So never called "terrorists" yet federal prosecutors charged them with arson under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 and sought the mandatory minimum sentence of five years.
Not exactly. They were charged with arson under Title 18 United States Code section 844(f), which reads in part:
(1) Whoever maliciously damages or destroys, or attempts to damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building, vehicle, or other personal or real property in whole or in part owned or possessed by, or leased to, the United States, or any department or agency thereof, or any institution or organization receiving Federal financial assistance, shall be imprisoned for not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years, fined under this title, or both.
and
(2) Whoever engages in conduct prohibited by this subsection, and as a result of such conduct, directly or proximately causes personal injury or creates a substantial risk of injury to any person, including any public safety officer performing duties, shall be imprisoned for not less than 7 years and not more than 40 years, fined under this title, or both.
The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 did increase the mandatory minimum penalties for these charges, but that does not mean the only people charged under these statutes are terrorists.
The superceding indictment in the Hammond case also has some very interesting information.
