Return of the Viper Scare

The recent open-carry demonstration in Arizona has prompted some fearmongering stories about the Viper Team (or "Viper Militia," as it is often mislabeled), an Arizona group that was accused of plotting a major terrorist attack during the militia scare of the '90s and whose members eventually pled guilty to (or, in one case, was found guilty of) lesser weapons and conspiracy charges. For a stroll down memory lane—and an antidote to the breathless stories circulating now—here's Reason's coverage of the Viper case, written by Alan Bock and published in our December 1996 issue.