ABSTRACT
Among industries, the agriculture and food system has been the most frequent target of terrorists in the past decade or longer. Agroterrorists have been home grown. Approximately 100 acts of agroterrorism have been committed each year by persons from just two American organizations, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front. Radicals from other groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have engaged in petty acts of terrorism, such as throwing paint on fur coats. The only international agroterrorism activity in the U.S.A. has been by the North American ALF of Canadian origin. The organization specializes in releasing animals from their cages on fur farms. Turning thousands of mink loose from a fur farm to fend for themselves is a disaster for local animals edible by hungry mink, and eventually leads to the starvation of many of the freed mink. The paradox is that any means such as stark cruelty to animals are justified to attain the ends sought by the presumed animal-loving zealots. Agroterrorism has been directed more at destroying intellectual and physical property than at killing people. Standard fare includes bombing of offices, laboratories, and experimental plots engaged in developing genetically modified organisms with recombinant DNA. Terrorists have tried to shut down the use of animals to test medications, surgical techniques, and cosmetics before
they are used on people. Terrorists have destroyed buildings and machines that they believed to be encroaching on the wilderness. They have spiked “old growth” trees to protect them from logging. It is not possible to dismiss the varied activity of agroterrorists as mere pranks because those who intend only to destroy property and science end up destroying lives both literally and figuratively. A recent example illustrates the tactics.[1] On May 19, 2005, University of Iowa President David Skorton reported on a November 2004 attack on university animal research laboratories by the ALF. More than 300 rodents were removed, equipment was smashed, and acid was poured on equipment and papers, causing $450,000 damage. The ALF operatives sent e-mails to local and national media listing the names, home addresses, and spouse’s names of faculty who conducted the animal research. The names of graduate assistants and lab assistants also were listed. The purpose was to encourage the public to harass the named individuals. President Skorton called the ploy “Blatant intimidation [that]…was also successful, as these individuals are still being harassed and are still concerned about their own safety as well as their families.’ ” Terrorists had created a climate of fear; researchers “are still concerned about allowing their children to play in their own yards” said Skorton. The agriculture and food sector comprised as it is of millions of acres and animals is readily vulnerable to attack by domestic or international terrorists. Fail-safe protection is prohibitively expensive.
