ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, March 6, 1997                TAG: 9703060087
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL   PAGE: C-7  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: MONTGOMERY, ALA.
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

U.S. HATE GROUPS ON THE RISE

The number of groups preaching anarchy and racial hatred climbed 6 percent in 1996.

At least 858 extremist groups were active in the United States last year, an increase of 6 percent from 1995, according to an organization that tracks hate crimes.

Klanwatch released a study this week titled ``Two Years After: The Patriot Movement Since Oklahoma City.'' The study found that so-called patriot groups, including 380 armed militias, have improved their intelligence-gathering through a sophisticated communication network.

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