Fire At WA Planned Parenthood Clinic Was Arson, ‘Appalling Act Of Violence’



Early Friday morning, a Planned Parenthood clinic in Pullman, Washington was severely damaged by a fire. Within a little more than 12 hours, officials determined that the fire was an act of terrorism–specifically, arson.

The burned-out Planned Parenthood clinic in Pullman, Washington (courtesy The Daily Beast)
The burned-out Planned Parenthood clinic in Pullman, Washington (courtesy The Daily Beast)

According to The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, the fire was first spotted at 3:30 a.m. Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control within three hours. However, due to extensive damage to support beams on the three-year-old building’s north side, it will be at least a month before the clinic can reopen. Planned Parenthood is looking for a temporary facility in the Pullman area so it can resume services in the Palouse as soon as possible.

By the close of business on Friday, the Pullman Fire Department and the Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force determined that the fire was arson. According to FBI Special Agent Frank Harrill, federal authorities got involved in the case fairly quickly because of a long and sordid history of domestic terrorists targeting Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. This particular clinic didn’t provide abortions, but it did provide abortion referrals.

Karl Eastlund, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Eastern Idaho, described the attack as “an appalling act of violence” that was “a predictable ripple effect from the false and incendiary attacks” that Planned Parenthood has faced of late. Eastlund was obviously referring to the videos that the Center for Medical Progress has rolled out this summer. While these videos have triggered Congressional investigations, several experts say that they were so selectively edited that they were a colossal hatchet job that is useless for any credible investigation.

However, Samantha Allen of The Daily Beast says that we can’t rule out another possibility–that this arson was simply “business as usual” for elements of the pro-life movement that have crossed the line into out-and-out terrorism. There have been 186 arsons and 40 bombings of abortion providers since 1976. Allen thinks that while it’s possible that some knucklehead was spurred to action by the CMP videos, it’s entirely possible that “this could have simply been the Pullman center’s time.” For his part, CMP founder David Daleiden denounced “vigilante violence against abortion providers.”

Regardless of motive, one thing is clear beyond doubt. There’s a psychotic terrorist thug on the loose in the Palouse–one who must be brought to justice and locked up for as long as legally possible.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.