Historical Dictionary of Terrorism Third Edition

156 • EARTH LIBERATION FRONT“economic sabotage to stop the exploitation and destruction of thenatural environment.” While having an international reach (it hasoperated in the United States, Canada, Greece, and Great Britain), theELF does not seem to have a command structure of any sort, whetherdomestically or internationally, and is regarded in most jurisdictions asa domestic problem. In March 2001 the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) classified the ELF as the top domestic terror threat. Whileclaiming not to target human life or limb, the ELF has committedmore than 1,200 acts of vandalism and arson in the United States,causing more than $200 million in damages. Historically, effortswere directed against timber companies and enterprises that exploitedanimals, but recently the group has targeted suburban sprawlwith several attacks on condominiums and luxury homes in ruralsettings as well as the firebombing of dealership lots of sport utilityvehicles (SUVs) for sale.The ELF has claimed credit for several attacks on property from1998 to 2008, with 5 attacks in 1996, 5 attacks in 1997, 7 attacksin 1998, 3 attacks in 1999, 11 attacks in 2000, 34 attacks in 2001,11 attacks in 2002, 21 attacks in 2003, 7 attacks in 2004, 13 attacksin 2005, and 6 attacks in 2006. Following a lull during 2007,on 3 March 2008 the ELF was reported to be responsible for usingincendiary bombs to destroy four multi-million-dollar homesin Echo Lake, Washington State, costing $7 million. In manyof these attacks, in which targets have involved possible animalrights issues, such as attacks on mink farms and horse stables, responsibilityhas been claimed jointly by the ELF and the AnimalLiberation Front.A sampling of actions for which the ELF has claimed responsibilityfollows: On 28 October 1996 a U.S. Forest Service vehiclewas firebombed at the Detroit Ranger District office in the WillametteNational Forest in Oregon, causing $15,000 in damages. On29 November 1997 the ELF released 400 horses of the U.S. Bureauof Land Management and then burned the stables, feeding troughs,and other equipment, causing damages of $474,000. On 19 October1998 the ELF attacked a Vail ski resort, torching a restaurant,a picnic area, and a utility building, and vandalizing four ski lifts,with damages totaling $12 million. On 1 November 2002 the ELFvandalized 25 SUVs at a dealership in Richmond, Virginia. On 25