[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 338 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 338

 Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the activities of Islamist 
           terrorist organizations in the Western Hemisphere.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 8, 2006

 Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Burton of Indiana, and 
 Mr. Chabot) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the activities of Islamist 
           terrorist organizations in the Western Hemisphere.

Whereas the brutal attacks of September 11, 2001, demonstrated that terrorists 
        can strike anywhere in the world;
Whereas terrorist activity that goes unaddressed is an invitation for terrorist 
        organizations to carry out attacks against the United States, our allies 
        and interests;
Whereas the Department of State has concluded in its most recent Country Reports 
        on Terrorism, which was released in April 2005, that although the threat 
        of international terrorism in the Western Hemisphere remains relatively 
        low as compared to other world regions, international terrorists may 
        seek safe-haven, financing, recruiting, illegal travel documentation, or 
        access to the United States from Latin American and Caribbean countries 
        and thus pose serious threats;
Whereas in recent years, the activities of Islamist terrorist organizations in 
        the Western Hemisphere have focused on financing their criminal and 
        terrorist activities outside of the region rather than carrying out or 
        directly supporting terrorist attacks in the Western Hemisphere;
Whereas, as the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina and the 1994 
        bombing of the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Argentina clearly showed, 
        international terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah, are ready, 
        willing, and able to carry out attacks in the Western Hemisphere;
Whereas since at least the AMIA bombing in 1994, Hezbollah has maintained 
        networks in the tri-border area of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina--
        primarily focusing on fundraising and recruitment;
Whereas in May 2003, a relative of Assad Ahmad Barakat, the reputed head of 
        Hezbollah in the tri-border area, was arrested at the airport in 
        Asuncion, Paraguay, in what Paraguayan police believe was a scheme to 
        sell drugs in Syria, with proceeds reaching Hezbollah forces in Lebanon;
Whereas Barakat, a Lebanese-born Paraguayan, is himself in custody in Brazil 
        awaiting extradition to Paraguay after raids on his businesses in 
        Paraguay's tri-border area found evidence that he transferred tens of 
        millions of United States dollars to Hezbollah in Lebanon;
Whereas there have been media reports of Hezbollah sympathizers and financiers 
        also conducting black market activities in Iquique, Chile; Maicao, 
        Colombia; Margarita Island, Venezuela; and Colon, Panama;
Whereas the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has also been known to raise funds 
        in the tri-border area;
Whereas in a 2002 court case, one of two Lebanese men were convicted of 
        financing Hezbollah with $2,000,000 in illegal cigarette sales in the 
        United States;
Whereas earlier this past year, a Lebanese individual from Detroit was charged 
        with supporting Hezbollah financially and was described by the United 
        States Attorney in the case as a ``fighter, recruiter, and fundraiser'';
Whereas several members of the Egyptian Islamic Group have been arrested in 
        Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia since 1998;
Whereas Ashref Ahmed Abdallah, an Egyptian national who is one of the most 
        significant human smuggling targets, was arrested by United States 
        authorities at Miami International Airport in July 2004 for using 
        Central America and Brazil as a staging ground for smuggling illegal 
        aliens from countries of the Middle East, including special interest 
        countries that are linked to international terrorism, into the United 
        States;
Whereas the activities of sympathizers and financiers of Islamist terrorist 
        organizations in the Western Hemisphere represent a potential threat to 
        the United States, our allies and interests;
Whereas section 7102 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 
        2004 (Public Law 108-458; 22 U.S.C. 2656f note) amends United States law 
        to identify and address emerging and current terrorist sanctuaries and 
        secure international cooperation to combat this threat;
Whereas many countries of the Western Hemisphere have cooperated with the United 
        States and regional organizations to counter the threat of regional and 
        international terrorism, including by participating in joint 
        counterterrorism training and simulations, Counterterrorism Action Group 
        (CTAG) meetings which are hosted by United States embassies, and the 
        Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) of the Organization 
        of American States (OAS); and
Whereas despite these efforts, many factors within the Western Hemisphere 
        contribute to creating an environment which is conducive for future 
        activities by international terrorist organizations: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the potential threat that sympathizers and 
        financiers of Islamist terrorist organizations that operate in 
        the Western Hemisphere pose to the United States, our allies 
        and interests;
            (2) acknowledges the commitment and cooperation of some 
        governments of countries of the Western Hemisphere to deny the 
        use of their territory to Islamist terrorist organizations and 
        calls on all governments to intensify their efforts; and
            (3) encourages the President to direct the United States 
        Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) 
        to--
                    (A) seek support from OAS member countries for the 
                creation of a special task force of the Inter-American 
                Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) to assist 
                governments in the region in investigating and 
                combatting the proliferation of Islamist terrorist 
                organizations in the Western Hemisphere and to 
                coordinate regional efforts to prevent the spread of 
                this threat; and
                    (B) urge OAS member countries to designate 
                Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, al-Qaeda 
                and its constituent entities, and other such groups as 
                terrorist organizations if they have not already done 
                so.
                                 <all>