New York, NY, June 14, 1996...In a letter to FBI Director Louis J. Freeh, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today commended the work of Federal and Montana law enforcement agents in bringing about a peaceful conclusion to the 81-day standoff with the heavily armed anti-government Freemen.

"We applaud the FBI for its professionalism and patience throughout this ordeal," wrote ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman in his letter to Judge Freeh. "Now that the Freemen have surrendered, we welcome the government's commitment to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Vigorous prosecution is necessary to send the message that the government, in its effort to bring criminals to justice, will not be deterred by lengthy holdouts or threats of violent resistance."

Until the standoff began on March 25, the Freemen, who advocate a blend of lawlessness and racial and religious hatred, had promoted their ideology and tactics to a growing multistate network of followers. An April 1996 ADL Fact Finding Report, The Freemen Network: An Assault on the Rule of Law, cited evidence of activity linked to the Montana Freemen in at least 18 states.

Editors Note: The Freemen Network is available on NEXIS, search code USNWR, and from the ADL Media Relations Department.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.