User:JohnnyBravo456/sandbox

= Combat 18 =

Lead Section
Combat 18 or "C18". The "18" in Combat 18 derives from from the initials o the late Nazi German leader Adolf Hitler, A and H are the first and eighth letters of the Latin Alphabet. Combat 18 is a neo-Nazi terrorist organisation, which originated in the United Kingdom with ties to movements in the United States, and has since spread to other countries. [ '''Make sure to add a source somewhere in these lead section to avoid plagiarism. Also, you may want to add if this is something current or historical to give the reader a timeline about this group.''' ]

History
It was clashes between British National Party (BNP) members and followers of Anti-Fascist Action in 1991 that precipitated the formation of Combat 18 (C18). '''[ Changing the structure of this sentence could make it flow better. Maybe arrange as "In 1991, clashes between..."]''' While the BNP attempted to take a path toward electoral respectability, C18 operated as its so-called "strong arm," providing security to its meetings and rallies, and engaging in the sort of physical battles with antifascist supporters that would otherwise have proven damaging to the BNP's reputation. At its inception, C18 was comprised of BNP and National Front members, followers of the skinhead music scene (centered around Blood and Honour), and a coalition of football hooligans. English football thugs had a long-standing (and not always deserved) '''[you might want to delete this segment in parenthesis unless you can find an objective source that states this. It seems a bit subjective.]''' reputation as the black sheep of European soccer hooliganism. Combat 18 brought together thugs associated with West Ham, Millwall, and most notably, Chelsea, whose Headhunter gang was among the most notorious in football. C18 was always a small organization, never comprising more than 200 followers (it never had formal members), of which possibly half were activists. As well as being linked to violence that accompanied BNP meetings, C18 waged an organized campaign of terror and intimidation called "Red Watch," which identified and targeted political opponents, ethnic minorities, and police officers. It included a hate campaign against high-profile interracial couples, including the former Olympic swimmer, Sharon Davies, and her then-husband, Derek Redmond, who received hate mail when they married in 1994. Another target, heavyweight boxer, Frank Bruno, his wife Laura, and his mother Lynette received death threats. [Good examples!] High-profile British Jews were also targeted. '''[Is there any specific examples that you could add here? It would definitely strengthen your article]' C18 was also active in firebombing private homes and the offices of progressive organizations, as well as the Communist newspaper, the Morning Star''. C18 was also closely associated with the loyalist paramilitary organizations, the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) and the Ulster Defense Association (UDA). Although never actively involved in Northern Ireland's conflict, C18 provided shelter to paramilitaries on the run, most notably the UDA leader, Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair, and the former UDA leader, John White. '''[Good information for your first paragraph over history. However, you did not cite a single source in this. Make sure that you add a few because it is very information heavy.]'''

The most high-profile assaults linked to C18 came in April 1999. On consecutive Saturdays, nail bombs were left in Brick Lane, the heart of London's Bangladeshi community, and the ethnically diverse inner suburb of Brixton. C18 claimed responsibility. As London braced itself for a successive Saturday attack, the most devastating bomb of all went off on Friday, April 30, in the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, the heart of London's gay community. Three people were killed, including a pregnant woman, and seventy-nine were seriously hurt. The following morning police arrested a 23-year-old man, David Copeland. Copeland was found to be a former member of the BNP, and although he was dismissive of C18, calling them a "bunch of yobs" and claiming to have acted alone, he was also found to be a member of the National Socialist Movement, a C18-splinter group loyal to C18's founder, Charlie Sargent. '''[Good! Once again, I would add a few more citations throughout the paragraph so your safe from any plagiarism claims.]'''

'''[Did this group do other things than terrorism such as riots, protest, or publications? If so, I would include that.]'''

'''[I would also recommend adding information about the group's end. If it is still a group today, make sure that the reader knows that.]'''

Charlie Sargent
Paul David "Charlie" Sargent founded Combat 18 in 1991 and led it over the subsequent six years. A violent, charismatic, and controversial figure, his leadership was mired by suggestions of personal corruption and profiteering. A dispute in 1997 with his successor, Will Browning, over the proceeds of the Nazi record production company ISD (the twenty or so CDs it had produced were estimated to have reaped profits of £200,000) led to the fatal stabbing by Sargent of Browning-ally, Chris Castle, who Sargent described as "a casualty of war." '''[I would recommend that you break this sentence into two sentences to help flow. I would add a period after your information in quotes then say "This dispute led to..."]''' Sargent was convicted for Castle's murder in 1998. [Once again, cite this information.]

Sargent explained to Nick Ryan in an Independent on Sunday interview why it had been necessary for C18 to come into existence: "The reds were going around and they were beating the living daylights out of the right-wing. They were kicking in doors, petrol bombing people, and beating old men black and blue with hammers [a reference to an attack by antifascists on a right-wing meeting in Kensington Library during 1992]. Red Action [an extreme left-wing group] were absolutely battering the Right." he then went on to claim that C18 turned the tables: "We … battered 'em wherever we met until there was no [one] left standing." [Add two citations after each of these quotes.]

Yet by the time of Sargent's conviction in 1998, Combat 18 was a movement in disarray. Having already lost the leadership of his organization to Browning, he faced substantial accusations of being a paid informant for the British government.

[If you can, I would add additional information about other leaders such as Will Browning.]

'''[Overall, not bad! The biggest thing is to make sure that all of your information is properly cited.]'''

Claimed Attacks

 * 1) April 17th, 1999 An explosive device filled with nails exploded in Brixton, South London, injuring 39 people. Combat 18 claimed credit for this attack, followed by three other racist groups who each also claimed credit.
 * 2) April 24th 1999 A nail bomb exploded  in a car trunk in a predominately bangladeshi neighborhood in London. [Is there a specific street, building, or target that you could add here?] Combat 18 and the White Wolves a splinter of Combat 18 claimed credit for this attack.

Culpability for Attacks

 * 1) Armed assailants fired upon a mosque damaging the mosque but causing no casualties. No group claimed responsibility, authorities suspect that Combat 18 was responsible.