Atomwaffen Division

Atomwaffen Division (AWD) (German for "Atomic Weapon Division") is an American neo-Nazi terrorist group founded in 2013 that makes even the most violent of other neo-Nazis look like hippies in comparison. Since 2020, the group has rebranded as the National Socialist Order (NSO), but in 2021 a second group of Nazis announced that they were the real AWD — splitters!Atomwaffen Division / National Socialist Order Counter Extremism Project . The group's origins come from the equally fascist, neo-Nazi Iron March online forum and a re-discovery of writings by obscure neo-Nazi Atomwaffen Division sponsored the publishing of a new edition of Siege, Mason's collected works. Siege is focused on racial warfare, specifically in the form of Charles Manson's As of 2019, Mason is living in government-subsidized housing and eating at soup kitchens.Influential neo-Nazi eats at soup kitchens, lives in government housing: In his writings, James Mason advocates waging war against "the system." But at 67 and living in Denver, he's now dependent on it. by Anna Schecter and Rich Schapiro (Nov. 26, 2019, 1:01 PM PST) NBC News.
Atomwaffen openly encourages violence and ethnic cleansing against Jews, African-Americans, homosexuals, Muslims, and anyone not white. They also promote race war and outright terrorism against the United States government. Atomwaffen is also infamous for murders committed by its members, notably that of a California gay Jewish student named Blaze Bernstein."California Murder Suspect Said to Have Trained With Extremist Hate Group" - ProPublica. Written by Jake Hanrahan, Ali Winston, and A.C. Thompson (January 26, 2018). The group's membership is estimated to be around 80 members as of 2018 according to one former member and has chapters in at least 23 states.Inside Atomwaffen As It Celebrates a Member for Allegedly Killing a Gay Jewish College Student by A.C. Thompson et al. (Feb. 23, 2018, 5 a.m. EST) ProPublica. AWD had affiliates in Canada by 2018An American Neo-Nazi Group Has Dark Plans for Canada: Northern Order, once described as a “phantom group,” is an Atomwaffen-affiliated neo-Nazi cell. by Mack Lamoureux & Ben Makuch (July 10, 2018, 10:29am) Vice. and in Germany by 2022.German police raid neo-Nazi cells across country: Four arrested after more than 1,000 officers swoop on homes of 50 suspects (Wed 6 Apr 2022 12.49 EDT) AFP via The Guardian. The group also organizes trips to remote locations (again) unironically named "hatecamps". The logo of the group is (you guessed it) the nuclear symbol.
Just in case you thought this group couldn't get any edgier, they've also been rumored to be a Satanic death cult inspired by the occult neo-Nazi group Order of Nine Angles or O9A (a group that advocates transgressing literally all social norms — and so, encourages ritual sacrifice, child rape, and infiltration of as many institutions and groups as possible to sow chaos, to list a fewDaniel De Simone (June 23, 2020). "Order of Nine Angles: What is this obscure Nazi Satanist group?". BBC News."The Order of Nine Angles". Institute for Strategic Dialogue.), under the influence of their current leader, who goes by the charming screenname "Rape"."Atomwaffen Division" - Southern Poverty Law Center Hatewatch profile
==From their website==
Here's the official mission statement of Atomwaffen:Archived version of the Atomwaffen homepage
The group's description of itself:"Who we are" - Atomwaffen Division. Archived.
==Terrorism==
As mentioned above, Atomwaffen has been linked to several terrorist incidents. Brandon Rusell, the group's founder, was convicted of attempting to bomb a building with hexamethylene triperoxide diamine; Rusell was also a former University of South Florida student and a member of the Florida National Guard who idolized Timothy McVeigh (the infamous Oklahoma City bomber). Another member named Devon Arthurs killed two of his roommates and a fellow Atomwaffen member for ridiculing his conversion to Salafist Islam (he described himself as a "Salafist National Socialist" who was photographed at a San Antonio vigil for the victims of the Orlando shooting with a skull mask (probably the AWD’s telltale fanged skull mask) and a sign that said "God Hates Fags"). But the most infamous killing by the group was the murder of gay Jewish college student named Blaze Bernstein by Samuel Woodard in Orange County, California. Woodard was an avowed member of the group who attended Atomwaffen Division events and training camps. Needless to say as soon as the murder occurred, Atomwaffen members praised him, with one member stating "I love this", another member called him a "one man gay Jew wrecking crew". They also praise the deeds of other terrorists such as Anders Behring Breivik, Dylann Roof, and Timothy McVeigh.
The mindset behind these acts of terrorism is a kind of accelerationism, an idea sometimes associated with Marxism that seeks to hasten the end of capitalism by destabilizing the economy with rapid growth. Atomwaffen applies this principle instead to their goal of inciting an apocalyptic race war so they can overthrow the US government, exterminate the mudbloods, and make a purified white ethnostate on American soil.
AWD is officially designated a terrorist organization by the Canadian government.List of entities currently designated as terrorist organizations by the Canadian government. Archived version.
Some Atomwaffen Division members have celebrated the reversal of Roe v Wade by SCOTUS, believing that this will enable their plot to commit mass rapes of white women to "increase white birth rates." If a woman is unable to get an abortion, she will be forced to carry to term. The section of Atomwaffen that advocates for this has been dubbed "Rapewaffen," an apparent O9A subgroup,Jon Simkins (March 3, 2023). "Ex-soldier, a neo-Nazi, gets 45 years for plot to ambush his own unit". ArmyTimes. and at least two of the Atomwaffen fucks arrested have been associated with this group.
===Arrests and convictions===
In August 2019, an affiliate of AWD, Conor Climo, was plotting to firebomb one or more Jewish sites in the city, and other sites such as a gay bar and a homeless encampment."Las Vegas Man Arrested in Plots Against Jews Was Said to Be Affiliated With Atomwaffen Division" by Joe Sexton, Propublica, 2019 August 14
In 2020, five members were arrested and charged with making racist and antisemitic threats against journalists, and for conspiring to engage in swatting: John Cameron Denton (the leader of AWD who replaced Russell"Neo-Nazi leader and girlfriend accused of targeting Md. power stations" by Rachel Weiner and Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 2023 February 6), Taylor Ashley Parker-Dipeppe, Johnny Roman Garza, Kaleb Cole, and Cameron Brandon Shea. All five were sentenced to prison time. The arrests caused AWD to disband and regroup.
Similar to other neo-Nazi extremists, leaders of Atomwaffen Division have encouraged chatting about plans to attack and destroy United States infrastructure, such as the electrical power grid and public water systems."Inside Atomwaffen As It Celebrates a Member for Allegedly Killing a Gay Jewish College Student" by A.C. Thompson, ProPublica, Ali Winston, special to ProPublica, and Jake Hanrahan, special to ProPublica, 2018 February 23 In August 2021, four men (including two Marines) who identified with AWD (at least symbolically) were charged with conspiracy to damage the property of an energy facility. Two of the men had initially met on the Iron March forum."Group With Ties to Racially Motivated Violent Extremists Including two Former Marines Facing Additional Charge of Targeting Energy Facilities", press release, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, 2021 August 20"Ex-Marines based in NC made Nazi training montage video in Idaho desert, feds say" by Hayley Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2020 November 20 On July 25 2024, three of those charged were sentenced — Paul James Kryscuk for 6 and 1/2 years, Liam Collins for 10 years, and Justin Wade Hermanson for 1 year and 9 months."Defendants with Ties to White Supremacy Sentenced in Connection with Plot to Destroy Energy Facilities", press release, Office of Public Affairs, 2024 July 25
Having learned nothing from his previous arrest, Russell was arrested again (along with Sarah Clendaniel, whom he met while incarcerated) in February 2023, this time (similar to the above) for allegedly conspiring to destroy an energy facility. According to prosecutors, the two planned an attack that sought to destroy five electrical substations within the area.
A splinter group of Atomwaffen Division was set up in Germany in 2018; this group was aligned with other neo-Nazi terror groups established in Germany, such as Combat 18 and Knockout 51. A nationwide police operation in April 2022 focused on the three hate groups resulted in four arrests."Germany carries out nationwide raids on neo-Nazi groups" by Alex Berry, DW, 2022 April 6
One Rapewaffen member, a U.S. Marine, was arrested for lying to a "federal firearms licensee" in order to make "straw purchases" of a pistol and assault rifle. The ex-Marine had plotted to commit mass rape, murder, and an attack on a synagogue.
A second Rapewaffen associate, a former member of the US military, was sentenced in March 2023 after plotting an ambush against his own unit.(March 3, 2023). "Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Attempting for Murder Fellow Service Members in Deadly Ambush". Office of Public Affairs. US Department of Justice.
==See also==
*8chan § /baphomet/, another junction that appears to have been a neo-Nazi/nihilist/Satanist crossover episode
*Antipodean Resistance, their buddies over in Australia
*National Action, Sonnenkrieg Division and Combat 18, their British versions
==External links==
*Atomwaffen Division — Southern Poverty Law Center
*The entire SQL database of Atomwaffen at Iron March
==Notes==
==References==
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