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THE ANIMAL ENTERPRISE TERRORISM ACT IS
NOW THE LAW
The following is from the AMP News Service:
President Bush signed the Animal Enterprise
Terrorism Act (AETA) into law Monday. It expands
criminal prohibitions against the use of force,
violence, and threats involving animal-related
businesses, including biomedical research, and
increases penalties for violations.
Sponsored by Senators James Inhofe (R-OK) and
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representative Thomas
Petri (R-WI), the law amends the Animal Enterprise
Act of 1992, addressing the new tactics of
secondary and tertiary targeting employed by SHAC
and other extremists.
"I am proud the President signed into law my
bill that provides law enforcement much needed
tools to adequately combat radical animal rights
extremists' who commit violent acts against
innocent people because of their work with animal
research," Senator Inhofe said. "My bill, that
gained unanimous support of Congress, is an
important step in the effort to combat animal
rights extremists' increasingly violent tactics. We
can no longer tolerate criminally based activism
regardless of the cause it allegedly advances."
Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of the
Biotechnology Industry Organization said in a
statement, "Activists' campaigns against
biotechnology companies have been strategic,
specific, unrelenting, and directed toward
delivering economic, and sometimes physical, damage
to companies engaged in innovation for
life-threatening diseases. The Animal Enterprise
Terrorism Act finally gives prosecutors and law
enforcement officials the tools they need to
counter the increasingly violent tactics of animal
terrorists. Our industry has zero tolerance for
animal rights extremists whose true victims are the
millions of men, women, and children who are being
denied new cures and treatments to their
illnesses."
Activists have vowed to work to overturn the
law. The Equal Justice Alliance, a coalition of
animal rights groups organized by FARM - Farm
Animal Reform Movement, notes on its web page:
"We plan to pursue three ways of
neutralizing AETA:
By convincing federal district attorneys not to
prosecute under AETA because the law is too
broad and vague to make it through the
courts;
By convincing federal courts to dismiss a test
case because the law is too broad and vague;
By convincing Congress that the law is
unworkable, unconstitutional, and should be
repealed.
These are our projected tasks:
Establish friendly relations with key
legislators, Justice personnel, and defenders of
civil liberties.
Work with bar associations to obtain their
support.
Place favorable stories in the media.
Develop talking points for contacting your
senators and representative to begin the repeal
process.
Plan a major national conference next summer in
Los Angeles to promote repeal.
Compile guidelines for operating in the face of
AETA.
Compile a record of discriminatory enforcement
of AETA.
Ask animal rights and other social justice
advocacy groups and individuals to join our
effort."
It is important to show your appreciation to
your elected representatives for their support of
AETA. NABR has prepared a form to facilitate
sending an email to Congress. Go to http://capwiz.com/nabr/issues/alert/?alertid=9183066&type=CO
United Press International, November 29,
"Analysis: New animal rights terror law"
http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20061127-072136-3466r
The Washington Times, November 28, "Animal
extremist law bolstered"
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20061127-103714-5725r.htm
Sen. James Inhofe News Release, November 27, on
AETA signing
http://epw.senate.gov/pressitem.cfm?party=rep&id=266097
BIO News Release, November 28, on AETA
signing
http://www.bio.org/news/newsitem.asp?id=2006_1128_02
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