Justice Dept. accuses 11 of US eco-terrorism - The Boston Globe

Justice Dept. accuses 11 of US eco-terrorism - The Boston Globe: "WASHINGTON -- Justice Department officials yesterday hailed the indictment of 11 alleged members of an extremist group responsible for a string of property attacks across the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies as a ''substantial blow' to domestic terrorists bent on using violence to protect the environment and animal rights.

A 65-count indictment unsealed yesterday describes the 11 defendants as members of a group that claimed affiliation with the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front, two loose-knit movements the government describes as eco-terrorists. The government accuses the group of committing 17 attacks across five states, causing millions of dollars in damage to property.

''The indictment tells a story of 4 1/2 years of arson, vandalism, violence, and destruction claimed to have been executed on behalf of the Animal Liberation Front or Earth Liberation Front, extremist movements known to support acts of domestic terrorism,' Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said.

Eco-terrorism is sabotage to stop activities considered by activists to be damaging to the environment or animals, such as real estate development, fur farming, logging, mining, and biomedical research and product testing on animals. The FBI estimates that eco-terrorists were responsible for 1,200 incidents from 1994 to 2004, including arson, theft, animal releases, and other vandalism."

Harmless tree huggers, they are not.