John Guandolo’s anti-Muslim consulting outfit Understanding the Threat (UTT) held a three-day training in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. The training was hosted by the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s office. It was also publicized by the Louisiana Tactical Police Officers’ Association (LTPOA).
An ad from LTPOA read: “This FREE TRAINING is being hosted by the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office and will be held at the Hotel Bentley, 200 Desoto Street, Alexandria, LA.”
As revealed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Rapides Parish District Attorney Phillip Terrell previously ran a law firm with Greg Aymond, a widely-known Louisiana Klansman.
After local press and advocacy groups raised attention about the event, the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office issued a statement saying it was surprised by the push back it had received for booking a trainer who has claimed Muslims “do not have a First Amendment right to do anything.”
“If this training saves One Life, it is worth it,” the statement read.
The statement also claimed “Approximately 180 law enforcement officials are presently registered” and that the training will cost $12,500. It did not clarify whether or not that cost would come at taxpayers’ expense.
In a blog post recapping event, Guandolo claimed “over 150 law enforcement officers from all over the state” of Louisiana attended the training.
“[O]ver 150 law enforcement officers now know … the Muslim Brotherhood has a massive jihadi network here in America,” he wrote.
Guandolo also said his partner Chris Gaubatz briefed officers on what is supposedly “being taught” in “mosques across America.” Guandolo and Gaubatz have previously alleged the majority of mosques in the U.S. “advocate violence and have literature advocating/supporting violence against non-Muslims.”
A breakdown of the course posted on LTPOA’s website showed the three-day event blended overt anti-Muslim bigotry with tactics on investigating the alleged “jihadi” and “Muslim Brotherhood” threat in Louisiana. Some of the scheduled highlights included:
- Going over scenarios on how local law enforcement can “identify and pursue” so-called “jihadis’ in local jurisdictions;”
- Cover “training scenarios” on how to “investigate known Muslim Brotherhood entities in their areas;”
- Breaking off into “Investigative Teams” and running through”a number of training scenarios, discussions, and exercises” on how to “investigate known Muslim Brotherhood entities in their areas;”
- “[I]nstruction on doctrinal Sharia (Islamic Law)” and “how jihadis’ use Sharia in furtherance of their operations;”
- Run “through the process of building affidavits, discuss how to educate local city/district attorneys on this threat, and will be given resources to take with them to further their education.”
This will be the third training UTT has held in Louisiana in recent months, cementing the state’s status as a hotspot for anti-Muslim influence on law enforcement.
The training was reportedly restricted to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and other public servants.
Screenshot of LTPOA’s webpage, taken 2/22/17