Incident Summary:
10/25/1988: Members of the Evan Mecham Eco-Terrorist International Conspiracy (EMETIC), claimed responsibility for using an acetylene torch to cut through one of the main steel poll supports for the cable ski lift at the Fairfield Snow Bowl Ski Resort in Flagstaff, Arizona in the United States. At 6:30am on October 26, an unidentified male caller phoned a radio station and claimed he was part of the EMETIC group, and claimed responsibility for the incident, similar to the incidents from 1987. Additionally, several media representatives received letters from the group, also claiming their involvement in the incident. In 1991, Marc Leslie Davis, Margaret Katherine Millet, Ilse Washington Asplund, and Marc Andre Baker were sentenced for the attacks on the Fairfield Snow Bowl ski resort. No casualties resulted from the incident, but there was property damage, which amounted to over $26,000, after the previous incident in November 1987, and this incident combined.
Overview
GTD ID:
198810250013
When:
1988-10-25
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Arizona
City:
Flagstaff
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Facility/Infrastructure Attack |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
Fairfield Snow Bowl Ski Resort |
Specific Description |
cables of the chairlifts at the Fairfield Snow Bowl Ski Resort in Flagstaff, AZ |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
$26,000.00 |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Sabotage Equipment |
|
Weapon Details |
propane (acetylene) torch |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Additional Information |
Though the ski resort was not in operation at the time of the incident, the chairlift has the capability of holding 900 passengers on their way to the slopes and had the damage not been detected, serious injury, and even death may have occurred. It is unclear if the group EMETIC is an offshoot of Earth First!; however, a member of the Earth First! group was arrested in regards to these incidents for donating funds to EMETIC. This incident is related to similar sabotage incidents at the Fairfield Snow Bowl ski area by the same perpetrators, one in October 1987, and another in November 1987. All four perpetrators were tried and sentenced for these incidents of sabotage. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
4 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
4 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
FBI, "Terrorism in the United States: 1988," Terrorist Research and Analytical Center, Counterterrorism Section Criminal Investigative Division, FBI, December 31, 1988. |
Angela Astle, "Sabotage of ski lift detailed in eco-trial," The Prescott Courier, June 21, 1991. |
"The charges against Earth First! Members- a chronology," The Prescott Courier, June 11, 1991. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties