The FBI and other local, state and national law enforcement agencies reportedly are keeping a close watch on certain environmental and animal rights groups operating within the United States out of concern that their tactics might ratchet up to serious acts of violence — possibly involving attacks on people. Domestic terrorism, of course, was alive before Sept. 11, but law enforcement has moved some groups to the front burner, realizing they also can pose a serious threat to the safety of American citizens.

"During the past decade we have witnessed dramatic changes in the nature of the domestic terrorist threat," John E. Lewis, FBI deputy assistant director, counterterrorism division, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 18. "In the 1990s, right-wing extremism overtook left-wing terrorism as the most dangerous domestic terrorist threat to the United States. During the past several years, however, special-interest extremism, as characterized by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), and related extremists, has emerged as a serious domestic terrorist threat," he said.

Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), for example, has been placed along with ALF, ELF and other groups on the FBI's list of top domestic terrorism threats.

"Investigation of SHAC-related criminal activity has revealed a pattern of vandalism, arsons, animal releases, harassing telephone calls, threats and attempts to disrupt business activities of not only Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), but of all companies doing business with HLS," Lewis went on to say. "Among others, these companies include Bank of America, Marsh USA, Deloitte and Touche, and HLS investors, such as Stephens, Inc., which completely terminated their business relationships with HLS as a result of SHAC activities."

These groups do not attempt to deny they have committed serious acts of vandalism. In claims made on their Web sites, members of these groups have admitted to vandalizing and/or burning such places as lumberyards, construction sites, resorts and auto dealerships — causing tens of millions of dollars in damage — in an effort to get their political messages heard. These activists are rarely caught and prosecuted, mainly because they have managed to remain just under the radar by engaging primarily in random acts of vandalism.

The structures of ALF and ELF are non-hierarchical, meaning individual members control their own activities and no centralized leadership ties the anonymous cells together. In fact, there actually is no official "membership" in either of these groups. Individuals who choose to perform actions under the banner of these groups are driven only by their personal conscience or by decisions taken by their cell while adhering to the stated guidelines. "Despite the destructive aspects of ALF and ELF's operations, their stated operational philosophy discourages acts that harm "any animal, human and nonhuman," Lewis told the Senate Judiciary Committee. ELF's tactics, however, are becoming more strategic. Whereas the group once would sabotage U.S. Forest Service vehicles or offices — which accomplishes little and the government easily replaces the lost vehicles — ELF now carries out what can be called "violent market attacks" by torching subdivisions, apartment complexes and other big building projects under construction. This brings the project to a screeching halt and makes other builders in the area stop and think about whether they can afford such a huge loss. However, it appears that some within these organizations are hoping to take the battle further than their groups would condone. This has resulted in the creation of new organizations whose objectives are broader. For example, former ELF spokesmen Craig Rosenbaugh and Leslie Pickering departed their organization to form Arissa, an organization whose primary goal is "to create a social and political revolution in the United States," according to the group's Web site. The group believes that none of the single-issue problems — in the human, animal or environmental categories — can be resolved until a political structure is put in place to allow for an atmosphere of change. Arissa will have reached its initial goal when that revolution occurs, the group says. SHAC, whose worldwide campaign is to target HLS — a company that engages in animal testing to develop its products — and the companies that support it globally, was spawned from ALF and is run in the United States by former ALF spokesman Kevin Kjonaas, also known as Kevin Jonas. Although SHAC says on its Web site that it does "not encourage or incite illegal activity," its site also includes information on a current campaign directed toward HLS executives and provides updates on what its next "act" will be. This group targets individuals personally by invading their personal life, family and home. SHAC has resumed its campaign of intimidation against HLS bankers and stock traders, distributing the names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers and physical characteristics of employees targeted for harassment. However, it appears that some activists — STRATFOR cannot state for certain whether they are acting alone — are getting closer to causing physical harm to those people or companies they view as directly or indirectly affecting their cause. Internet-posted communiques claimed responsibility for the detonation of improvised explosive devices at two northern California companies in 2003. The businesses were closed at the time and neither explosion resulted in injuries. The companies, according to the communiques, were targeted as a result of their business links to HLS. Following two pipe-bomb blasts at the Chiron Life Sciences Center in Emeryville, California, on Aug. 28, 2003, an anonymous claim of responsibility was issued that included the statement, "This is the endgame for the animal killers and if you choose to stand with them you will be dealt with accordingly. There will be no quarter given, no half measures taken. You might be able to protect your buildings, but can you protect the homes of every employee?" Just four weeks later, the previously unknown "Revolutionary Cells of the Animal Liberation Brigade" claimed responsibility for a Sept. 26, 2003, explosion of another improvised explosive device wrapped in nails at the Pleasanton, California, headquarters of Shaklee, Inc. The group's Web site threatened, "We gave all of the customers the chance, the choice, to withdraw their business from HLS. Now you will all reap what you have sown. All customers and their families are considered legitimate targets … You never know when your house, your car even, might go boom … Or maybe it will be a shot in the dark …" There has been no further word or deed from this group since. However, like other groups, it has hit on a tactic of targeting workers in the lower echelon of the company, and also those outside the company, to pressure employees, franchisees and dealers in order to force HLS to solve the problem. This plan turns these lower-level employees into agents for the activists, and it guarantees that the message comes from a credible, inside source.