Prepared Remarks for Attorney

General Alberto R. Gonzales

at the Operation Backfire Press
Conference
January 20, 2006
Good afternoon.

I am joined by FBI Director Robert Mueller, ATF Director Carl Truscott, and
Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher from the Criminal Division.

Yesterday, a grand jury in the District of Oregon returned an indictment charging

eleven members of a Portland-based cell of animal rights and environmental
extremists for their roles in a pattern of domestic terrorism activities.

The 65 count indictment includes numerous charges of arson and attempted arson,
conspiracy and conspiracy to commit arson, use and possession of a destructive
device, and destruction of an energy facility.

The indictment tells a story of four-and-a-half years of arson, vandalism, violence,

and destruction claimed to have been executed on behalf of the Animal Liberation
Front or Earth Liberation Front – extremist movements known to support acts of
domestic terrorism.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that a group of defendants – who referred to

themselves as “the family” – worked together with extensive planning to influence
the conduct of government and private businesses through the use of coordinated
force, violence, sabotage, intimidation, and coercion.

On a number of occasions, they constructed incendiary devices made from milk jugs
or plastic buckets, petroleum products, and delayed timers…and then used them to
destroy buildings, vehicles, and other targets chosen to harm the government,
disrupt the public, and strike at the economic well-being of state governments and
private businesses.

This cell was responsible for more than fifteen incidents across five states, a well-
coordinated series of violent attacks that included arsons or attempted arsons at U.S.
Forest Service Ranger Stations, animal holding facilities, lumber companies and
timber farms, the Vail Ski Resort, and the Eugene, Oregon Police Department. In
addition, three of the defendants are charged with destruction of a high tension
tower at the Bonneville Power Administration in Bend, Oregon.

In many cases, the group publicized the incidents with graffiti, press releases, and
communiqués attributing the actions – and the stated reasons for those actions – to
the Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front terrorist movements.

In all, their trail of destruction across the Pacific Northwest and beyond resulted in
millions of dollars of property damage. Today’s indictment is a significant step in
bringing these terrorists to justice.

Six of the defendants were arrested more than a month ago and are currently being
detained – including one Canadian citizen ICE found in possession of a forged
Green Card and Social Security Card. Two more were arrested this week on
criminal complaints charging them with arsons mentioned in this indictment. And
three others are believed to be outside the country. We’re working hard with a
number of partners to find these individuals and bring them to justice here in the
United States.

As this – and all – criminal indictments are not evidence of guilt, the defendants
named in this indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The investigation, arrests, and indictments in this case are the result of widespread
cooperation and coordination throughout the law enforcement community. I’d like
to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office in Oregon and the many prosecutors and
investigators from a host of law enforcement agencies at every level for their work
on this case – and their continued determination to help protect Americans from the
threat of terrorism – both foreign and domestic.

Thank you.

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