Burden of proof rests on FBI
Daily Opinion
Should we believe the FBI?
In the aftermath of the Oct. 18 fires at Vail, that has become the
question.
The fires, which appear to be arson and which destroyed three resort
buildings and several ski lifts, have spawned an aggressive
investigation of environmental groups and their members. The
investigation began after a group calling itself the Earth Liberation
Front took credit for the blazes, which an e-mail claimed had been set
"on behalf of the lynx."
Ancient Forest Rescue, a non-violent environmental organization which
has long objected to Vail's expansion into the Two Elks wilderness
because of its likely impact on the rare lynx, has borne the brunt of
the investigation.
At the time of the fires, members of AFR were camped near Vail, training
for an upcoming action in protest of the resort giant's logging
operations. The Colorado Daily had been in contact with AFR members in
the days prior to the fires. We knew their plans but were sitting on the
story in an effort not to tip off Vail.
But on Oct. 18, AFR's plans went up in smoke and weeks of training
suddenly became cause for public suspicion.
Since then one CU student, a former student, and someone from out of
state have been issued subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury
that was seated ostensibly to investigate the fires.
In addition, numerous environmentalists, including a CU professor and
AFR members in Boulder and across the country, have been questioned by
federal agents.
While the FBI claims it is only trying to "elicit information about
who set these fire," those who've been questioned suggest the feds
have a different, more sinister motive -- to undermine and infiltrate
the environmental movement.
The grand jury, they say, is just a way for the government to gather
information about the environmental movement without being held
accountable. According to federal law, grand jury proceedings remain
secret.
Some even wonder whether the FBI itself might be behind the fires,
either with or without Vail Resorts Inc.'s knowledge and cooperation.
Despite statements to the contrary made by an FBI spokesman, AFR members
have good reason to be suspicious. At least one AFR member claims that
she was asked to disclose her political affiliations and give other
personal information that had nothing to do with the Vail fires.
And someone who should know -- a 26-year veteran of the FBI who has
turned whistle-blower -- has publicly stated that the investigation is
nothing less than a counter-intelligence operation.
But the FBI's greatest roadblock to credibility is its own history. The
Bureau has repeatedly employed secrecy and extra-legal
intelligence-gathering to infiltrate, intimidate and incapacitate
progressive activist groups, including the labor movement, the Black
Panthers and the American Indian Movement.
Given this dirty history, it is the FBI that should be answering the
questions. The burden of proof rests on them.
PAMELA WHITE
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