Beware of EcoTerrorists

As we continue to be vigilant about threats from groups outside of the US, there is growing concern about the terrorists within. Along with some extreme right wing groups, there are the animal rights and environmental extremist groups. Some of the leadership in these groups are advocating violence as a means of pushing their movements and agendas. More and more those agendas have become marxist and even anarchist in nature. Aaron Mannes has more details in his article.

'According to FBI Deputy Assistant Director John Lewis, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) are "one of today's most serious domestic terrorism threats." Skeptics, including The New York Times editorial page, argue that this threat is over hyped as these groups have confined themselves to property crime, unlike the well-established record of deadly right-wing terrorism. But waiting for terrorist groups to turn to murder is pre-9/11 thinking and the growing violence and sophistication of ALF and ELF are worrisome.

The FBI's Lewis testified to the Senate:

"Attacks are also growing in frequency and size. Harassing phone calls and vandalism now co-exist with improvised explosive devices and personal threats to employees. … Extremists of these movements adhere to strict security measures in both their communications and their operations."

The membership is well educated with many graduate students in their ranks. ALF and ELF are a non-hierarchical group with self-forming autonomous cells that are in one-way contact with the "press offices." The press offices provide ideological and practical guidance and participate in conferences where members can be recruited and trained. Cells, in turn, report actions to the press offices by anonymous e-mail. Closing the press offices has limited utility, since it is easy to start another website while breaking up a cell has minimal impact on the movement as a whole. These are not the operations of amateur coffeehouse revolutionaries, but of a sophisticated underground network of dedicated members.

Equally troubling, the internal rhetoric of the movement is shifting. Traditionally ALF freed lab and farm animals, insisting that they would never purposefully harm a human. But affiliated groups in Europe have beaten opponents, and Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn's assassin was an animal rights activist. At an August 2003 Animal Rights Conference in Los Angeles, an ALF spokesman, Dr. Jerry Vlasak, stated:

"I think there is a use for violence in our movement. And I think it can be an effective strategy. Not only is it morally acceptable. … I don't think you'd have to kill -- assassinate -- too many vivisectors before you would see a marked decrease in the amount of vivisection going on."'

Of course, the NY Times would be among the skeptics. There is no lef wing movement that the Times would denigrate and you can be sure any reporting of violence by any of these groups would be relegated topage A-32, if reported at all. The fact that Vlasak finds violence moral, should be a very big red flag.

'The ALF and ELF worldview is also expanding. Their rhetoric (which can be read on a number of websites including (http://www.animalliberationfront.com/) has become infused with Marxist and anarchist ideology, criticizing the familiar litany of globalization, American imperialism and capitalism. In March 2003, just before the Iraq war, ELF ideologue Craig Rosebraugh called for, "strategies and tactics which severely disrupt the war machine, the U.S. economy, and the overall functioning of U.S. society." In his book, The Logic of Political Violence, Rosebraugh wrote: "[R]evolution in the United States … cannot be successful without the implementation of violence." Transferring ALF's and ELF's enemies from particular industries and companies to society as a whole could inspire larger scale terrorist attacks.

ALF and ELF could also link with international terrorists as they have affiliates in Europe and connections to the radical left internationally. Daniel Andreas San Diego (who is on the FBI's most wanted list for a series of attempted 2003 bombings of animal research facilities) demonstrated this kinship when he sent an e-mail claiming credit for the bombings that ended with a salute to international terrorists, including the Real IRA, Columbia's FARC and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (which is closely linked with the Islamist terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah). Such links would increase ELF and ALF capabilities and radicalism and could lead to Americans being recruited to international terrorist groups.'

The willingness of these groups to align themselves with known terrorist organizations, is just another manifestation of the hatred of America and Americans. These organizations are committing treason and the leftist MSM is virtually silent on it. How long will it be before one or more than one member of these groups willingly becomes a part of a terrorist attack on US soil. Indeed we must also be vigilant at home as well as abroad. It will not be long before there is a terrorist attempt in US. Will members of these far left groups be willing accompliises? Only time will tell. - Sailor