A series of slides shown at an anti-terrorism briefing held at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), an Army base in North Carolina, have gone viral after one slide portrayed pro-life groups as terrorist organizations.
A photo of the slide in the briefing was captured by someone in attendance, and listed National Right to Life (which has advocated for legal protections for preborn children since 1968) and Operation Rescue (which “exposes abortion abuses” by obtaining and publishing public records like 911 calls from abortion businesses) as examples of terrorist groups. The slide was reportedly displayed after one about ISIS.
Bullet points on the slide included being “anti-abortion” and “Pro Life,” as well as opposing “Row v Wade [sic].” Examples of pro-life advocacy were also included on the slide, such as demonstrations, protests, life chains, “the truth display” (displaying photos of abortion victims), and more. It also listed counseling at pregnancy centers and on sidewalks, and — stunningly — the slide even included pro-life license plates.
Disturbingly, the slide also listed attempted murder and bombing of abortion facilities, even though the overwhelming majority of abortion-related violence since Roe v. Wade was overturned has been perpetrated by pro-abortion activists, not by those associated with the pro-life movement.
An image of a “Choose Life” license plate was also included on the slide. Though it isn’t clear exactly to whom the presentation was given, the Directorate of Emergency Services at Fort Liberty and the XVIII Airborne Corps insignia can be seen.
An anti-terrorism brief was held on Fort Liberty (Bragg) today where they listed several Pro-Life organizations as “terrorist organizations.”
The slide you see here followed right after a slide about ISIS, a terror group in the Middle East.
The organizations labeled by the… pic.twitter.com/vlO6XjyGzE
— Shoe (@samosaur) July 11, 2024
Fort Liberty responded to the controversy in a statement published on Facebook.
It came to our attention that an anti-terrorism slide was posted on social media:
After conducting a commander’s inquiry, we determined that the slides presented on social media were not vetted by the appropriate approval authorities, and do not reflect the views of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.
The slides were developed by a local garrison employee to train Soldiers manning access control points at Fort Liberty.
These slides will no longer be used, and all future training products will be reviewed to ensure they align with the current DoD anti-terrorism guidance.
Both pro-life groups responded to the Washington Examiner regarding the presentation. Operation Rescue President Troy Newman told the outlet he is concerned that the Biden administration is “turning its eyes inward to peaceful, patriotic individuals with different views.”
“In a presentation that is deeply offensive to pro-life Americans across the nation, Fort Liberty promoted outright lies about National Right to Life in a demonstration of lazy scholarship,” Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, told the news outlet. “In our over 50-year history, National Right to Life has always, consistently, and unequivocally, condemned violence against anyone. Only under the Biden Administration can peaceful law-abiding citizens and their peaceful activities be considered ‘terrorism.’ The Biden Administration promotes the deaths of preborn babies and advocates for unlimited abortion, but peaceful pro-life Americans are labeled ‘terrorists.’”
Editor’s Note, 7/12/24: An earlier version of this article listed an incorrect location for Fort Liberty. This has been corrected. We regret the error.
