TA-THREATS: ELF Poised to Strike

Ecoterrorists are ready to attack in retaliation for the conviction of Jeff Luers. Luers was convicted on charges of arson on June 16, 2000 for his involvement in the burning of a truck dealorship in Eugene, Oregon. He is currently serving a 22-year sentence, the largest handed out for eco-terrorism in the United States. The call for action in support of Luers is being named titled J12, for June 12.


The FBI said in a bulletin released to every law enforment agency in the country, "[there is] no specific information regarding planned terrorist actions to coincide with J12 events,[however], law enforcement officers should be alert to indicators of possible terrorist planning.


[edit on 13-6-2004 by Banshee]

Maybe something will happen in June, with the Bush administration in power. Now there's Earth Liberation Front and Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaeda poised to attack in June. The ELF reminds me of GreenPeace stretched to extreme levels. Makes you wonder if the ELF got something out of The Day After Tomorrow.

taken from www.freefreenow.org...
In June 2001, 23 year old forest defense activist Jeffrey "Free" Luers was sentenced to 22 years and 8 months in prison for the burning of three Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV's) in Eugene, Oregon. To make a statement about global warming, Free and a friend named "Critter" set fire to 3 Sport Utility Vehicles at a car dealership. Their stated purpose was to raise awareness about global warming and the role that SUVs play in that process. Both activists took measures to make sure that no one would be injured as a result of their action and scouted the location for months beforehand. An arson specialist later confirmed that the action did not pose any threat to people based on its size and distance from any fuel source. Despite the fact that this action hurt no one, caused only $40,000 in damages and the cars were later resold, Jeff was sent to prison for a sentence considerably longer than those convicted of murder, kidnapping and rape in Oregon state.

This is ridiculous I know rapists and serial killers that get less time than that. "22 years and 8 months in prison" No one was killed, demonstration was cleverly planned, and they pose no serious threat to society.

Leave it to the FBI to F*** up an investigation. They go after peaceful environmentalists rather than plane hijackers, subway bombers, serial killers, rapists, murderers, etc.... What is this world coming to?

I'm a big fan of enviromental causes & I feel that the Earth is in danger because of pollution & all that--but I do think that ecoterrorism could be "the next big thing" in world events. We're all expecting Middle Eastern terrorists to hit, but it could be something from left field like Eco-Terrorists or some obscure religious cult to strike "like a thief in the night," we' d just be totally blind-sided. It's just an intuitive hunch I have. I also remember the movies 12 Monkeys & 28 Days Later.

I'm all for no terrorism happening and Greenpeace happily continuing to save the planet's eco-structure, tho.

well thats smart, make a statement about global warming by setting SUVs on fire. Hmm, how many chemicals do you think were released into the atmosphere from the burning paint,plastic,rubber, and interior. Reminds me of an ad I saw for PETA. It was a picture of the founder holding a little dog with the caption reading something like "Animals shouldn't be exploited." It was all about how owning animals as pets was wrong. Well, what about the dog in the picture? wasn't he being exploited? You can be sure it wasn't a wild dog, otherwise she wouldn't be holding it close to her face. It had a collar on it so it was obviously someones' pet. Most of these so-called "Eco-Groups" are just hypocritical organizations bent on imposing their beliefs on everyone else. Its fashionable to be all "Meat is Murder." It's frikkin bellbottoms.

At least these Eco-terrorists try not to hurt anyone, a far cry from the anti-choise Terrorists who shoot Doctors! Just the same, ELF activists who carry-out illeagal acts should expect jail time.

Recall ELF's burning of the lodge at the top of Vail Mountain in protest of Vail's expansion into more wilderness area.

I do not condone property destruction as a means to illuminate one's cause!
ELF would help it's cause by conducting non-violent protest/boycott only.
This said, 22 years is quite a long sentence for arson in this case! Let's all hope that ELF learns the Leagal way and gives up on foolish acts of destruction!

According to Ghandi, destruction of property is not violence; violence can only be applied against sentient entities.

Strange how our government is so concerned about these "terrorists" that have not hurt anyone physically. Corporations should not be givin the same rights as people!

didnt the whole mess of 28 days start with eco-terror? when they released the monkeys from the cages in that lab, that were infected with the virus,

.......Some more perspective on eco-terrorism:

infoshop.org
March 17, 2004

By Pete Spina

On June 1, 2001, fires were set at the Schoppert Logging Company in Eagle Creek, Oregon. Schoppert was due to begin logging on US Forest Service land. One whole logging truck, valued $50,000 was destroyed and two others damaged. This was terrorism, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force said. Indictments came down with charges of 1) damaging vehicles and other property used in interstate commerce, 2) obstructing the movement of commodities in interstate commerce, 3) using violence to interfere in commerce and 4) using an incendiary device to commit an act of violence. If convicted, defendants could receive up to $1 million in fines or up to 80 years in prison, more than twelve times the average sentence for rape, a class one felony.

Recently, environmental activist and tree-sitter Tre Arrow, wanted by the FBI, was taken into custody by Canadian authorities in British Colombia for shoplifting a pair of bolt-cutters. He is accused by authorities of the Schoppert Logging fire and of being a member of the Earth Liberation Front, America's "Number 1" domestic terrorist organization.

With each new horrific assault on human life that occurs in this world, we are inundated with streams of hollow rhetoric used to rationalize, not to justify, whatever stance the government takes. Terrorism no longer has anything to do with fear, freedom does not have any relation to rights, and violence has nothing to do with harm to living things. Particularly since 9/11, governments and corporations have demanded that we accept as truth things that are either outright contradictions or examples of what is known as false concreteness, the assumption that irrelevant association leads to substantive conclusions with far reaching implications. Some of the contradictions we are told to swallow are eternal, like the idea that waging war brings peace or that security only comes at the expense of liberty. Others, like the idea that invading Iraq would make us safer or that conspicuous consumption is effective counter-terrorism, serve the interests of the powerful.

Welcome then, to the propaganda of what the Zapatista rebels of Chiapas, Mexico dubbed the Fourth World War, the struggle between the culture of life and the culture of death, of neoliberalism against humanity, of power against truth.

Doublethink this: Property Is Life.

A farmer's rights activist from India mounted a podium to deliver a speech at a conference several years ago and found a bottle of Nestl� iced tea waiting for him. Enraged by the presence of a Nestl� product at his podium, he hurled the bottle against a nearby wall, bursting its contents all over the place and shouted, "This is not violence!"

Then he told a story about nonviolence. When Mahatma Gandhi was asked once if blowing up a train used for the British occupation of India was violent, he replied that if it was a passenger train then it would be violent to blow it up. If it was a train carrying weapons and ammunition though, Gandhi said that it should not be considered violent.

Ironically, the police, multi-national corporations, federal agents and logging companies, like the one whose logger murdered tree-sitter David "Gypsy" Chain by intentionally felling a tree on him, are never held to the same level of scrutiny on the subject of violence which they, through the media, are relentless about with activists themselves. From the start of ELF activities in 1998, federal authorities and the timber and fur industries described them as violent extremists, comparing the smallest act of vandalism to mass murder. In the process, the ELF's critics may have aided in the group's allure and folk hero mythology.

"The FBI can't stop them, and their appetite for destruction is growing. Meet ELF, our biggest domestic terror threat." While �ber-glossies like Maxim usually don't delve much deeper than surfing chimpanzees or softcore hetero porn, March's issue contains an article detailing the exploits of the Earth Liberation Front, the decentralized group of militant environmental direct actionists who, together with their sister organization the Animal Liberation Front, have caused a total of $82,752,700 in property damage to SUV dealerships, ski resorts and other targets since 1996. Teresa Platt, executive director of fur industry lobby group Fur Commission USA, tells Maxim, "They've hit the common man - An SUV is the common man. They're hitting soccer moms."

Ah, the common man, wrapped in mink pelts and driving a $40,000, 12 mpg H2 Hummer. Interestingly, Fur Commission USA's website (www.furcommission.com) goes so far as to declare farmed fur "an environmentally friendly resource" which reduces the "environmental impact of the agricultural sector" by feeding leftover human food to the mink. So how are the coats made? Do the mink go willingly after their sauna? The website didn't say. So beyond the obviously skewed perception of common folk which fur industry executives seem to display lies the disturbing realization that Teresa Platt is either unable or unwilling to make a distinction between living things and inanimate possessions. To her and millions like her, just as mink is a commodity, SUV's are the common man and soccer moms are their Lincoln Navigators. The assumption here is that property is as important as human (or any animal) life.

One of the ELF's explicit action guidelines is to avoid, by all necessary precautions, hurting any animal, human and nonhuman. Regardless, critics and federal agents insist that it is only a matter of time before somebody gets hurt or killed. Not surprisingly, the ELF and ALF top the FBI�s domestic terrorist list. This is, of course, misleading.

Doublethink this: Teachers Are Terrorists.

Recently, Education Secretary Rod Paige called the largest teachers' union, the NEA, "a terrorist organization" because of its criticism of President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. A report issued by the Miami Police Department in the wake of its repressive actions during the Free Trade Area of the Americas' summit likened nonviolent civil disobedience activists to terrorists as well. Terrorist has long been a catch all-phrase applied to political opponents and nowhere today, even among most activists, does the real question of violence, central to the definition of terrorism, ever come up. That real, Gandhian question of violence is this: if a thing cannot feel pain, then is destroying it violence?

Violence once carried with it an immoral disregard for the sanctity of sentient life or physical well being. Instead of defining terrorism as any act which terrorizes people through threats or instances of physical injury, terrorism is redefined as any significant opposition to whomever wields power. If terrorism were really a question of violence then the Pentagon, Coca-Cola and the NYPD would top the list of terror threats. Once physical injury to a living thing is removed from its definition, violence and terrorism become meaningless, irrelevant words to be exploited only when needed to either rationalize the use of force or marginalize those who oppose you.

Curiously, a footnote to Maxim's ELF expos� is a small box devoted to "America's Homegrown Terrorists," with brief overviews of the Army of God, best known for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics� bombing and numerous Planned Parenthood bombings; the World Church of the Creator, whose members have gone on racist shooting sprees and plotted to assassinate federal judges; the National Alliance, whose members murdered a Jewish talk-show host, and Aryan Nations, connected to attempts to manufacture biological and chemical agents and send them through the mail to lawyer's with "Jewish-sounding names."

The ELF continues to receive top billing as far as domestic terrorist threats go.

Still no arrests in the anthrax case, J. Edgar? No wonder.

According to the Earth Liberation Front�s press office, 75 illegal direct actions occurred in 2003. Of that number, the Animal Liberation Front accounted for 18 actions and the Earth Liberation Front for 13, or roughly 41 percent of the total. The remainder were either anonymous or claimed by what are now referred to as the Revolutionary Cells - the Animal Liberation Brigade, Direct Action Front, the Frogs, the Vegan Dumpster Militia and others. (Source: published in Satya magazine.) The combined total of damage caused was nearly $60 million, $55 million of it attributed to the Earth Liberation Front. No one was injured. Among the ELF actions were a series of fires at Hummer dealerships in southern California. The FBI arrested two individuals in relation to the fires and released both within a matter of days for lack of evidence.

Doublethink this: Freedom Is Consumption.

Maxim's story might send shivers up the spines of budding car dealers from West Covina to East Millstone, but if you hadn't noticed, nearly 5,000 people disappeared into a cloud of ash and debris over the skies of Lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001. According to iraqbodycount.org, civilian deaths in the current Iraq war have now surpassed 10,000. Around the globe, people are being killed by war, in poverty, through starvation or with easily treatable diseases. In the 1990's, Shell Oil paid Nigerian soldiers to massacre 2,000 indigenous Ogoni and seize their oil-rich lands. Today, Coca-Cola hires death squads in Colombia to torture and kill Sinaltrainal -- National Union of Food Industry -- organizers.

This is terrorism and it is murder, plain and simple. This is their culture of death. As Joseph Heller put it in Catch-22, the enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side they're on. That's all it comes down to. With staggeringly low-gas mileage and double the pollution output per tank of gas than smaller cars, SUV's increase this country's dependence on oil while choking our environment. Haven't had enough war or terrorism? Drive an SUV. It will become like an old pet, a member of the family, beloved. Or perhaps people should stop condemning the ELF and others. Maybe, we should all focus on the real terrorists.

herm,
EXCELLENT POST!!!

You have helped me to access this topic with new perspective. I will have to give further concideration to this "Ghandian" definition of violence.
I couldn't agree more that the manipulation of language can have far-reaching social effect.

I would love to hear the FBI's justification for listing ELF as the no.1 Domestic Terror Threat.

I think we may be missing the bigger picture here. The ELF is not just focused on SUVs and ski resorts. It, and others like it, want all non eco-friendly activities to cease. And by and large, their version of non eco-friendly is any and all activities that harm the natural resources of the planet. This may seem like a good thing. I mean, who doesn't want to protect the planet. But it goes beyond that. This would mean no animal testing, no paper products, no animal by-products used in machinery and electronics(computers too), and thousands of other uses. Bio-chemical research on animals has saved MILLIONS of lives. Possibly more. The vaccinations, organ transplants,and medications like insulin for diabetics have all come from animal testing and animal by-products. The ELF,ALF,PETA, and many more of their sister organizations want all of this to stop. Sorry little Jimmy, Insulin comes from animal testing and by-products. I guess your going to die in a few days. But you'll rest easier knowing that your death has spared a cow.
They may not be killing people now,(give them time) but if they are successful in forcing the world to obey the beliefs of a radical few, then BILLIONS of people will die. In every eco-system, one species rises up to dominate the others. We humans are that species. There's no use feeling guilty about. It's as natural as earthworms and nuclear bombs. If it wasn't humans, it would have just been something else.

Probably those Damn, Dirty Apes.

Last Pat,
I am not trying to defend ELF, ALF, PETA(People Eating Tasty Animals) as I too think of these groups as radical/extremist. The point I was making was that putting them at the top of the Domestic Terror List is doing a dis-service to the people who deserve better from their Government protectors. Raising these eco-terrorists to the level of Al Queda is more a service to Big Business than it is any form of protection for the great unwashed masses.

Your argument is in effect: If I hook this cow's teats to this generator and shock the crappola out of it, and that in effect has the result of producing some benefit to Man through the pain inflicted apon the cow, that it is then O.K. to do so for the benefit of Man. This is a BS argument. You justify this treatment by stating the obvious position of Humans at the top of the food chain. We are not just the most efficient predator at the top. I would argue that we have a responsability at the top to be stewards of our environment, not merely exploiters. Are we not sentient beings? Weighing the relative pain of another creature versus the relative benefit to ourselves is a bankrupt position to take. It is certainly much easier to ignore the pain/suffering/exploitation of animals. I eat meat and wear leather. It's easier to just go along and not think about the poor little critters who make-up our diet. If you sit back and really think about it you will become a Vegan. I/we are much too Hedonistic to entertain such restraint.

At least I know of my limitations and I have no desire to try to justify morally my desire to have the occasional hamburger. I know it's wrong but God-dern-it, they just taste good!

Also, don't forget it's a tenuous position at the top.

I totaly agree with you about the raising of the ELF and others to Al Qaeda levels of importance. I never meant to imply this. If it seemed this way, I apologize. Personally, I am much more concerned about Al Qaeda. My problem with these groups is this; the fact that they are so fashionable. Don't miss-understand me on this statement,please.LoL. I have seen many of their rallies and protests, and I gotta tell you, it's kind of scary. They have a bunch of brain-dead kids so in love with the idea of being a revolutionary that they can't even think for themselves. I swear, if you look close enough, you can see the iron collars that say "POP-CULTURE SLAVE". It's cool to be a rebel now. Hell, it's practically sold to you over the counter in bright shiny packages.

As far as human responsibility goes, Again, I agree with you. The point I was trying to make was that these groups want it ALL to stop, regardless of it's benefits to humans. And the slaves... I mean revolutionarys they have working towards this end are so brainwashed by rationalized propoganda that they can't even see the real consequences of their actions.
I personally have sent MANY cute,fuzzy animals to their deaths simply to appease my hunger. I have no problems with being the one responsible for their deaths. It just doesn't bother me. Birds don't feel anything wrong with plucking worm out of the ground and devouring it, why should I feel any different about killing the bird for that same reason. However, I do not wish to cause any animal, nor take pleasure in undue suffering. Thats just mean. But these guys need to realize that this is a hard world, and you have to be a hard person to survive in it. Their whole argument is about how humans and animals are related, or something like that. "Animals are people too!" was on a banner I saw. Now, if an animal kills another animal, it's nature. But if a human kills an animal, it's murder? That sound completely insane to me and many others.
If someone came to me and said, "We've found a cure for cancer,but in order to bring it to fruition, we have to torture and kill every bunny-wabbit on earth. Its up to you, mister last patriot sir." Well, lets just say that Peter Cottontail would have a very bad day. And I would smile for the rest of my rabbit killing life.

Last Pat, or should I call you Coach Billicheck? (a little levity)
You can't compare yourself to the bird/worm example and then turn around and debunk the "animals are people too" argument, that's just plain contradictory.

I agree with you when you talk about the "Young Rebels" following blindly, kind-of reminds one of many illusionary Young Republicans I have met. OK,... Dems., Greens, Commies., Libertarians, etc.

Eco-terrorists, I believe, are taking the extreme position because they feel it is getting to be a DESPARATE situation. I'm not so sure that they are wrong.

Watch out Pat, That Rabbit is Dynamite!

Big Nasty Teeth!

I don't think eco-terrorism should be at the forefront of the U.S. governments fears. I think with the division between rich and poor only grower larger each year and big business and the wealthy deciding the future, there is more of a threat from anti-government factions than eco-terrorism. Timothy McVey style. Most enviromentalists aren't big gun activists, these guys are(NRA).

Look at the support the IRA got from the world and especially the United States during it's battle over tyranny. That was a legit fight for freedom. The British Government condonned executions without trial(SAS hit squads).

Governments all over the world have failed their people in Capitalist societies. Making money has become the most important thing. How can average people live in this world with what it costs(Higher fuel, food, heating, etc). I live in Canada and make around $55 000/year and I still find it difficult to live and so do many others. I don't live high on the hog either.

This will be the real battle of the future, the general population will grow tired of having to work so hard just to survive while the rich do whatever they can to make a buck.

[edit on 15-6-2004 by DEEZNUTZ]

Originally posted by herm

.......Some more perspective on eco-terrorism:

infoshop.org
March 17, 2004

By Pete Spina


Ah, the common man, wrapped in mink pelts and driving a $40,000, 12 mpg H2 Hummer.

Actually, that reminds me of something I saw on a local college campus a couple months ago. About three vehicles were vandalized with spray paint reading "SUVs KILL THE PLANET!" None of them were H2 Hummers.... one of them was a student's 1989 Jeep Cherokee. That just seems counter-productive to me.

elf? i dounbt it. once the riot shileds come out they start running