Eco-terrorism? Not too strong

Two young women are headed to federal prison for their role in the May 2001 arson that destroyed the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture. They are very lucky.

Imagine if a graduate student had been dozing out of sight of the group that broke into the office of a UW researcher. A grievous and arrogant act of property destruction would have been compounded by homicide. Instead of contrite arsonists and vandals facing five years behind bars, they would have been killers as well.

Jennifer Kolar and Lacey Phillabaum pleaded guilty Wednesday in a federal court in Tacoma because the FBI and U.S. attorneys had amassed a case against them that made a trial and the prospects of much longer sentences all too risky.

The term eco-terrorism fully applies to this case and dozens more across the West. Each blaze was sparked to destroy offending structures and property, but the purpose was to demoralize and intimidate builders, processors and scholars from resuming and carrying on their work.

That none of the attacks resulted in an injury or death is a matter of good fortune — thus far.

Fire-bomb-wielding members of the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front have no righteous claim to use flames as a political statement.

They are criminals, and through the hard work of the authorities and the cooperation of those who have been caught, they will all do time in prison.