Mar 4, 2008 6:58 am US/Mountain
Author: ELF Not Well Organized
DENVER (CBS4) ―
An author who has written a book about the Earth Liberation Front says the group often gets more attention that it deserves. ELF is being investigated for several house fires outside Seattle Monday morning.
Investigators said the fires that torched luxury homes appeared to be fueled by incendiary devices. A banner with "ELF" on it was also found outside, although ATF agents said that didn't prove anything.
ELF has a long history in Colorado, including the arson of a lodge on Vail Mountain, the fire at a mansion in Boulder and the burning of SUVs in Cherry Creek.
Daniel Glick, a former Newsweek reporter who wrote about the Vail arson, said painting the ELF as some sort of mass movement makes all environmentalists look like the economy.
"It's a loose affiliation of people, if they're affiliated at all, who get their information from looking at Web sites and get the idea they should do something," Glick said.
The FBI said ELF is responsible for dozens of eco-terrorism attacks during the last decade even though it has not organized leadership or membership.
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