Statement
of
John E. Lewis
Deputy Assistant Director, Counterterrorism
Division
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Before the
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
May 18, 2005
Good morning Chairman Inhofe, Ranking Member
Jeffords, and members of the Committee. I am
pleased to have the opportunity to appear today
and to discuss the threat posed by animal rights
extremists and eco-terrorists in this country,
as well as the measures the FBI and its partners
are taking to address this threat.
One
of today's most serious domestic terrorism threats
come from special interest extremist movements
such as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), the
Earth Liberation Front (ELF), and Stop Huntingdon
Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign. Adherents to
these movements aim to resolve specific issues
by using criminal "direct action"
against individuals or companies believed to
be abusing or exploiting animals or the environment.
"Direct
action" is often criminal activity that
destroys property or causes economic loss to
a targeted company. Traditional targets have
ranged from, but have not been limited to, research
laboratories to restaurants, fur farmers to
forestry services. Extremists have used arson,
bombings, theft, animal releases, vandalism,
and office takeovers to achieve their goals.
The
distinctions between constitutionally protected
advocacy and violent, criminal activity are
extremely important to recognize, and law enforcement
officials should be solely concerned with those
individuals who pursue animal rights or environmental
protection through force, violence, or criminal
activity. Law enforcement only becomes involved
when volatile talk turns into criminal activity.
Unfortunately, the FBI has seen a significant
amount of such criminal activity. From January
1990 to June 2004, animal and environmental
rights extremists have claimed credit for more
than 1,200 criminal incidents, resulting in
millions of dollars in damage and monetary loss.
While
most animal rights and eco-extremists have refrained
from violence targeting human life, the FBI
has observed troubling signs that this is changing.
We have seen an escalation in violent rhetoric
and tactics. One extremist recently said, "If
someone is killing, on a regular basis, thousands
of animals, and if that person can only be stopped
in one way by the use of violence, then it is
certainly a morally justifiable solution."
Attacks
are also growing in frequency and size. Harassing
phone calls and vandalism now co-exist with
improvised explosive devices and personal threats
to employees. ELF's target list has expanded
to include sports utility vehicle dealerships
and new home developers. We believe these trends
will persist, particularly within the environmental
movement, as extremists continue to combat what
they perceive as "urban sprawl."
Preventing
such criminal activity has become increasingly
difficult, in large part because extremists
in these movements are very knowledgeable about
the letter of the law and the limits of law
enforcement. Moreover, they are highly autonomous.
Lists of targets and instructions on making
incendiary devices are posted on the Internet,
but criminal incidents are carried out by individuals
or small groups acting unilaterally. Criminal
activity by animal rights extremists and eco-terrorists
in particular requires relatively minor amounts
of equipment and minimal funding. Extremists
of these movements adhere to strict security
measures in both their communications and their
operations.
The
FBI has developed a strong response to domestic
terrorism threats. Together with our partners,
we are working to detect, disrupt, and dismantle
the animal rights and environmental extremist
movements that are involved in criminal activity.
Our
efforts are headed by a headquarters-based team
of national intelligence analysts, program managers,
and seasoned field agents. We draw on the resources
of our Terrorist Financing Operations Section
to support field investigations into domestic
terrorism, just as we do for international terrorism
investigations. We also draw upon our expertise
in the area of communication analysis to provide
investigative direction.
Second,
we have strengthened our intelligence capabilities.
Since 2003, we have disseminated 64 raw intelligence
reports to our partners pertaining to animal
rights extremism and eco-terrorism activity.
In addition, since 2004 we have disseminated
19 strategic intelligence assessments to our
federal, state and local counterparts. And we
have developed an intelligence requirement set
for animal rights/eco-terrorism, enabling us
to better collect, analyze, and share information.
Finally,
we have strengthened our partnerships. We have
combined our expertise and resources with those
of our federal, state, and local law enforcement
partners nationwide through our 103 Joint Terrorism
Task Forces. We have increased training for
JTTF members and have strong liaison with foreign
law enforcement agencies.
Our
challenges are significant, but so are our successes.
Currently, 35 FBI offices have over 150 pending
investigations associated with animal rights/eco-terrorist
activities. Since the beginning of 2004, the
FBI and its partners have made a number of high-profile
arrests of individuals involved with animal
rights extremism or eco-terrorism. These arrests
have led to several successful prosecutions.
Let
me give you a brief snapshot of our recent successes:
In
2005,