Part24.IslamicterrorismmaybeadistantthreatforShearerLumberProducts,atimbercompanybasedinIdaho.Buteco-terrorismisaveryrealone.InNovember,theEarthLiberationFront(ELF),anundergroundorganization,gavewarningthatithad“spiked”tr eesintheNezPercenationalforesttoprotestagainstlogging.Spikinginvolveshidingmetalbarsintr eetr unks,therebypotentiallycripplingchainsawsandhurtingpeople.Moresuchattacksareexpected.HowdotheyfitintoAmerica’swaronterrorism?
Thenation’sforestshaveseenasharpincreaseinviolentincidents—equipmentvandalized,peopleintimidated—overthepasttenyears.Shearernowcarefullyinspectseverytr eebeforecuttingandhasbeenusingmetaldetectorstocheckeverytr unkbeingprocessed.YetIhorMereszczak,oftheNezPerceForestService,saysithasbeenhardtogettheFBI’sattention,andinvestigationshavegotnowhere.
TheELFisonlyonethreadinawebofundergroundradicalenvironmentalists.Itsaimistoinflictasmuchfinancialpainaspossibleonorganizationsorpeoplewho,byitslights,areexploitingtheenvironment.TheELF,thoughmadeupofanonymouscells,nonethelessoperatesawebsiteofferingtipsonhowtocausefireswithelectr ictimers.Untilrecently,italsohadapublicspokesman.
TogetherwiththeAnimalLiberationFront(ALF),whichoperatesalongthesamelines,theELFisestimatedtoberesponsibleforover$45m-worthofdamageinNorthAmericaoverthepastfewyears.In1998,itcausedfiresthatd id$12m-worthofdamageinVail,Colorado,tomakethepointthattheskiresort’sexpansionwasthreateningplaceswherelynxeslive.Earlierthisyear,theELFburneddowntheofficesofalumbercompanyinOregon.SinceSeptember11th,theALFandELFhaveclaimedresponsibilityforstartingafireataprimateresearchcenterinNewMexico,releasingminkfromanIowafurfarm,andfirebombingafederalcorralforwildhorsesinCalifornia.
Aretheyterrorists?Thetwogroupsrejectthelabel,claimingtotakeallprecautionsagainstharming“animals,whetherhumansornot”.ButearlierthisyearLouisFreeh,theFBI’sboss,listedbothorganizationsamongthemostactivedomesticterroristgroups.ScottMcInnis,theRepublicancongressmanwhosedistr ictincludesVail,arguesitisonlyamatteroftimebeforesomebodygetshurt,andhenowexpectstheFBItoputinmoreresources.
TheHousesubcommitteeonforests,whichMrMcInnisheads,willholdahearingoneco-terrorisminFebruary.Buthehasannoyedsomemainstr eamgreengroupsbyaskingthemtodenouncetheELF’sandALF’smethods.Greenpeace,forinstance,saysthatitsdisapprovalisself-evident,andresentsbeingaskedtoexpressit.Mr.McInnisstillwantstheiranswerbyDecember1st,butthewaroneco-terrorismisofftoarockystart.
第36题：Whatd idtheELFdotoShearerLumberProducts?
［A］Hurtitsemployees.［B］Crippleditsequipments.［C］Hidmetalsinitstr ees.［D］Protestedagainstitsspiking.
正确答案：C
