January 20, 2006
WE CAN'T BE TERRORISTS, WE CARE TOO MUCH:
U.S. Indicts 11 for Acts of Domestic Terrorism (DAVID STOUT, 1/20/06, NY Times)
Eleven people have been indicted on charges of carrying out a years-long spree of arson, bombings and other acts of domestic terrorism throughout five Western states, the Justice Department said today.The 65-count indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in Eugene, Ore., accuses the 11 of charges that include arson, conspiracy and use and possession of destructive devices arising from crimes in Oregon, Wyoming, Washington, California and Colorado from 1996 through 2001, the authorities said.
Working on behalf of the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front, the defendants committed arson with improvised incendiary devices fashioned from milk jugs, petroleum products and homemade timers, causing damage in the millions of dollars, Justice Department officials said.
"The trail of destruction left by these defendants across the Western United States caused millions of dollars in damage to public and private facilities," Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said at a news conference.
Director Robert S. Mueller III of the F.B.I., who appeared at the session with Mr. Gonzales, said one of the bureau's "highest domestic terrorism priorities" is catching and prosecuting "those who commit crime and terrorism in the name of animal rights or environmental issues."
The indictments announced today follow a series of arrests on Dec. 7 in Oregon, Arizona, New York and Virginia, the Justice Department said.
I've been pulling together links for a review of Michael Crichton's State of Fear and it's hilarious the way they demonstrate the book's point--that preconceived notions are nearly impenetrable by reality, indeed, shape one's perception of "reality." Practically without exception, those on the Right review it favorably, though perhaps with caveats about the shallowness of the characters and the pedantry of the text, while those on the Left may make nods to his way with a thriller, but find the premise--that global warming is more a craze than a crisis--downright dangerous. Included in the latter are myriad objections to the idea that environmentalists are the bad guys, even terrorists. After all, everyone knows it's uncaring businessmen who are the bad guys....
Zealots care too much, by definition.
Posted by: ghostcat at January 20, 2006 11:46 PMThe Zealots didn't.
Posted by: oj at January 20, 2006 11:51 PMSimon says they cared enough. They sent their very best.
Posted by: ghostcat at January 21, 2006 12:04 AMExactly.
Posted by: oj at January 21, 2006 12:08 AMThe hallmark of a fine blog.
Posted by: ghostcat at January 21, 2006 12:17 AMJeez, if a federal grand jury from Eugene can lead to an indictment, they must be guilty.
Posted by: pchuck at January 21, 2006 10:24 AMSomeone should pull together a profile of the leftist professors who doubtless indoctrinated these zealots (soon hopefully to be jailbirds).
Posted by: ZF at January 21, 2006 1:34 PM