As if there weren't already enough terror attached to the loathsome leather trade, the notoriously cruel Indian leather industry has now been linked to Islamic terrorists groups. According to a recent article in The Times of India, the illegal cattle-smuggling trade, an integral part of the leather supply chain, has been funding terrorism in India. For years now, money made in this thriving racket has reportedly been funneled to various terrorists, including one of the men convicted of killing American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

It's pretty ironic that a country in which cows are considered sacred is one of the largest leather manufacturers in the world. In fact, Indian law makes it illegal to export cows. To get around this, traffickers force cattle to march hundreds of miles across the country. Marched for days without food or water, cows often collapse from exhaustion or despair, To keep them moving, workers smear the cows' eyes with chili peppers and tobacco and break the cows' tails. By the time the cows are crammed into illegal transport trucks and smuggled across the India-Bangladesh border, many are so sick and injured that they have to be dragged into the slaughterhouse—where their throats are slit while they are still alive.

I say we fight the war on terror by buying pleather and signing this petition to the Ambassador of India.

Written by Amy Elizabeth

newslib / CC

As a towheaded tyke in Dallas years ago (how many years ago I'm not saying), I loved nothing more than to visit Six Flags Over Texas. It seemed like an enchanted wonderland of whimsy and harmless thrills ….

Obviously, those days are long gone.

In a sure sign of desperation, Six Flags Inc.—whose stock has been performing so poorly that it's in danger of losing its listing on the New York Stock Exchange—has decided that the way to drum up business is to have park visitors eat bugs. We can only be glad that these financial geniuses weren't responsible for writing the recent bank bailout legislation, right?

Now, you may recall that Six Flags recently announced that it was going to end the horrible cockroach-eating stunts of the past couple of years during its Halloween-themed "Fright Fest." So, to pretend it's being true to its word, it's announced that it still won't use cockroaches this year—instead it'll offer other kinds of bugs to eat, such as "superworms, larvae, caterpillars, cicadas, night crawlers, crickets, and grasshoppers." Boy, that should make for some delightful childhood memories, huh?

When Six Flags originally announced the end of cockroach-eating, its public relations manager, Sue Carpenter, said, "We're on to other Fright Fest events that do not include any living creatures!" So, what's the dealie? Last we checked, crickets, caterpillars, and grasshoppers were living creatures—and not at all eager to be chewed up so some yahoo can have cuts in the rollercoaster line. Plus, it sends a dangerous message to kids that it's okay to harm others to get ahead.

As soon as we got wind of Six Flags' bait-and-switch nonsense, we wrote to its vice president of communications, Sandra Daniels, to express our outrage and offer another chance to do the right thing.

Written by Jeff Mackey

Don't worry, it's not Bruno! Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba has launched her sexy new PETA ad. Carrie Ann's ad tells people, "Don't Miss a Step—Spay or Neuter Today!" and features her adorable cat companion, Shadow. I don't know about ya'll, but Carrie Ann is my fave judge on DWTS, and I was thrilled that she did this ad for PETA.

Not only is Carrie Ann supportive and kind to the Dancing contestants, she is also a great friend to animals. All three of her cats are rescues, and she strongly believes in spaying and neutering. Her compassion really makes this ad rock—oh, and the stilettos and fishnets aren't bad either!

Check out Carrie Ann's exclusive interview with PETA:

Thanks, Carrie Ann!

And since I know you're wondering—I'm voting Lance!

Written by Christine Doré

Say it ain't so! Last week, we told you about our brand-new 'Got Autism?' billboard, which was intended to give the drivers of Newark, New Jersey, a little food for thought. The billboard drew a connection between milk consumption and autism in children. This week, the advertising company that was hosting our billboard has pulled the plug and the billboard has been removed.

It's pretty safe to assume that the ad is not being removed due to a lack of attention! Just the opposite—our message has garnered tons of feedback, including support from parents of autistic children who have seen noticeable improvements after removing dairy from their child's diet.

We wanted to share the thoughts of a few individuals regarding this campaign:

Thanks for the continued support of the campaign! Even though the billboard has come down, the message is still loud and clear.

Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Maybe you remember this phrase from your childhood: "Liar, liar, pants on fire, nose as long as a telephone wire."

Well, does that apply to Giorgio Armani, or did he hit his head—causing him to have a drastic about-face? Because the Armani who was once swearing off fur is now dressing babies in it just one short year later. Note to Armani: Rabbits are furry animals no different from dogs, cats, foxes, and minks.

So, shoppers who were on their way into his flagship store in Milan were treated to a glimpse of how Armani looks to us now that he apparently can't break his rabbit habit. PETA Europe posted this rather pointed portrayal of Pinocchio Armani just outside the store:

Because, seriously, what kind of person learns about the cruelty of the fur industry, pledges to be fur-free, and then decides to kill animals for "fashion" anyway? You tell us.

Written by Amanda Schinke

The Pretenders are hosting a party, and you're invited—a listening party, that is! Their new album, Break Up the Concrete, comes out today, and they're so excited for everyone to hear it that they're putting it up on their Web site in its entirety! So before you head over to your favorite music vendor, you can check out the Pretenders' new album online with Windows Media Player or QuickTime.

And hey, if you want to win your very own hard copy of Break Up the Concrete—or even a signed Fender Telecaster guitar—you can enter to do that as well!

Rock on, Chrissie and the Pretenders! We love your new album, and we know the rest of the world will too!

Written by Amanda Schinke

By now, you might have heard about Timothy Wayne Shepherd, the 28-year-old man who confessed last year to killing his ex-girlfriend and who is also charged with dismembering and barbecuing her—no, really.

While this story is shocking and terrible, it sounds awfully familiar. Oh, that's right! Last week on the PETA Files, we posted an entry all about barbecuing humans! It was a demonstration to get people to wake up and "meet their meat." In our demo, a woman had her body painted like charred flesh and lay on a mock grill while passersby gawked—forced to make the connection that those tightly wrapped, clean-looking meat packages in the grocery store once were living, breathing beings who felt pain when they were slaughtered.

In our case, the demo was thought-provoking and symbolic (flesh is flesh). In Timothy's case … it might have been a bit too real.

We're writing to the prison where Shepherd is being held. If he is convicted of the murder, he will receive a sentence presumably intended to prevent him from taking any more lives. Well, we certainly agree with this sentiment—and that's why we're asking Shepherd's jailers to stop the cycle of senseless killing by putting him on an all-vegetarian diet. We can never bring back the young woman who was the victim of Shepherd's crime, but we can try to prevent him from causing any more painful deaths.

Written by Amanda Schinke