[diggers350] Are you on the FBI's terrorist list?

[Adrian Peter Toole]

I was watching the 'war briefing' given today by the President and his
top officials and suddenly found myself having a lot of sympathy with
them; for make no mistake the American People are frightened.
They are justified in fighting back, albeit half-way round the world,
against those who perpetuated the atrocities and in asking their friends
for help. I support Tony Blair in giving it. But whereas there is little
most of us can do in the fight, there is much we can do to influence
policies in the hope of avoiding the atmosphere of distrust and hatred
between the Muslim world and the West, which is being reinforced as a
result of this war. The legacy of the hatred could well remain as the
main feature of international affairs for the rest of the century.
I doubt whether the Americans have any inkling of what they are stirring
up and what their friends need to stress to them is that as long as the
USA continues in its policy of uncritical support for Israel at the
expense of the displaced Palestinians, they can never win this war which
in the long-term will be determined in hearts and minds rather than on
the battlefield.
Jack Straw started down the right path in his comments in Iran. I don't
know whether the episode was a deliberate attempt to redress the
injustices of the last 50 years, time will tell and all of us can try to
influence the policy. Britain and the EU need to lend active support to
the Palestinians. If the Muslim world can see that justice is within
sight for their own kind, they may also accept that justice is necessary
in the case of Bin Liner.




In message <01100923084403.01458 at linbox.mobbsey.lan>, Paul Mobbs
<mobbsey at gn.apc.org> writes
>Hi all,
>
>Are you on the FBI's list of petential terrorist groupd? Or do you just think 
>the guy is talking things up to get more money out of congress?
>
>I really do like the term 'speclal interest extremeist'.
>
>Actually, I really do think, from the point of view of the UK, this is a good 
>indication of where things are going when the Home Office draws up its list 
>of suspected UK terrorist groups, sometime soon, as part of the Terrorism Act 
>2000.
>
>See below...
>
>
>P.
>
>----
>
>
>http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress01/freeh051001.htm
>
>Statement for the Record Louis J. Freeh, Director Federal Bureau of 
>Investigation on the Threat of Terrorism to the United States
>
>before the United States Senate Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, 
>and Select Committee on Intelligence
> 
><snip>
>
>To help establish a framework for today's discussion, I would like to start 
>by providing an assessment of the current international and domestic 
>terrorist threat, a brief discussion of recent trends in terrorism, and a 
>description of the FBI's Counterterrorism strategy being implemented under 
>the leadership of Assistant Director Dale Watson, who heads our 
>Counterterrorism Division. Finally, I would like to describe the 
>Counterterrorism Initiative proposed in our 2002 budget request to Congress.
>
><big snip>
>
>"The Domestic Terrorism Threat"
>
>Domestic terrorist groups represent interests that span the full spectrum of 
>political and economic viewpoints, as well as social issues and concerns. It 
>is important to understand, however, that FBI investigations of domestic 
>terrorist groups or individuals are not predicated upon social or political 
>beliefs; rather, FBI investigations are based upon information regarding 
>planned or actual criminal activity. The FBI views domestic terrorism as the 
>unlawful use, or threatened use, of violence by a group or individual that is 
>based and operating entirely within the United States or its territories 
>without foreign direction and which is committed against persons or property 
>with the intent of intimidating or coercing a government or its population in 
>furtherance of political or social objectives. The current domestic terrorist 
>threat primarily comes from right-wing extremist groups, left-wing and Puerto 
>Rican extremist groups, and special interest extremists.
>
><snip>
>
>Anarchists and extremist socialist groups -- many of which, such as the 
>Workers' World Party, Reclaim the Streets, and Carnival Against Capitalism -- 
>have an international presence and, at times, also represent a potential 
>threat in the United States. For example, anarchists, operating individually 
>and in groups, caused much of the damage during the 1999 World Trade 
>Organization ministerial meeting in Seattle.
>
>Special interest extremists. Special interest terrorism differs from 
>traditional right-wing and left-wing terrorism in that extremist special 
>interest groups seek to resolve specific issues, rather than effect more 
>widespread political change. Special interest extremists continue to conduct 
>acts of politically motivated violence to force segments of society, 
>including, the general public, to change attitudes about issues considered 
>important to their causes. These groups occupy the extreme fringes of animal 
>rights, pro-life, environmental, anti-nuclear, and other political and social 
>movements. Some special interest extremists -- most notably within the animal 
>rights and environmental movements -- have turned increasingly toward 
>vandalism and terrorist activity in attempts to further their causes.
>
>In recent years, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) -- an extremist animal 
>rights movement -- has become one of the most active extremist elements in 
>the United States. Despite the destructive aspects of ALF's operations, its 
>operational philosophy discourages acts that harm "any animal, human and 
>nonhuman." Animal rights groups in the United States, including ALF, have 
>generally adhered to this mandate. A distinct but related group, the Earth 
>Liberation Front (ELF), claimed responsibility for the arson fires set at a 
>Vail, Colorado, ski resort in October 1998 that destroyed eight separate 
>structures and caused $12 million dollars in damages. In a communique issued 
>after the fires, ELF claimed that the fires were in retaliation for the 
>resort's planned expansion that would destroy the last remaining habitat in 
>Colorado for the lynx. Eight of the terrorist incidents occurring in the 
>United States during 1999 have been attributed to either ALF or ELF. Several 
>additional acts committed during 2000 and 2001 are currently being reviewed 
>for possible designation as terrorist incidents.
>
>
><snip>
>
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>
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>
>

-- 
Adrian Peter Toole