On May 18, last week the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held hearings on Oversight on Eco-terrorism specifically examining the Earth Liberation Front (“ELF”) and the Animal Liberation Front (“ALF”) – click for links to testimony by committee members and witnesses.

The most notable statement was that of FBI Deputy Assistant Director John Lewis who stated:

One of today’s most serious domestic terrorism threats come from special interest extremist movements such as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), and Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign. Adherents to these movements aim to resolve specific issues by using criminal “direct action” against individuals or companies believed to be abusing or exploiting animals or the environment.

“Direct action” is often criminal activity that destroys property or causes economic loss to a targeted company. Traditional targets have ranged from, but have not been limited to, research laboratories to restaurants, fur farmers to forestry services. Extremists have used arson, bombings, theft, animal releases, vandalism, and office takeovers to achieve their goals.

Other notable testimony came from David Martosko, Director of Research at the Center for Consumer Freedom. Martosko’s central point was on connections between PETA and ALF. His testimony came with a wealth of exhibits that give a real insight into the workings of these far-left terrorists.

Senators James Jeffords (D-VT) and Barack Obama (D-IL) unequivocally rejected the use of violence for any cause but raised several questions about the utility and necessity of the hearings. Both questioned whether the few score ALF and ELF incidents compares thousands of hate crimes reported annually and the ongoing danger of right-wing terrorism. Both also questioned whether the Environment and Public Works Committee really had jurisdiction over these issues and if their time would not be better spent addressing major public health issues – such as high lead levels in paint – that actually affect hundreds of thousands of children.

These are fair criticisms. But, questions of jurisdiction aside, the growing violence and sophistication of ALF and ELF – from a counter-terror perspective is well worth noting. They have not killed any Americans – yet. But there have been several incidents of property crime that came close and there have also been several attacks by affiliated groups in the United Kingdom in which people were beaten and injured. And in the Netherlands, Pim Fortuyn’s assassin was a long-time animal rights activist. Most importantly, the rhetoric is shifting. Traditionally ALF carried out liberation actions in which lab or farm animals were freed and insisted that they would never take an action that would harm a human. But at an August 2003 Animal Rights Conference in LA 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 think there are places where it could be used quite effectively from a pragmatic standpoint.

…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….

When asked if there was a difference between this strategy and the pro-life movement killing abortionists, Vlasak responded, “Absolutely, I think they’ve had a great strategy going.”

He really did say these things – for the evidence, click here.

These are not idle threats and these terrorists should not be dismissed as dilettantes or starry-eyed idealists. The FBI’s Lewis states:

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. ELF’s target list has expanded to include sports utility vehicle dealerships and new home developers. We believe these trends will persist, particularly within the environmental movement, as extremists continue to combat what they perceive as “urban sprawl.”

Preventing such criminal activity has become increasingly difficult, in large part because extremists in these movements are very knowledgeable about the letter of the law and the limits of law enforcement. Moreover, they are highly autonomous. Lists of targets and instructions on making incendiary devices are posted on the Internet, but criminal incidents are carried out by individuals or small groups acting unilaterally. Criminal activity by animal rights extremists and eco-terrorists in particular requires relatively minor amounts of equipment and minimal funding. Extremists of these movements adhere to strict security measures in both their communications and their operations.

Most of the members are middle and upper class, well educated and with a large proportion of graduate students in their ranks. Finally, they are an utterly non-hierarchical group with self-forming and maintaining autonomous cells that are in one-way contact with the “press offices.” That is, 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 conference by anonymous email. Thus taking down the press office is of limited utility, since it is easy enough to start another website. Breaking up a cell does very little to impact the movement as a whole.

Two major factors indicate ALF and ELF’s growing potential to carryout a major terrorist event. Terrorism feeds off of anger sparked by a sense of grievance. The scale of ALF and ELF’s enemies - ALF opposes all mistreatment of animals (including the hundreds of millions of animals slaughtered for food) and ELF readily tags development as environmental devastation - lead inexorably to violent opposition to society itself. It is not an impossible leap to imagine this sort of deep rage manifesting itself in the form of catastrophic terrorism.

There is also the possibility that ALF and ELF could link up with international terrorist groups. This is not far-fetched. The ALF and ELF rhetoric is infused with Marxist and anarchist rhetoric that criticizes the familiar litany of globalization, American imperialism, and capitalism. ELF ideologue Craig Rosebraugh has played a key role in steering ELF and ALF into these broader issues. On March 17, 2003 Rosebraugh wrote, "the only possibility of stopping this current military action is to engage in 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 writes, "revolution in the United States must be comprised of a variety of strategies" and that "it cannot be successful without the implementation of violence." Adherents to such ideals could readily link up with international anti-American organizations of various stripes (including Islamists) and facilitate their actions, acquire skills, and be inspired to carry out mega-terror attacks in their own right.

Others in ALF and ELF are even more directly aligned with international terrorist organizations. Daniel Andreas San Diego (who is on the FBI’s most wanted list for an attempted 2003 bombings of the Chiron and Shaklee corporations) sent an email to ALF press offices claiming credit for the bombing that ended with this salute to terrorists around the world:

In memory of all of those fallen before us in the war for liberation: Jill Phipps (animal activist), Barry Horne (ALF), Olaia Kastresana (ETA), Arkaitz Otazua (ETA), Angayarkanni (LTTE), Babu (LTTE), Bobby Sands (IRA), Patsy O'Hara (INLA), Carlos Guiliani (anti-globilization martyr), Lee Kyung-hae (farmer and anti-globablization victim), and many more on numerous other fronts. We won't forget you, we won't let your deaths be in vain.

Gora Euskadi Ta Askatasuna!
Up the Real IRA!
Long live the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine!
Viva La Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia!
Long live the Frontu Di Liberazione Naziunalista Corsu!
For the creation of Revolutionary Cells!
For Humyn, Earth & Animal Liberation!

Bringing the bomb and the bullet back into amerikan politics, Revolutionary Cells --animal liberation brigade

On a certain level San Diego’s lumping animal rights with IRA, ETA etc. is a bit bizarre. After all, if he is that worked up over the suffering of animals, the mere thousands of humyn deaths in the various conflicts he sympathizes with seem hardly worth the bother. Also, ETA, PFLP etc. are – to the best of my knowledge – uninterested in animal rights and not terribly vegan.

But this misses the point. Whether San Diego is in touch with these groups – in particular the PFLP, which has links with Iran and Hezbollah and could be a gateway to Middle Eastern terror – his rhetoric shows a tremendous interest in such an alliance. These alliances will only increase ALF and ELF’s skills, deepen their radicalism, and create the possibility of their members being recruited to the ends of other groups.

While there is no question that domestic terrorism from the right has been far more deadly than domestic terrorism from the left, law enforcement has responded to the former threat. Militia and other extremist groups on the right are investigated and infiltrated. ALF and ELF, on the other hand, have proven resistant to law enforcement penetration. Arguing that these groups have not perpetrated anything remotely on the scale of Oklahoma City misses the point. These groups need to be stopped before they reach that point. Finally, it is worth noting that the most dangerous potential terrorists are those who are not under any suspicion. With their highly disciplined internal security, the terrorists of ALF and ELF have successfully evaded detection by law enforcement and consequently are the most difficult to effectively counter.