Liberty
Matters News Service
June 3, 2004
FBI Nabs Seven Eco-terrorists
The FBI has rounded up seven suspects accused of a variety
of terrorist acts aimed at employees of a New Jersey pharmaceutical testing
company and six companies doing business with Huntingdon Life Sciences. The
suspects, all in their twenties, were indicted on charges of engaging in a
conspiracy to violate a federal law that bans terrorism against animal
enterprises. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of three years in prison
and a $250,000 fine. Additionally, the president of the "Stop Huntingdon Animal
Cruelty" (SHAC) organization, Kevin Kjonaas, along with associates Lauren
Gazzola and Jacob Conroy, face charges of interstate stalking and using the
Internet to instill fear. Those charges carry penalties of five years in prison
and $250,000 in fines. Christopher J. Christie, United States Attorney for New
Jersey, denounced the group's tactics as reprehensible. "Their business, quite
frankly, is thuggery and intimidation. Our goal is to remove uncivilized people
from civilized society," he said. SHAC may also have connections to People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), according to David Martosko of the
Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF). Martosko said, "Arrested SHAC leader, Joshua
Harper, received a $5,000 grant from PETA in 2001," [and] "Andy Stepanian
organizes rock concerts used by PETA to recruit teenagers into the radical
animal rights movement." "SHAC would never have existed without PETA."
Animal-Rights Terrorism Arrests
Tied to "Mainstream" Animal Charities
Seven Animal Rights Advocates Arrested
Vandals Continue to Sabotage Loggers
Radical environmentalists
are suspected of vandalizing logging equipment in Prairie City, Oregon last
week causing an estimated $100,000 in damages. Ken Speakman, timber manager for
the D. R. Johnson Lumber Company said someone poured metal shavings into the
engines, fuel tanks and hydraulic systems of a log loader, a de-limber, a D-5
bulldozer and two skidders. It will take at least two weeks to repair the
damage and production delays will be costly. The FBI has joined the hunt for
the perpetrators. "This is just plain terrorism," said Speakman.
Environmentalists have kept up a barrage of lawsuits to stop salvage of the
Monument fire that consumed 23,000 acres in 2002, but a federal judge rejected
their motions for temporary injunctions. Logging will be allowed to proceed
despite the pending lawsuits. Meanwhile, the loony left is setting up camp in
southern Oregon to protest and impede plans to log other overgrown,
disease-ridden forests. Calling its camp a "Forest Rescue Station," Ginger
Cassady, Greenpeace Forest Campaigner said, "Greenpeace has come to southern
Oregon because this is a place of international significance…[and] why is
the Bush administration spending billions of taxpayer dollars to destroy our
public forest lands, instead of investing in high-skill, family wage jobs that
would benefit communities and restore the land," she continued.
Vandals Damage Logging Equipment in Salvage Area
Greenpeace Opens First Forest Rescue Station in U.S. in Threatened Ancient Forest in Oregon
Army Cuts Funds for Environmental Protection
The Army will no longer spend
huge amounts of money on frivolous environmental protection programs and
instead will shift the funds to win the war against terrorism. Major General
Anders Aadland has ordered Army garrison commanders worldwide to "take
additional risk in environmental programs; terminate environmental contracts
and delay all non-statutory enforcement actions," until after the new fiscal
year begins in October. Aadland told his commanders; "All of you must implement
these actions now and ensure resources are best used to support the war
effort." But the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) said
the Pentagon should not cut spending on programs to reduce pollution and
protect wildlife, even in time of war. "This is an order to base commanders
authorizing pollution of American soil when it saves money," said PEER's
executive director, Jeff Ruch. "Protecting America's land, air and water is not
a secondary mission that should be shirked when budgets get tight," he said.
Perhaps Mr. Ruch should consider what would happen to American soil if the
enemy invades us. In recent years Congress has acquiesced to five of eight
Pentagon requests to ease environmental requirements including requirements for
designating critical habitat and a lower threshold for what can be considered
"harassment" of a marine mammal. The Pentagon currently spends $4 billion a
year on military environmental programs.
Army Orders Environmental Cutbacks
Sierra Club Strikes Out
Clear Channel and Viacom have both refused
to run ads by the Sierra Club critical of the Salt River Project (SRP) of
Phoenix. The company is scheduled to begin construction of the Fence Lake Coal
Mine near Zuni Salt Lake that will provide coal for its Coronado Generating
Station by 2005. The station delivers electricity to 90,000 Phoenix area
customers. The Clubbers claim SRP will drain the lake to use for the mine and
has developed billboard messages reading: "SRP is targeting our sacred lands.
Save Zuni Salt Lake." Clear Channel Outdoor President Manny Molina returned a
$25,000 check to the Sierra Club citing "personal unease with the message." The
Zuni Salt Lake Coalition, which includes the Sierra Club and the ubiquitous
Center for Biological Diversity, then took its money and its message to Viacom,
who also slammed the door on its project. Coalition officials cried foul and
charged the companies' refusals to carry their ads served to "limit America's
most sacred public trust: freedom of speech." Clear Channel account executive
Casey Treadwell dismissed the charge. "We disagreed with parts of the ads. If
there's something that will create a lot of problems or target someone in a way
that we disagree with, we can cancel the contract," he said. "It's a national
corporate policy."
Clear Channel and Viacom Refuse Sierra Club Ads