Posted on 07/08/2005 1:19:21 PM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Ecoterror suspect's extradition sought
VANCOUVER, British Columbia
A court Thursday ordered the extradition of suspected ecoterrorist Tre Arrow, one of the FBI's most-wanted fugitives, to face firebombing charges in the United States.
Arrow, born Michael Scarpatti, is accused of participating in the 2001 firebombing of logging and sement trucks in Oregon. The FBI says he is associated with the Earth Liberation Front, a group that has claimed responsibility for dozens of acts of destruction over the past few years.
British Columbia Supreme Court Judge Kristi Gill ruled that there was enough evidence against Arrow to have him extradited to face federal charges. His lawyer said he would appeal, a process that could take months. Arrow, a Green Party candidate for Congress in Oregon in 2000 - who says trees told him to change his name - last week told the court that he was not guilty of the charges and was a target of a government conspiracy.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate ...
I wonder how close this guy came to being elected to Congress.
Got the bastard!
We have a nice cozy cell waiting and made up just for this terrorist wacko.
Hopefully, your roomate will be well over 300 lbs, and have no neck.
No death penalty, wonder what the basis for the appeal is? Just because we can? We're socialists and hate the USA?
Some more interesting info on this curious fellow:
Direct Action: Tre Arrow Arrested
FBI labels prominent anti-logging activist as "eco-terrorist"
by Dru Oja Jay
Tre Arrow on a ledge at the US Forest Service building in Portland, Oregon. Arrow’s eleven day stay on the ledge is credited as the turning point in a battle for the preservation of Eagle Creek. photo: ONRCOn March 10th, a man calling himself Joshua Murray was arrested for shoplifting in a Victoria Canadian Tire outlet. According to police, fingerprints identified him as Tre Arrow, an Oregon environmental activist listed on the FBI's most wanted list with a reward of $25 000 for information leading to his arrest. FBI spokespeople and news headlines have labelled Arrow an "eco-terrorist", but many have taken issue with this label, describing him as a principled and inspiring activist.
Arrow, who is referred to by the FBI and many media outlets as Michael Scarpitti-his name before it was legally changed-was wanted for his alleged involvement in an arson that resulted in the destruction of two logging trucks in June of 2001, and an April arson that damaged three cement trucks.
According to Portland Attorney Stu Sugarman, who has been in contact with Arrow, he disappeared approximately two months before charges were laid associating him with the burning of logging trucks. He lived for the following two years in Canada under the name Joshua Murray and continued his activist work. Writing on Indymedia sites and in conversation, acquaintances describe his love of nature and unwavering commitment to the protection of the environment. One acquaintance recalled an incident when Arrow suffered a head injury, but refused to allow his friends to call a cab, preferring to walk several blocks to the hospital.
By most accounts, Tre Arrow is best known for "turning around the campaign to save Eagle Creek" in Oregon. To prevent the logging of this wilderness area, Arrow camped on the seven-inch ledge of the US Forest Service Building in downtown Portland for eleven days with a megaphone. The Forest Service eventually backed down and Eagle Creek was spared. Arrow has also taken part in several tree sits in old growth forests and ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in 2000, where he received over 15 000 votes.
While Arrow's ultimate innocence or guilt will be decided by a jury in the distant future, the battle over the symbolism of his capture is already pitched. FBI missives, "Wanted" posters, and headlines from the Associated Press, Reuters, MSNBC, and numerous other outlets have painted him as an "eco-terrorist". Groups such as Stop Eco-Violence and Property Rights Foundation of America have cited his arrest as a decisive blow in the fight against domestic terrorism.
Not surprisingly, Arrow disagrees. "My involvement in peaceful, non-violent activism is well documented. Any attempt to label or brand me as the 'T' word is only an effort to discredit my reputation and detract from the effective campaigns I've been involved with."
Arrow is not the only one taking issue with the use of the word terrorism. In trying three other suspects charged with participating in the same arsons as Arrow, U.S. District Court Judge James A. Redden has ordered lawyers and prosecutors not to use the word "terrorism" or "terrorist". Redden said that the defendants were charged with arson, not terrorism, and warned, "the use of that term may [result in] the imposition of sanctions."
The FBI has continued to use the term "eco-terrorist" to describe Tre Arrow, leading some critics to claim that "terrorism" is a political construction used in the court of public opinion, rather than a legal term used in front of a jury.
FBI materials state that Tre Arrow has "been known to be affiliated with" the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), which the FBI considers the number one domestic terrorist organization in the United States. The ELF consists of a number of small cells operating individually, under a set of three general principles. These include educating the public about the "atrocities committed against the earth," taking "all necessary precautions against harming any animal, human and non-human" and "inflicting economic damage" on those who profit from environmental destruction or exploitation.
"Is it a greater evil to destroy the property of this corporation or to choose to allow these corporations to continue to destroy the environment? What the activists are saying is that it's a lesser evil to stop these corporations from destroying the planet," explains ELF spokesperson Craig Rosenbaum.
The FBI operates by the US Code of Federal Regulations, which defines domestic terrorism as "the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives." Depending on the definition of "force", a street protest, graffiti, or sit-ins might also be considered terrorism. The FBI maintains that the definition-and its application-are straightforward.
Many environmental activists claim that Arrow is being framed as a "terrorist" because of his success as a political activist, not because of evidence of his involvement in the arsons. By most accounts, proof of Arrow's involvement rests on the testimony of Jake Sherman, a man who admitted to the arsons and agreed to testify against Arrow in order to receive a reduced sentence of three years. Arrow could face life in prison if convicted.
Tre Arrow has been on hunger strike since his arrest and as of this writing, he is in solitary confinement in a Victoria, BC prison. His extradition is being contested.
Tre Arrow is a terrorist ~ Hang 'em High!
You're close.. I believe that he's claiming political persecution.
Frederick Pohl predicted eco-terrorists would be the scourge of the future in "The Space Merchants," a science fiction novel he wrote more than forty years ago. Now it looks like the prediction came true; the main difference is that he called them "Consies" (an abbrevation for conservationists).
The greatest amount of support for the Green Party can be found in areas where there is virtually no two party competition, e.g. the Pacific Northwest, parts of Northern California, and Alaska.
There are certain exceptions to this rule, e.g. their popularity in New Mexico, though it's on the decline in that state.
I think that the highest-ranking elected official the Greens ever boasted of was Assemblywoman Bock in California.
I can't imagine them ever fielding a successful congressional candidate.
Hang 'em High ~ Bump!
I'm surprised that they haven't had a Green Congressit elected to represent Portland, Or or Seattle.
"We been at the forefront of protecting wilderness lands for thirty years"...I'm thinkin' I heard about a 350 acre ranch in the Sierra Valley they bought and turned into a private club for their Board of Directors.
He says, "This administration in Washington is the worst we've ever had on environmental issues," in unvelied contempt. I say, "An administration I voted for and support."
"You mean you support drilling for oil in wilderness land?" And I say, "Do you mean ANWAR? Yes"
"Well good luck with that." As he runs, literally RUNS off my property. Heck, I was actually willing to talk to him.
I love that story!
:)
Well. There's a bold step designed to bring down the corporate machine. Obviously a well planned bit of political action designed to stir up the masses.
Moron.
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