Agro-terrorism Threats

Agro-terrorism threat a real one
Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 9/3/2009 4:00:00 AM

An author and terrorism expert says as the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks approaches, Americans need to be aware of the threat of agro-terrorism and the impact it could have on the nation's food supply.

Tim Downs is the author of Ends of the Earth (Thomas Nelson, September 2009), a novel which explores the scenario of a terrorist attack on U.S. farms which contaminates the nation's food supply. Downs, who has done extensive research on agro-terrorism, says it is especially difficult to defend against.

"The concern about an agricultural act of terrorism is we just can't defend a thousand-acre farm," he explains. "You can put up a metal detector in an airport -- but how do you protect a thousand acres of corn or wheat?"

The 2007 Christy Award-winning author says this method of terrorism is much cheaper than making a nuke.

"Experts have estimated that for a terrorist group to develop a nuclear weapon could cost them a billion dollars," Downs notes. "But to develop a very good biological arsenal you would need about ten million dollars and a very small lab and a master's degree in chemical engineering."

Downs says more than likely the terrorists would use genetically altered insects to spread pathogens to infest the crops. According to the author, experiments of this kind were conducted by both the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Link

All of us have the images of 9/11 seared into our memory; they are as vivid as if it had just happened yesterday. However, the panic and destruction that occurred that day could pale in comparison to a successful agro-terrorism event. Chances are good that this type of event might not even originate from the Middle East, but quite possibly from a home-grown animal rights or environmental activist group. On 9/12 none of us felt very good, but we learned the importance of being diligent in protecting our selves. We can’t let time fade that lesson. Our food supply will depend on it.

Eco-Terrorism is Public Enemy #1

FBI: Eco-Terrorism Remains No. 1 Domestic Terror Threat

Monday , March 31, 2008

For nearly seven years, the nation has turned its terror focus on Al Qaeda and the hunt for Usama bin Laden. But there is a domestic terror threat that federal officials still consider priority No. 1 — eco-terrorism.

The torching of luxury homes in the swank Seattle suburb of Woodinville earlier this month served as a reminder that the decades-long war with militant environmentalists on American soil has not ended.

"It remains what we would probably consider the No. 1 domestic terrorism threat, because they have successfully continued to conduct different types of attacks in and around the country," said FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko. Read More


These terrorists don’t just attack research facilities and or corporations, they have also attacked family farms and ranches. No options are off the table, for this group, when it comes to violently trying to stop the things they are against. If we have an agri-terrorism event in the United States, it is more likely to have come from these groups rather than from overseas.