Terrorism law includes animal-related outfits
Washington- Legislation signed by President Bush impresses fines and prison terms on persons committing attacks or conspiring to attack animal enterprises, which includes animal research outfits.
Washington- Legislation signed by President Bush impresses finesand prison terms on persons committing attacks or conspiring to attack animalenterprises, which includes animal research outfits.
Section 366 of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparednessand Response Act of 2002 aims at penalizing extremists who vandalize laboratories,furriers, farms and other animal-related business such as veterinary medicaland research offices.
Depending on the nature of the crime, penalties outlined in the sectionrange from a $10,000 fine and six months in jail to life imprisonment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been investigating extremistoutfits, most notably the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and EnvironmentalLiberation Front (ELF), for a number of years. According to the agency'sWeb site, FBI officials estimate that the ELF and the ALF have committedmore than 600 criminal acts in the United States since 1996, resulting indamages in excess of $43 million.
"During the past several years, special interest extremism hasemerged as a serious terrorist threat," says Special Agent James F.Jarboe says in a published statement. "Estimates of damage and destructionin the United States claimed by the ALF during the past 10 years, as compiledby national organizations such as the Fur Commission and the National Associationfor Biomedical Research (NABR), put the fur industry and medical researchlosses at more than 45 million dollars. The ALF is considered a terroristgroup, whose purpose is to bring about social and political change throughthe use of force and violence."
In other congressional business, Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H, recently introduceda resolution urging pet owners to regularly visit their veterinarians forcheckups and for advice on issues such as pet flea and tick control, especiallyduring the spring and summer months. When asked what prompted his action,Smith's spokeswoman replied, "The senator has long been an animal loverand does what he can to promote their health and well-being."
