GREEN GOONS & 'RIGHTS' LOONS
NEW YORK POST Editorial
January 28, 2006
So, will the American Civil Liberties Union apologize to the FBI?
Just last month, the ACLU screamed bloody murder that the FBI was "using counterterrorism resources to monitor and infiltrate domestic political organizations, despite a lack of evidence that the groups are engaging in or supporting violent action."
What will they say now — following a 65-count federal indictment of 11 members of the radical "environmental" groups, Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front?
The indictments, brought earlier this month, allege 17 incidents of arson, vandalism and other destructive acts — including sabotaging a high-tension power line — in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The indictment outlines a decade-long conspiracy.
Eight suspects are already under arrest, with three others still at large.
Particularly dangerous is Daniel AnDreas San Diego — suspected of planting bombs at two Bay Area companies specializing in biotechnology and beauty products. The FBI has a $250,000 reward for his capture.
None of this should come as a surprise to New York area residents.
ELF and ALF have been responsible for vandalism at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, torching partly built homes in Mount Sinai and stealing research animals from Cornell University laboratory.
Five years ago, two Suffolk County teens pleaded guilty to setting fires with information gleaned from ELF's Web site — which also, by the way, gives directions on how to make a bomb.
In short, it's long past time that these groups were shut down.
Their fellow travelers doubtless will say that, indictments aside, the FBI's surveillance of groups such as PETA or Greenpeace were unwarranted because they haven't engaged in violent behavior.
Any political movement can have extremists — but both PETA and Greenpeace have themselves engaged in behavior that crosses the line.
Greenpeace's attempts over the years to physically block whaling and nuclear testing has gotten it placed on various European nations' terrorist lists.
PETA has contributed money to ELF/ALF and refuses to condemn their eco-terrorist tactics
Just three years ago — after a donkey loaded with explosives was used on an unsuccessful attack — PETA head Ingrid Newkirk wrote to Yasser Arafat, urging the Palestinian Authority not to use animals to kill Israelis. Note that she didn't condemn the attacks against Israeli civilians, explaining, "It is not my business to inject myself into human wars."
As FBI Director Robert Mueller said recently: "Terrorism is terrorism."
None can be tolerated.
It's good that the feds moved against ELF now — before someone dies.
It's also a good thing that the FBI is keeping an eye on some of the other environmental domestic groups.
And, no, we're not expecting the ACLU to be offering an apology anytime soon.
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