[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 39 (Thursday, March 25, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3167-S3168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     DRUG TRAFFICKING AND TERRORISM

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, since the tragic events of September 11, 
we have all strived mightily to ensure that our great homeland is never 
subjected to a terrorist attack by the evildoers again. But everyday 
those very evildoers weaken the fabric of our country, their enemy, by 
flooding our great society with addictive and deadly drugs. While the 
link between terrorists and drugs has been made countless times 
publically, we, as a Nation, have yet to attack the problem with an 
approach that is consistent and successful.
  On March 13, 2002, Rand Beers, Assistant Secretary for International 
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and Francis Taylor, Ambassador-
at-large for Counterterrorism, made the points in joint testimony 
prepared for a hearing on ``Narco-Terror: The Worldwide Connection 
Between Drugs and Terror'' held by the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee 
on Technology, Terrorism and Government Information. Taylor, who 
delivered the opening testimony, told us that ``relations between drug 
traffickers and terrorists benefit both.''
  ``Drug traffickers benefit from the terrorists' military skills, 
weapons supply, and access to clandestine organizations. Terrorists 
gain a source of revenue and expertise in illicit transfer and 
laundering of proceeds from illicit transactions,'' he said.
  Taylor listed terrorist groups with known links to drug trafficking 
around the world--from the South American nations of Colombia, Peru, 
Bolivia and Paraguay to Afghanistan, which, he said, accounts for more 
than 70 percent of the world's supply of opiates.
  Mr. President, we know that 12 of the 25 major terror organizations 
identified by the State Department in 2002 have ties to drug 
traffickers and we know that drugs are a major source of funding for 
these terrorist groups. We know these groups sometimes work as 
conspirators to carry out their evil purposes.
  The Lebanese Hezbollah group is increasingly involved in drug 
trafficking and terrorist organizations in Europe and Southeast Asia 
also are tied to illicit drugs.
  The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly known as the 
FARC, protects cocaine laboratories and clandestine airstrips in 
southern Colombia and some FARC units directly control local cocaine 
base markets.
  As evidence that terrorist groups cooperate and work together, the 
Colombian National Police arrested three members of the IRA in July, 
2001, who are believed to have used the demilitarized zone to train the 
FARC in the use of explosives.
  While we know these connections, we have not taken full advantage of 
the vast resources and knowledge available to exploit this connection. 
The link between terrorism and drug trafficking that may take many 
forms, ranging from facilitation--protection, transportation, and 
taxation--to direct trafficking by the terrorist organization itself in 
order to finance its activities. Traffickers and terrorists have many 
of the same needs in terms of the secret movement of goods, people 
and money.

  There are no swans in the sewer, and the relationships between drug 
traffickers and terrorists benefit both. As Mr. Beers stated, ``Drug 
traffickers benefit from the terrorists' military skills, weapons 
supply, and access to clandestine organizations. Terrorists gain a 
source of revenue and expertise [from drug traffickers] in illicit 
transfer and laundering of proceeds from illicit transactions.'' 
Corrupt officials who are influenced by the dirty money of the narco-
terrorists make it easier for the groups to get access to fraudulent 
documents, including passports and travel documents. This allows the 
terrorists to travel abroad under the stealth and protection of a 
shadowy network that is virtually undetectable.
  Terrorists and drug traffickers also use the same methods to hide 
their illegal profits and conduct fundraising to feed their evil plans. 
The schemes used by the terrorists for the transferring and laundering 
of drug money for general criminal purposes are similar to those used 
to move money to support terrorist activities. The use of ``charities'' 
and informal networks such as ``hawalas'' are easy and efficient ways 
to launder money.
  Yet these are the only methods we know about. Congress is in the 
process

[[Page S3168]]

of crafting a budget for the 2005 fiscal year. We have some tough 
choices ahead of us. But as we move forward, I would urge my colleagues 
to keep in mind the lessons we have learned in our efforts to go after 
drug trafficking organizations.
  First, to be successful, we need the assistance of other nations. 
Though many countries have been quick to update their regulations, few 
have the law enforcement structure in place to carry out interdiction. 
Law enforcement capabilities must improve globally. In addition, 
communication between law enforcement agencies nationally and 
internationally, must become seamless in order to rapidly and 
effectively identify, target and eradicate terrorists and their drug 
trafficking brothers before they eradicate us.
  Second, our various law enforcement efforts within the United States 
must be coordinated. As our efforts to catch drug traffickers have 
taught us, no one agency has all of the tools, information, resources 
or skills to get the job done alone. Encouraging interagency 
cooperation, then, must be a priority.
  And third, the efforts made at the State and local level to go after 
drug traffickers are also an important piece of our war on terror. We 
cannot, should not, and must not, overlook the efforts and expertise of 
our State and local law enforcement officers. They know best what's 
going on in their communities and often have the best, most effective 
approach to stem the flow of crime within their borders.
  I will say more about the links between drug trafficking and 
terrorism in the future. But the connection is there and should not be 
ignored. Whether we discuss the financing or smuggling by terrorists, 
document fraud or corruption by drug traffickers, the sewer where the 
individuals bent on these activities dwell needs to be cleaned up. 
Let's not overlook the other filth in the water just because the sewer 
rat floats by.

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