George Tiller, a doctor who was a long-time target of anti-abortion groups, was murdered today in a Kansas church. Thus iIt appears that today a U.S.-based Christian terrorist has done what no Al Qaeda related groups have done since 9/11 — killed an American on US soil. I hope AG Holder and the Judiciary committees will address with the FBI whether enough effort is being devoted to infiltrating and taking down fundamentalist networks and groups who have threatened and killed Americans.
Even if it ends up that a lone individual did the deed, the climate of hatred and menace kept up by anti-abortion forces should not be discounted as a permissive factor.
Finally, Operation Rescue should be ashamed that it offers no help in or hope of bringing Dr. Tiller’s killer to justice, though it has time in its statement to unctuously offer his family the peace of Jesus Christ after it hounded him in life, long after the potential for violence was made clear -previously his clinic was bombed and he was shot in both arms
WICHITA, Kansas — Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas doctor whose clinic received national attention for performing late-term abortions, was shot to death as he entered his Wichita church on Sunday.
“Members of the congregation who were inside the sanctuary at the time of the shooting were being kept inside the church by police,” the Wichita Eagle reported, “and those arriving were being ushered into the parking lot.”
Media reports said the suspected killer fled the scene in a blue Taurus. Police described him as a white male in his 50s or 60s.
Tiller has been among the few U.S. physicians performing late-term abortion, making him a favored target of anti-abortion protesters. He testified that he and his family have suffered years of harassment and threats. His clinic was the site of the 1991 “Summer of Mercy” protests marked by mass demonstrations and arrests. His clinic was bombed in 1985, and an abortion opponent shot him in both arms in 1993.
Tiller’s clinic also provided group and individual counseling, as well as chaplain and funeral services for people who were grieving. ….
Update A suspect is reportedly in custody