounds. Four have military experience. Their ages range from early 20s to 50s. At least one is college-educated.

They refer to each other by code numbers.

“They’re afraid of being known by the FBI or the ATF,” explains No. 3.

This small band of armed militiamen represents the extreme fringe of anti-government fervor. They reluctantly agreed to display a sample of their training and talk about their group.

On this sunny day in November, the unit is preparing for guerrilla warfare.

Their bullets are as real as their commitment.

They fear the New World Order - a one-world government - and hate what’s happening to their country.

They believe being ready to fight any threat to their liberty is essential.

If another Randy Weaver standoff occurs, they say they’ll get involved - even attack federal agents.

“We’re just neighbors and intend to defend this area and the people in it, if that ever becomes necessary,” says No. 6.

He carries a loaded AR-15 - the civilian version of the military’s M-16. A pistol-grip shotgun capable of rapidly firing nine shells is slung over his back.

Squad members talk about two other North Idaho militia groups, including one comprised only of teenage boys, ages 15 to 18.

“They do their own thing, and we haven’t given them any military training because we’re afraid they’d use it,” says No. 6. “These kids are products of the Weaver and Waco standoffs.”

No. 6 says staging ambushes and taking long-range sniper shots are his unit’s specialty.

The men practice with 308.-caliber rifles, equipped with powerful scopes, firing at targets up to 1,000 yards away.

They shoot at Hillary Clinton’s picture and silhouettes of ATF and FBI agents.

On this day, militiaman No. 4 props up a less personal target - a white fender from a Ford pickup decorated with a U.S. flag decal.

Then, the quiet of the woods is wracked by semi-automatic gunfire. Lead from the 12-gauge shotguns and assault rifles peppers the fender.

While the shots ring out, militiaman No. pulls lookout duty down the road, in case someone happens by.

The lookout talks to the others on a $500 VHF radio that is as good or better than equipment used by many police.

The militiamen also have bulletproof vests and gas masks. They carry handguns, a shotgun or a military-style rifle - either an AR-15 or Mini-14.

“Not all our armament is here today,” No. 3 says with a smile.

Each member buys his own equipment, including rifles that cost $1,000 and more.

“The leader in this area is a wealthy businessman who is anonymous to most all of us,” says No. 6. “He supports us both financially and ideologically.”

The group conducts overnight survival training, when the men sleep on the ground with only the equipment they carry.

They have camouflage for all seasons, and Mylar-layered clothing to avoid infra-red scanning aircraft. They use a device called “electronic ears,” which can detect approaching vehicles and other noises.

If the occasional berry-picker or woodcutter comes along, the militia melts into the woods. “We haven’t had an encounter, yet,” says No. 3.

Traveling with the combat gear, including automatic weapons, presents some problems. “We call it ‘traveling hot,”’ he says.

“If we get stopped for a routine traffic incident, we’ve got to decide up front if we’re going to tolerate that. If we’ve got a fully automatic rifle or something like that, you have to be thinking, ‘If he stops me, I’m going on the offensive.”’

No. 6 says he served in the Korean War and still carries an M-1 Grand as his rifle of choice.

His wife knows about his militia involvement, and “supports me 100 percent.”

“She’d rather have my bloody head in her lap than to have me fail to uphold my principles,” he says.

The training complete, it’s time for No. 6 and his comrades to leave, one at a time. No. 4 picks up the bulletriddled fender and fades away down the muddy road.

The others follow, vanishing into the woods.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 3 Color Photos