The Earth Liberation Front: origins, structure, leadership, and motivations

¶ … Earth Liberation Front (ELF)

This is a case study on Earth Liberation Front (ELF), which is an extremist group emerged to protect the Mother Nature. ELF's origin, structure, leadership, motivations, and goals have been included as the primary elements of analysis in the case study. These aspects have come under analysis to provide an understanding about the group. Since this group is also considered as one of the terrorist groups that are dangerous to the human society, hence, the threats posed by this eco-terrorist group have come under comprehensive assessment. Lastly, discussion on the effectiveness of the policies intended to combat the group has been made. The reasons of the fight against the group have also been incorporated.

Case Study on Earth Liberation Front (ELF)

Introduction

Crime and criminal activities have been witnessed since centuries amongst societies from all over the world that has only accelerated with time. Numerous people have made them associated with plentiful of such extremist groups that are involved in illegal activities with negative impacts on society. This simply leads to the fact that terrorist activities have now become a more widespread in the mundane life of an individual.

Taking into account the series of criminal or extremist activities, one can visibly notice that these activities are not confined to any one country or civilization; rather, it is being witnessed on a more universal basis. The people of developing nations, as well as the under-developed countries, have come under its adverse impacts. The extremist, revolutionary, and terrorist groups are usually formed to accomplish with specific agendas due to which they bring destruction to the human civilization or property.

In this regard, Earth Liberation Front (ELF) has been observed as one of the extremist groups performing subtle and illegal activities that have affected a huge percentage of the population of various countries in the present times. Earth Liberation Front is also termed as Elves wherein a cluster of independent individuals are associated to impede and bring to a halt to the damage being done to the environment and nature. In order to prevent the environment from being destructed, this group brings in economic damage and disruptions. This economic destruction is in the form of damage to various kinds of properties (Rosebraugh, 2004).

Earth Liberation Front is not a very old extremist group; instead, its foundations have been laid in the latter years of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, the people of this movement rapidly expanded to various parts of the world with no time. Today, it is being operated on a global basis where more than fifteen countries report their actions of economic sabotage. Media and a few television programs (in the initial years of the twenty-first century) have been key sources from where the general population gained awareness about this movement. However, ELF gained more public attention when a documentary made on this group was nominated for awards. Moreover, ELF has been in close correlation and collaboration with Animal Liberation Front (ALF) due to which this movement is highly considered as a descendent of ALF (Rosebraugh, 2004).

The people who support this movement claim that it is an eco-defense group that is safeguarding the environment and ecosystem of the world that is being devastated in the name of advancements and innovations. While on the other hand, the governmental agencies involved in counter-terrorist activities (such as FBI -- Federal Bureau of Investigation) categorize ELF as eco-terrorist group. Moreover, it is also said that the members of this movement spread domestic terror and have become a great threat in the United States (Rosebraugh, 2004).

This case study includes an analysis about this movement in an extensive manner as well as a comprehensive assessment on the threats being posed by this extremist group. Indeed, an in-depth discussion on the effectiveness of policies to combat has also been incorporated.

Analysis of Earth Liberation Front's (ELF)

ELF's Origin

The original Earth Liberation Front was established almost thirty four years back in the latter years of the decade of 1970s under the name Environmental Life Force (ELF). John Hanna has been the identified name as the originator and father who initiated the concept of this movement. This movement initiated so that they can put an end to the guerrilla attacks that peaked at that time. Unfortunately, they received an appallingly negative response from the general public. Moreover, it was not even able to accomplish and fulfill the goals defined by the movement, due to which the original ELF crumbled and fell apart in a very less time (Best & Nocella, 2006).

However, Environmental Life Force came into the emergence after several years that continued the beliefs and values of the Environmental Life Force. The new name of the movement was Earth Liberation Front, and it came into existence in the early years of the decade of 1990s. This movement initiated its operations from England and is the existing one in the contemporary times that have continued to their fight so that they can save the environment from being destroyed (Best & Nocella, 2006).

The members of the new ELF significantly applied same philosophies, plans, strategies, tactics, and campaigns, which implies that the new ELF reflected a mirror image with respect to the protection of the environment. This also signifies that the new ELF continued to practice the same guidelines as the old ELF (Best & Nocella, 2006). Moreover, due to strong collaboration and cooperation between Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the ELF, these two movements have also been considered as sister-concern movements. This new version of the movement gained popularity with no time, and an increasing number of people exhibited their interest to be a part of it and be associated with the ELF (Leader & Probst, 2003).

The earliest action that gained prominence happened within two years of the establishment of the movement, before that, no actions were documented or gained such eminence. After few operations that caused the people huge financial losses in the UK, this movement received exposure (from some magazine) in front of the citizens of the country, which also stated the objectives on which the members of the ELF focused (Best & Nocella, 2006).

Soon after, the ELF expanded its operations to various parts of Europe that included Holland, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Germany, France, Spain, and so on. This expansion was not confined all across Europe, as members of the movement became international and initiated operations to various other parts of the world as well (Best & Nocella, 2006).

United States has been another prime target nation for the ELF movement where it spread out its tasks from the middle years of the 1990s. Their continued actions of property damage not only gave them attention on a national level, but, this group has also received a new name of eco-terrorists. Since then, the ELF movement has become a huge threat to the domestic terror that only increased with time (Best & Nocella, 2006).

The series of criminal activities that have come into the limelight within the two decades as the operations of the ELF movement includes vandalizing, arson, theft, sabotage, and so on. Few reported incidences across Europe include vandalizing of well-known fast food restaurants, sabotage of airport with sophisticated vehicles in Germany, Holland, and Poland, setting a wildlife museum on fire in British Columbia, and many others. While in the U.S., this extremist group used diverse tactics like spray-painted and glued the locks of well-known restaurants, throwing of cocktails on various buildings to sabotage them. Few other incidences include attacks on railway lines, which were in response to the deforestation caused by this construction, burning of automobile dealerships, and so forth (Best & Nocella, 2006).

All the activities and operations carried out by the ELF movement were to make the countries realize the destruction and the damage they are causing to the environment. Property damage has been their most powerful strategy through which they caused the nations with huge financial losses (Best & Nocella, 2006).

ELF's Structure

Earth Liberation Front movement is a collective group wherein a number of independent individuals are associated. When talking about the structure of the ELF, no centralized location has been set up by this movement. This international group is a secretive and subversive organization where the leadership, control, and hierarchical chain of command are purely decentralized with no official, formal or central management. This simply indicates the fact that the members of the ELF work in autonomy and independently and no member can call them the leader of the group. Members of the movement usually execute operations in small sub-groups (as a team). Furthermore, all the financial needs and requirements are fulfilled by the movement itself, which implies that no external source aid them financially (Leader & Probst, 2003).

No designed structure is the basis of the movement; rather, this movement has emerged from an ideology. A set of principles is the guiding rules on which the members of the group operate. Any individual who strictly believes in the philosophy of the movement can join in as a member or even drop out at their will, which demonstrates that there is no official membership to the group through which one can become involved with them (Leader & Probst, 2003).

The ELF has been able to carry out its operations in an effective manner because of having a decentralized controlling body with no leader or hierarchy of command structure. Additionally, working underground and having autonomous members are the key benefits due to which the movement cannot be completely discontinued. Even if the counter-terrorist agencies infiltrate or capture one of their cells, the movement would continue its operations because of having no formal structure (Leader & Probst, 2003).

The ELF movement works and operates in support of various other network groups. Since no formal membership is offered to the individuals, the estimation of the total number of people involved with the group becomes complicated and difficult. However, from the records, it has come to notice that the members operate activities in various parts of the world that include throughout the United States, in Canada, and all across Europe. Over time, ELF is steadily increasing and expanding its operations and activities across the world (Leader & Probst, 2003).

ELF's Leadership

In terms of activities, Earth Liberation Front is very much similar to the other terrorist and extremist groups, as their members are the networks through which they work and execute violence. However, ELF is very different from other extremist and mujahidin groups in terms of its hierarchy, command in structure, and leadership, even though this movement operates as an autonomous and underground group. Like Osama bin Laden (who is a formal leader of a mujahidin group), the ELF has no formal or centralized leader that can control or govern the members of the group. In other words, individuals and cells associated to this movement work separately and independently with no official message from the leadership or headship (Ferrante, 2010).

The members are dedicated and devoted to revolutionary sadistic behavior and believe in direct actions without getting any commands or orders. This simply leads to the reality that the members initiate, plan, and take rebellious actions on their own that are purely based on the organizational goals. Where at one end, the decentralized leadership and management has benefited the members in executing operations, on the other hand, this has been an intense problem for the law enforcement agencies because they are not able to completely stop the activities of the group (Ferrante, 2010).

ELF's Motivations

Earth Liberation Front is an extremist movement group that has been initiated because the extremist people believed that by expanding urban areas and plants related to innovation and advancements are deliberate actions that cause damage only to the environment and nature. Indeed, the members of this movement also claim that such institutions (focused on building big businesses, consumer-related society, state structures, and so forth) are only concerned with economic and financial achievements. Indeed, they are the prime responsible entities for the destruction of the environment and its inhabitants. Such incidences and events have been escalating with the advent of the industrial boom and globalization, due to which economic gains have become the top priority aspect for institutions (Sloan & Anderson, 2009).

In response to this element, ELF declares that they would be making fools out of themselves if they continue with peaceful resolutions for the reforms. The movement also concludes that the advancements and involutions of the industrial revolution have adversely affected the natural law of environment. This means that the dependence of numerous people upon the natural environment has become limited, which is significant for the existence. A huge population of people is not able to access the basic necessities of life that include clean water to drink, fresh air for breathing, and uncontaminated soils to grow hygienic or organic foods (Sloan & Anderson, 2009).

The ELF carries out violent activities against institutions that are in some way or the other involved in exploitation or destruction of the planet, its environment, and inhabitants. They have focused upon diverse issues and incidents like cutting down of forests and trees (for the development of infrastructures, luxurious house creation, and so on), expansion of metropolitan cities, genetic engineering, development of plants for energy production or circulation, and various other activities leads to the environmental damage. Moreover, Research laboratories (that have been extensively engaged in animal testing) and farms (where animals have been raised for furs) have been the prime target locations for the ELF movement. Therefore, they have used the technique of economic sabotage with the intention to protect and safeguard the Mother Nature (Sloan & Anderson, 2009).

The members employ techniques like arson, bombings, vandalism, theft, and so on to damage the properties (as a form of economic sabotage) that are considered to be involved or engaged in causing harm to the environment, animals, distinct species, and marine life. The properties that are targeted by the ELF movement are in a broad range that varies from restaurants to fur farm, research labs, and business developmental areas. The developments that intrude and eliminate rural areas, or imperil the wildlife, and well-being of the environment are the primary target locations for ELF movement (Sloan & Anderson, 2009).

The prime motivations of the movement are to safeguard the environment so that the people and other inhabitants can leverage with fresh air, clean water, soil, and health. Therefore, their act of property damage is not considered as a violent action for this group because they claim that they are not motivated to harm any living creature in such an incident; rather they are only intended to bring in damage to the physical property (Sloan & Anderson, 2009).

ELF's Goals

The insatiable quests of humans have despoiled the overall atmosphere where living creatures and species are dying out on an everyday basis. From this perspective, Earth Liberation Front has emerged with the ideology and belief that various institutions and businesses are dooming the ecosystem in the form of creating pollution, mining, logging, and urban development. The ELF considers these intuitions as their enemies to whom they intend to demonstrate that they are serious towards defending what is significant to them. Therefore, their primary mission is to protect and save the planet and environment from the harm that is being caused by the external sources (Loadenthal, 2013).

In this respect, damaging the properties is one of the goals of ELF movement so that they can impose heavy financial losses to the institutions. This destruction of properties is to make them realize that their selfish actions (that are focused on economic gains and profits) are leading to environmental damage, which needs to be halted (Loadenthal, 2013).

ELF -- Earth Liberation Front is also aimed to create awareness and enlighten the general population about the destruction being caused to the environment because of such advancements. The recent media attention and documentaries are few of the ways in which the movement intends to inform the public that research lab, restaurants, fur farms, and various other institutions are outrageous behaviors due to which they are damaging the overall environment for the entire human race as well as other living species (Loadenthal, 2013).

Another goal of ELF is to make people believe preventative and safety measure has become a necessity that needs to be taken in order to protect the planet and its species. The ELF movement also aims to make people believe that the entities that are engaged in making profits by deteriorating the environment should be considered as the prime targets for destruction (Loadenthal, 2013).

Threats posed by ELF

The United States agencies established to fight against the violence have segregated extremist and terrorist activities in two broad categories: international and domestic. The activities performed by these groups are considered as a threat to the national security of the country. On one hand, international terrorist activities are the series of sadistic and cruel acts that exceed the national boundaries and putting the human life to danger while at the same time breaching and against the laws defined by the nation. On the other hand, domestic violence and campaigns of terrorism is the cycle of actions performed within the territories of the country. Such groups or individuals are likely to violate the laws and can be against any person or psychical property (Jarboe, 2002).

The international terrorist groups like Al Qaeda in the past few decades have taken the maximum attention of the law enforcement agencies, due to which domestic terrorism (eco-terrorism) and its threat on the country have been neglected. However, the dramatic changes within the activities of domestic violence have been witnessed amongst the United States within the last several years. Indeed, this type of violence becoming an escalating threat to the security of the nation. Additionally, many of the groups have also emerged as extremist groups and movements that are also posing immense threat to the country. Earth Liberation Front (ELF), in this regard, is considerably one of such extremist movements that have turned out as one of the great dangers to the country's economic conditions and properties (Jarboe, 2002).

Since the prime motive of the group is to protect the environment and all its inhabitants; thus, they are involved in the destruction of various properties of the United States. They run campaigns against several fur companies and fur farms involved in raising animals for furs, and research laboratories that particularly use animals for testing and performing researches. Moreover, SUV dealerships, pharmaceutical industry, construction sites, and restaurants are also on the high target list of the ELF movement. The members of the ELF are engaged in various illegal and terrorist activities that incorporate bombings, intimidation, arson, vandalism, assaults, theft, and various others. It simply leads to the fact that a direct threat is being posed to such properties that are being targeted by the ELF (Jarboe, 2002).

The agency (FBI) of the United States that is committed to combat terrorism has classified the ELF movement as eco-terrorist group that ravages the valuable properties of the nation as their core strategy to protect the nature and environment. Considering the goal of this group is to protect the environment and its inhabitants, thus, no human deaths have been reported during the attacks on the properties. Nonetheless, it is prudent to note that this group is posing a direct threat to the economic and financial losses of the country in the form of economic damage through destructing the properties (Jarboe, 2002).

According to the statistical records, it has been evaluated that the ELF movement is responsible for creating loss of millions of dollars by property destructions over the course of two decades. This usually happens because they use arson, theft, vandalize, and so forth as their key tactics to destroy the valuable properties built that result in heavy economic losses. The members not only arson the buildings but also destroy sophisticated equipments (costing millions of dollars) in the research laboratories, attack the SUV construction sites present with expensive automobiles, luxury homes, private properties, and so on (Jarboe, 2002).

The numbers of such criminal events are also shocking, as this movement has been involved in over thousand of such incidences that have caused a huge populace of Americans with millions of dollars in financial damages. Many of the episodes are still on the pending list that needs to be investigated, but have been related with eco-terrorism with a high possibility of the ELF movement involvement (Jarboe, 2002).

Discussion on Policies and its Effectiveness to Combat ELF

Terrorism and criminal activities have always been a part of the society that has significantly affected the residents, government, nation's security, and properties. These criminal and terrorist activities have escalated to paramount heights in the recent years especially because of the formation of many extremist groups and movements. Animal and environment protection have been identified as the leading motives for the execution of terrorist activities by these extremist groups (Vaughn, 2011).

Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is amongst those extremist groups that intend to protect the environment and its species. Unfortunately, the tactics and strategies carried out by them are focused on property damage, due to which they have been extensively regarded as eco-terrorist. Nevertheless, the government of the United States has set up agencies (FBI -- Federal Bureau of Investigation) that are purely responsible to combat issues that induce the groups to perform terrorist related activities (Vaughn, 2011).

The domestic terror threats that are posed by the ELF and other extremist groups have been intensely looked upon by the FBI, and they have deigned strong tactics to combat them. Moreover, to catch them and take into custody had rather been a difficult task because the members of the ELF movement usually work in small cells and teams. In this regard, it has come into the limelight that the number of agents (with special trainings) dedicated and committed for counter-terrorist activities have doubled in the past few years (Vaughn, 2011).

Furthermore, the programs that were developed for counterterrorism have been reinforced and intensified with improved strategies to carry out the programs in a more effective manner. In fact, FBI has also been working in coordination and cooperation with several other agencies and law enforcement bodies (Vaughn, 2011).

As an outcome of such enhanced plans and campaigns, an increased number of individuals (who are responsible for spreading eco-terrorism and have committed acts of terrorism) have been detained and taken into custody. Strict legal actions have been taken against many of these individuals (members of the ELF movement), and they have been put on trial based on charges of the criminal acts executed by them. The alleged individuals then have been sentenced in prison (Lewis, 2004).

Over time the law enforcement agencies have adopted different strategies and policies to curb the activities of the extremist groups working for the protection of animal and environment. Few projects (that resulted in numerous arrests of individuals belonging to the ELF movement) have been implemented as a strategic plan to combat with the extremist movements. These tactics have been recorded as major achievements by the law enforcement agencies where they have been able to charge a huge percentage of individuals for executing terrorist activities (Vaughn, 2011).