Since 1998, no further acts of terrorism have been attributed to the Waffen SS, and this is not expected to change in the near future.  However, since this group probably never existed as a firm organization, it is certainly possible that some of its former "members" are still engaged in some of the violent nationalist activities that continue in Latvia today.<br />

The Washington State Militia was a right-wing militant group active in the U.S. during the 1990s.  They were believed to have chapters throughout the state of Washington, with their largest concentration in Yakima.  Estimates of their size were well into the hundreds.  The leader of the Washington State Militia was John Pitner, a self-styled patriot that many considered too consumed with paranoia and intellectually unfit to lead the group in any serious campaigns.  Their founding philosophy, like most U.S. based militias during that time, was that responsible citizens need to take up arms against and protect themselves from a government that is ineffective and harmful to society.  The deep-seeded distrust for government also fueled ideas of conspiracy theories that gave groups like the Washington State Militia a further sense of legitimacy.        <P><br /><br />On July 27, 1996, the FBI and Bellingham, Washington Police arrested Pitner and seven other suspected members for possession of pipe bombs and other explosives.  In later testimony, Washington State Militia members stated they, along with members of another Washington-based militant group called the Freemen, planned to bomb various targets, including a radio tower, a bridge, and a train tunnel while a train was inside.  Stockpiles of weapons were allegedly stashed in mountain hideouts.  During the arrests, authorities seized two fully automatic machine guns the suspects had made in expectation of a showdown with law enforcement authorities. All those arrested were charged with conspiracy to possess and manufacture illegal firearms and destructive devices.<br /><br /><P><br />In 1997, the eight arrested Washington State Militia members were convicted on various counts of weapons possession and transfer and assaulting federal officers.  Sentences ranged from probation to four years in prison, with fines up to $6,000.   <br /><br /><br />