Seattle Times Article Raising Questions About “ELF” Arsons, Potter Quoted
Mar 19th, 2008 by Will Potter
Yesterday’s Seattle Times article by Jonathan Martin and Mike Carter raises some good points about the recent arsons outside of Seattle, arsons that the FBI and industry groups like the National Association of Home Builders have rushed to label as not only an Earth Liberation Front action, but “eco-terrorism.”
Some highlights:
“This could be insurance fraud; it could be something to do with the housing market,” said Charles Frahm, the FBI’s deputy assistant director for counterterrorism operations in Washington, D.C.
At the Street of Dreams, a bedsheet painted with “ELF” and a message rejecting “green” building practices was left. Although such signs are an “ELF” calling card, federal agents are not assuming there is an active ELF cell in the area, Frahm said.
So at this stage, they can’t rule out any possibility, including “that ELF is being used in an attempt to misdirect the investigation,” said David Gomez, the FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge.
[That's an interesting change in tone from what federal law enforcement was saying immediately after the blaze.]
Thanks to Jonathan Martin for the critical article, and for interviewing me:
Will Potter, a freelance journalist in Washington, D.C., who has covered the fringe environmental movement since 1999, said it may be a mistake to take the lack of communiqués as a sign that ELF isn’t alive and well. In fact, the silence may represent an evolution in the group.
In the past, prosecutors used the news releases and manifestos to argue for boosted prison sentences under terrorism laws, Potter said.
“Activists may be realizing it’s just one more fingerprint tying them to the crime,” he said.
“Or it means there it is not an ELF action.”
And:
They’re not going to be motivated by their fear; they’re motivated by the ideology,” Potter said.
The story, as a whole, though, makes it sound like law-enforcement officials 99% believe that it was the ELF’s doing.
i also feel like this was a weak story, but understand what Will is getting at. The way media blindly follows the unverified word of law enforcement is painful to see time and time again. it is nice that this article strays from that, thanks in part to Will.
it is also nice to see less reference to terrorism than usual.
for the most part, though, it still reads like any other ELF article that has been printed over the last decade. it totally missed the point. how is it that hundreds of these articles fail to even touch on what so many people find so fascinating about these actions? i spoke with the journalist and he does seem more sincere than most. it always blows me away to see how trained journalists can cover an event like this and write such a bland and uninspired article.
we’ve seen this literally hundreds of times now.
Tracy and Leslie: I definitely agree with what both of you are saying, and should have clarified more in my post. It seems like the FBI is still treating this, for the most part, like it’s by default an ELF action. (Kind of sad that it’s getting to the point where I see even the least bit fairness in the soundbites as a positive thing, huh?). And I think Leslie hits on a critical point that nearly every single mainstream article we’ve seen about any ELF action leaves out: WHY?
Check out the fresh article in Salon on Brianna Waters:
http://www.salon.com/
You may have to watch a commercial (ugh) to read the full thing, but it’s a though provoking piece on the legal prosecution (persecution?) of environmental activists.
leslie,
i’m surprised by the fact you’re blown away by the way “trained” journalists cover ELF stories… they’re doing exactly what they were trained to do - keep the public on a steady dose of fear and vilence. typical trained journalism lends itself to (unfortunate) standard american viewpoints.
Holy smokes. Well, all I can think when I see things like this (and the other examples you’ve provided on this blog) is to first ask myself: who benefits? Who benefits when the government keeps people scared? The answer, of course, is the government.