NEW TV COMMERCIALS LINK SUVS, TERRORISM

A group opposed to U.S. reliance on foreign oil on Wednesday ran two
television ads that try to link gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles to
terrorist funding, mimicking spots that connect drug money to "terrible
things.''

One commercial features a child's voice connecting the dots between a man
filling his gas tank and terrorist training footage. The closing statement:
"Oil money supports some terrible things. What kind of mileage does your
SUV get?''

The other ad features people commenting about their SUVs. One person says,
"My kids think it's cool.'' Another says, "I helped blow up a nightclub.''

The 30-second ads, created for the non-profit Detroit Project, will began
airing Sunday in major markets including San Francisco.

Opponents criticized the campaign's approach. Sam Kazman, general counsel
of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, called it "elitist nonsense.''