Group with no members torched Vail

Vail Daily ^ | January 6, 2006 | Nicole Frey

[george76]

Earth Liberation Front claims no leaders or spokespeople

When three buildings and four chairlifts on Vail Mountain went up in flames in October, 1998, the Earth Liberation Front, an underground environmental movement, proudly took credit for the arson.

The Earth Liberation Front claims to be an underground movement with no leadership, membership or spokespeople...

Anyone who commits an act of ecoterrorism or sabotage in the name of the environment is welcome to do it under the front's name...

Call yourself an "elf" and you're part of the elite, invisible group.

Last month, Chelsea D. Gerlach of Portland Ore. and William C. Rodgers of Prescott, Ariz. were named as suspects in the fire.

Rodgers committed suicide in his jail cell Dec. 22, and Gerlach is being held on other charges ...

In addition to taking credit for the arson, the Earth Liberation Front went as far as to issue a few threats to Vail Resorts and the general public.

"This action is just a warning," the front said in an e-mail ...just after the arson. "

The FBI's James Jarboe, domestic terrorism section chief, said the Earth Liberation Front, in connection with the Animal Liberation Front, has committed more than 600 crimes in the country since 1996...

"In recent years...the level of activity undertaken by animal rights and environmental extremists has grown in intensity and scope,"...

Vlasak, who speaks for ALF ...

Arson the best motivator?

Vlasak ...acknowledged ELF and ALF are ideologically connected ...

Hitting Vail Resort's wallet was a worthy cause in his eyes.

ELF's means and methods have the government worried that "special interest" terrorism from leaderless groups will ring in a new wave of violence.

"It is clear that terrorism will continue to plague societies into the 21st century," the FBI said.

[BenLurkin]

"an underground movement with no leadership, membership or spokespeople... "

Two can play that game.

[Doctor Raoul]

The FBI managed tp penetrate the Klan, they'll deal with ELF too.

[george76]

[george76]

[doug from upland]

The group should destroy Sundance to save the environment from environmentalist Robert Redford. He has cut down trees, paved the natural habitat, used incredible amounts of energy, scared off critters from their natural homes, and caused others to burn fossil fuels to get there and enjoy themselves.

[george76]

Some state politicians offered Bobby Redford to make Sundance a "wilderness area" some years ago.

Bobby said , no, not my land...but it is ok to steal someone else's land and make that a wildernesss area.

[jazusamo]

If our judges start handing down maximum sentences to every one of these ecoterrorists that are convicted, their movement might start to have a hard time finding the volunteers to commit these crimes. For the most part, the ones that have been arrested are educated people, not Al Quida type suicide bombers.

[george76]

Vlasak ...is an interesting person.

Why he is running around free is amazing.

[Gay State Conservative]

It's comforting to know that mainstream members of the democRAT Party believe that arson is just peachy,as does the twinkle-toed little Communist pictured above.It's also comforting to know that they also think that murder is just peachy,as in the case of the "animal rights activist" who
recently said on 60 Minutes that he supports the murder of medical researchers who work with animals.

[robertpaulsen]

Sounds like Ted Kennedy talking about wind farms.

[fish hawk]

If there are no leaders and spokespersons, who the hell is making the statements in this article for ELF?

[Smokin' Joe]

Boy, it sure is a good thing they got that over with. They could have been prosecuted under the new smoking ban if they had waited./sarc

[jazusamo]

I could be mistaken but I think Vlasak is a guy who used to have a bakery in Portland, OR. At that time he said he was a spokesman for the group but was in no way connected to them. He was heavily investigated but was never arrested. He sold his bakery and I haven't heard anything of him until now.

[Wheee The People]

and the ACLU objects to any monitoring of these domestic terrorist. Sad

[Gay State Conservative]

Vlasak ...is an interesting person.Why he is running around free is amazing.

Vlasic is the guy who was recently on 60 Minutes supporting the murder of medical researchers who work with animals.And he's a physician!

The day after he appeared on 60 Minutes,I called the State of California's Physician Licensing Board to question his fitness to practice medicine.

The woman I talked to said that the Board was aware of "Doctor" Vlasic and said that he was already under investigation.It turns out that the "Doctor" had made similar statements before his appearance on 60 Minutes.

An "interesting guy" is one way to describe him.An "amoral psychopath" is another way.

[Gay State Conservative]

It's unlikely to be him.He's a physician in Southern California.I guess it's possible,however.Vlasic isn't a particularly common name.

[george76]

Vlasak ...is their unofficial spokesman.

I never heard about the tracing of the e-mail that was received by the radio station.

[jazusamo]

I think you're right, I'm going to look into it.

[george76]

We should search the Doctor Vlasak...

I put Robin on it.