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Posted on 01/04/2003 12:11:44 PM PST by kattracks
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- In the latest in a string of vandalism carried out in the name of the Earth Liberation Front, members of the radical environmental group are claiming responsibility for a fire at a Pennsylvania auto dealership.
A posting on the group's Web site said the "attack" targeted SUVs in a fight "to remove the profit motive from the killing of the natural environment."
Jugs of gasoline were set ablaze under three vehicles, engulfing them and a nearby car in flames at a dealership in Girard, about 110 miles north of Pittsburgh, FBI Special Agent Bob Rudge said. Three other vehicles also had jugs of gasoline set under them but failed to ignite.
"I have no reason to doubt that it's an individual who committed the acts on behalf of the Earth Liberation Front," Rudge said.
The FBI considers the Earth Liberation Front one of the nation's most prolific domestic terrorist organizations. It is thought to be responsible for the 1998 torching of a ski resort in Vail, Colo., an arson that caused $12 million in damage and is considered the most destructive act of eco-terrorism in U.S. history.
ELF is loosely organized. Anyone who carries out an action under the group's guidelines and claims responsibility as part of the organization is considered a member. Over the past year, its name has been attached to a string of vandalism in Pennsylvania.
Last month, the group's Web site said ELF members and cells from the Animal Liberation Front set a Nov. 26 fire at a mink farm in Erie. The fire destroyed a barn, but no animals or people were harmed.
The group also claimed responsibility for an Aug. 11 fire at an unoccupied forest research station near Warren and the torching in March of a construction crane at a bridge work site in Erie, Rudge said.
ELF's claims of responsibility typically come through its Web site, where managers say they serve only as a media conduit for the group. A manager who did not provide an identity said in an e-mail that the communique about Wednesday's fire came in anonymously, as do all reports of ELF attacks.
Rudge said that communique, posted on the Web site, appeared to be authentic because it included information that hadn't been made public.
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On The Net:
Earth Liberation Front: http://www.earthliberationfront.com/
FBI in Pittsburgh: http://pittsburgh.fbi.gov/
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved
AND WE WONDER WHY
These groups should be arrested if they get within 300 feet of a SUV.
FBI.gov - WANTED BY THE FBI: "MICHAEL JAMES SCARPITTI" also known as: "Matthew Hill, John Pierce, Ridge and Tre Arrow." (WANTED POSTER SNIPPET: "Scarpitti is a longtime environmental activist with an extensive history of involvement in anti-logging tree sits and other related protests. He is known to be affiliated with the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), which is a loosely organized movement whose stated objective is to stop the destruction of the natural environment and the exploitation of the earth's natural resources through whatever means are necessary. Law enforcement authorities consider the ELF to be a domestic terrorism group. REWARD The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Michael James Scarpitti.") (December 2002)
SAC BEE.com - THE SACRAMENTO BEE: "COURT APPEARANCE FIRST STEP IN EXTRADITION IN COP KILLING" ( ARTICLE NOTE: The suspect is identified as Andrew Hampton Mickel aka Andrew Hampton McCrae, age 23.)
FBI.gov - Field News - Press Release: "LEADER OF 'THE REALM OF CHAOS' PLEADS GUILTY" (PRESS RELEASE SNIPPET: Milwaukee, WI. "United States Attorney Steven M. Biskupic announced today that Joseph D. Konopka, (a/k/a Dr. Chaos)," ... "of Green Bay, Wisconsin entered a guilty plea before United States District Judge Lynn Adelman in the Eastern District of Wisconsin to six different violations of federal law relating to conspiracy to destroy energy facilities, arson of buildings, trafficking in counterfeit goods, intercepting electronic communications and causing damage to a protected computer. Konopka's conviction relates to charges that from February 14, 1998 to January 25, 2001, he conspired to injure or destroy communication facilities, energy facilities, air navigation facilities and buildings used in interstate commerce. More than 50 charged overt acts caused approximately 28 power outages and approximately 20 other service interruptions affecting in excess of 30,000 powere customers, resulting in damages in excess of $800,000. During this period of time Konopka was the self-appointed leader of a loose affiliation of persons called "The Realm of Chaos", which recruited its members from participants in the Internet Relay Chat channel, youths identified as customers of the Infinity Technology network services, or friends and associates of other participants in "The Realm of Chaos". He would then induce young males to engage in property damage and then observe the consequences. The properties included attacks on communications and energy facilities, air navigation facilities, and buildings used in interstate commerce.") (PRESS RELEASE NOTE: "Joseph D. Konopka was born in 1976.) (122002)
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It's a 'Burgh
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Isn't this kind of like an animal rights guy going out and shooting a bunch of furry little creatures to "remove the economic incentive" from the fur industry?
Equivalent of fu**ing for virginity and fighting for peace, eh?
I did have to shower after going to the site.
prisoner6
Because auto dealers want people coming on their lots to look at vehicles, this sorting out the good from the bad gets real dicey.
Now this is irritating. If I had a $40,000 SUV, anyone sneaking up to it had best be preapred to see the business end of a shotgun.
Besides, how does it "remove the profit motive" to burn already bought vehicles? The owners are only going to have to replace them... The companies are going to sell twice to these people! Watermelon idiots...
Collateral damage. Even cars aren't safe.
Quoting from the article:
Earth Liberation Front, ... are claiming responsibility for a fire at a Pennsylvania auto dealership.
It appears the vehicles, destroyed at a dealership, were in fact not already sold.
However, as another poster points out, the toxic fumes from the ensuing inferno, was probably was a far greater damage to the environment then any of theose cars would have produced in their lifetimes.
Please do not misconstrue that I am defending these guys, I am not. But rather I am just correcting your statements accuracy regarding the incident.
After all, if we start basing our statements and actions on misinformation, well then we may as well be democrats.
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