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Congress "Extreme Terrorists" Says Former ELF Spokesman
By FCUSA Communications Director Simon Ward
ON BEING SUBPOENAED to appear before a Congressional subcommittee, a former spokesman for the Earth Liberation Front has accused Congress of terrorism and blamed them for the attacks of Sept. 11.
On Oct. 31, Craig Rosebraugh was served with a subpoena to appear at a hearing on ecoterrorism next Feb. 12 in Washington, DC. The hearing will be held by the Congressional Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, chaired by Rep. Scott McInnis (CO).
During Rosebraugh’s stint as ELF spokesman, from 1997 to this September, the group claimed guilt for some $40 million in property damage in the US.
In a Nov. 1 statement distributed by the North American ALF press office, Rosebraugh said he would not cooperate with Congress in its "attempts … to stop the work of the brave, heroic individuals in the ELF who are trying to end the destruction of life. … More actions, like those of the ELF, are needed to stop the destruction of life caused by greedy, corrupt corporations and politicians."
He then turned the tables, calling Congress "some of the most extreme terrorists in history" and blaming them for the New York and Washington attacks.
"In light of the events on September 11, my country has told me that I should not cooperate with terrorists," he said. "I therefore am refusing to cooperate with members of Congress who are some of the most extreme terrorists in history. ... They are responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks due to horrendous US foreign policies of imperialism and they are responsible for the current ongoing genocide against the innocent people of Afghanistan. This alleged war on terrorism has largely been conducted to allow the US to attempt to oust the Taliban, and put in place a new puppet regime in Afghanistan who would allow the US to build their much sought after pipeline from the Turkmenistan oil reserves through southern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and to the Gulf. These sort of practices, mixed in with domestic policies of racism, classism, and further imperialism at the expense of life demonstrate the truly terrorist reality of the US Congress and Government. I could not live with myself if I cooperated with that injustice."
Should Rosebraugh fail to appear before the Subcommittee, he could face charges of contempt of Congress. "I think he would be well-advised to appear if a subpoena tells him to appear," said McInnis. "I want to pin him to the wall. This isn’t a love fest I’m inviting him to."
According to The Oregonian (Sept. 8), a key reason for Rosebraugh leaving his ELF post was to focus on his master’s program at the Institute for Social Ecology at Goddard College, Vermont. The title of his thesis is "Rethinking Nonviolence: Arguing for the Legitimacy of Armed Struggle."
See also:
FCUSA Press Kit Special Feature : Safe Farms Support Campaign
In Their Own Words : Stunning Quotes from the Mouths of ELF
For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 575-5578/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com.
To take a cyber-tour of a fur farm, visit Fur Commission USA's Fur on Film at http://www.furcommission.com/video/index.htm