Domestic Terrorists: A Comparative Analysis

The U.S. is struggling to find a way to prevent domestic terrorism. Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and the armed forces are working tirelessly to neutralize domestic terrorist cells and dismantle the influence of international extremist. This is a short summary discussing three domestic terrorist groups, and the similarities and differences between them. The three groups are the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), Earth Liberation Front (ELF), and the Army of God.
The ALF and ELF are similar groups that use the same tactics and procedures to commit their acts. However, they differentiate from each other because one focuses on the environment and the other animal rights. Rohnie Lee who was a member of an activist group called the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) founded the ALF. HSA is opposed to the sport of foxhunting, and took a non-violent approach to their cause. Lee disagreed with this approach and formed the Band of Mercy which took a more militant approach to stop the sport of hunting. After his release from jail in the late 1970s after a failed bombing attempt on the Oxford Laboratory Animal

Colonies, Lee renamed the Band of Mercy to ALF. ALF expanded its cause to animal research and meat production facilities. Its goal is to use criminal activity to cause economic loss, and destroy company operations against animal researchers and individuals who use animals for economic gain in an effort to end the abuse and exploitation of animals. The companies most often targeted are fur companies, mink farms, restaurants, and animal research centers.
The ELF is a branch of eco-terrorist from a group called Earth First!

Earth First! In effort to take a non-violent approach to protecting the environment, Earth First! made its mark in the late 1970s. However, during that time, the group had little to no impact on environmental policies, and many of its members decided that the group was not radical enough, despite the leader’s request to continue using non aggressive strategies. This led to the establishment of ELF in the early 1990s. The ELF’s purpose is to carry out the most violent “direct-action” agenda, with a goal similar to ALF to inflict the maximum economic damage to the enterprises they felt were destroying the environment. Some of their acts included breaking into farms, releasing animals, setting fires to buildings, and wrecking offices that provided services to businesses they are

against.
The last domestic terrorist group is an anti-abortion Christian group called the Army of God (AOG). The actual origin of the group is currently unknown; nevertheless, following the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion the AOG made its mark. AOG members feel that the Supreme Court’s decision was against God’s will and have adopted similar philosophies found in right-wing activist groups. AOG exists as an effort to stop abortion at all cost using extreme violence against nurses and doctors that perform these operations. Like the ALF and the ELF, AOG is a special interest group that is not concerned about the negative impacts their actions will have on their personal, economic, or social status. Moreover, each group feels that the cause they are fighting for disregards their beliefs and values. The difference between AOG from the other groups is they are also violent towards the Islamic and homosexual communities.
In conclusion, the domestic terrorist threat continues to expand considerably. The internet, social media, and increase in homegrown violent extremist all contribute to the evolution and persistence of domestic terrorist groups. Until the U.S. can find an effective strategy to counter domestic terrorist groups, these terrorist will continue to conduct random acts of violence against anybody who happens to be in their way.