IS it possible that Environmentalism can become terrorism? Becos in a way, Environmentalism seems to resemble religion minus all the rituals and stuff. But however, like religion it seems it's like a philosophy.etc. And misinterpreted it could become like extremism. I look from it from a negative perspective, it makes humans look like the enemy of everything natural. From a positive, humans are part of the natural system. Discuss.
Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Um, this isn't a theoretical discussion. Environmentalism has been linked to terrorism for years. One of the major terrorist groups active in the United States is the Earth Liberation Front. There is also the Animal Liberation Front, Earth First, and others. You can go to the FBI's website for more info: FBI Counter Terrorism Division Testimony to Congress
Wow... this is serious... So I suppose with increase awareness of environmentalism. Won't it be easier for these groups to get new members?
That seems not to quite earn them the terrorist label unless the dealers get destroyed also. Criminals, sure. But how many people live in terror after SUV dealerships get destroyed?
Pretty much any ism has adherents who commit some form of terrorism. Neo-conservativism, for example.
So far these groups still value human life though, the only thing they dun regard is machines and property. However, will there come a time when they will believe that humans need to be culled.... Possible? I know sounds crazy but there are crazy people out there. Like say those people destroy the world trade center.
Well I wouldn't feel safe if someone stole all the money in the world, but I don't think that makes thief a terrorist. You just invented a crime.
It does according to the FBI. And I'd imagine the people who worked at said dealerships felt a bit terrorized. Or how about the loggers who hit a spike and have their saw fly apart on them? And hey, let's not forget the unibomber. He was an environmental terrorist who had no compunctions about killing. I'm not sure if any of his victims died, but I know many where maimed.
Could you link me to somewhere the FBI is planning to charge them with terrorism. Not that I have to agree with the FBI's sense of the crime, but I'm a little surprised actually. As far as the dealers, sure. But I feel terrorized if an armed person comes into my home with a gun. But that isn't terrorism either. The terror has to be widespread. As far as the rest I already said that pretty much all isms have terrorist factions.
And if you don't like government sites (being that *are* the establishment and all that), how about the Anti-Defamation League? http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/ecoterrorism.asp
The FBI isn't just planning to charge anyone with eco-terrorism, it has already charged and convicted many people. If you follow the link in my first post in this thread labeled FBI counterterrorism testimony to congress, you'll find the following: The FBI and our law enforcement partners have made a number of arrests of individuals alleged to have perpetrated acts of eco-terrorism. Several of these individuals have been successfully prosecuted. Following the investigation of the Phoenix, Arizona, arsons noted earlier, Mark Warren Sands was indicted and arrested on 6/14/2001. On 11/07/2001, Sands pleaded guilty to ten counts of extortion and using fire in the commission of a federal felony. In February 2001, teenagers Jared McIntyre, Matthew Rammelkamp, and George Mashkow all pleaded guilty, as adults, to title 18 U.S.C. 844(i), Arson, and 844(n), Arson Conspiracy. These charges pertain to a series of arsons and attempted arsons of new home construction sites in Long Island, New York. An adult, Connor Cash, was also arrested on February 15, 2001, and charged under the same federal statutes. Jared McIntrye stated that these acts were committed in sympathy of the ELF movement. The New York Joint Terrorism Task Force played a significant role in the arrest and prosecution of these individuals. On 1/23/2001, Frank Ambrose was arrested by officers of the Department of Natural Resources with assistance from the Indianapolis JTTF, on a local warrant out of Monroe County Circuit Court, Bloomington, Indiana, charging Ambrose with timber spiking. Ambrose is suspected of involvement in the spiking of approximately 150 trees in Indiana state forests. The ELF claimed responsibility for these incidents. On September 16, 1998, a federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin indicted Peter Young and Justin Samuel for Hobbs Act violations as well as for animal enterprise terrorism. Samuel was apprehended in Belgium, and was subsequently extradited to the United States. On August 30, 2000, Samuel pleaded guilty to two counts of animal enterprise terrorism and was sentenced on November 3, 2000, to two years in prison, two years probation, and ordered to pay $364,106 in restitution. Samuel's prosecution arose out of his involvement in mink releases in Wisconsin in 1997. This incident was claimed by the ALF. The investigation and arrest of Justin Samuel were the result of a joint effort by federal, state, and local agencies. On April 20, 1997, Douglas Joshua Ellerman turned himself in and admitted on videotape to purchasing, constructing, and transporting five pipe bombs to the scene of the March 11, 1997, arson at the Fur Breeders Agricultural co-op in Sandy, Utah. Ellerman also admitted setting fire to the facility. Ellerman was indicted on June 19, 1997 on 16 counts, and eventually pleaded guilty to three. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and restitution of approximately $750,000. Though this incident was not officially claimed by ALF, Ellerman indicated during an interview subsequent to his arrest that he was a member of ALF. This incident was investigated jointly by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Rodney Adam Coronado was convicted for his role in the February 2, 1992, arson at an animal research laboratory on the campus of Michigan State University. Damage estimates, according to public sources, approached $200,000 and included the destruction of research records. On July 3, 1995, Coronado pled guilty for his role in the arson and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, three years probation, and restitution of more than $2 million. This incident was claimed by ALF. The FBI, ATF, and the Michigan State University police played a significant role in the investigation, arrest, and prosecution. Marc Leslie Davis, Margaret Katherine Millet, Marc Andre Baker, and Ilse Washington Asplund were all members of the self-proclaimed "Evan Mecham Eco-Terrorist International Conspiracy" (EMETIC). EMETIC was formed to engage in eco-terrorism against nuclear power plants and ski resorts in the southwestern United States. In November 1987, the group claimed responsibility for damage to a chairlift at the Fairfield Snow Bowl Ski Resort near Flagstaff, Arizona. Davis, Millet, and Baker were arrested in May 1989 on charges relating to the Fairfield Snow Bowl incident and planned incidents at the Central Arizona Project and Palo Verde nuclear generating stations in Arizona; the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Facility in California; and the Rocky Flats Nuclear Facility in Colorado. All pleaded guilty and were sentenced in September 1991. Davis was sentenced to six years in federal prison, and restitution to the Fairfield Snow Bowl Ski Resort in the amount of $19,821. Millet was sentenced to three years in federal prison, and restitution to Fairfield in the amount of $19,821. Baker was sentenced to one year in federal prison, five months probation, a $5,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service. Asplund was also charged and was sentenced to one year in federal prison, five years probation, a $2,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service. Currently, more than 26 FBI field offices have pending investigations associated with ALF/ELF activities. Despite all of our efforts (increased resources allocated, JTTFs, successful arrests and prosecutions), law enforcement has a long way to go to adequately address the problem of eco-terrorism. Groups such as the ALF and the ELF present unique challenges. There is little if any hierarchal structure to such entities. Eco-terrorists are unlike traditional criminal enterprises which are often structured and organized.
I may be missing it but I still can't see the SUV attackers being charged with terrorism. I do see, however, that destroying property counts as terrorism, which I think is a mistake, but on the general issue I can see you are right about the FBI. Timber spiking is violent so I can see that being considered a violent crime. But according to the FBI... This would mean that if a bunch of homophobes charged a gay pride parade and beat up some homosexuals they could be considered terrorists. It makes the hate crime laws a subset. I can think of other crimes that are never considered terrorism which could be under this description.
Yeah. Any "cause" can lead to terrorism in extremist groups. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the extremists represent all the people in favour of the "cause", though, because that is very rarely the case. The extremists are ... extreme.
ironic, you have "eco terrioust" for blowing up an SUV dealership with no one inside but yet US goverments STILL wont lable abortion clinic bombers as terriousts. Highly amusing in a shaking your head kind of way
