[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 74 (Monday, June 12, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H3736-H3738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE ACTIVITIES OF ISLAMIST
TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 338) expressing
the sense of Congress regarding the activities of Islamist terrorist
organizations in the Western Hemisphere.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 338
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
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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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I rise in strong support of this House concurrent resolution
regarding the activities of Islamic terrorist organizations in the
Western Hemisphere. This is a Ros-Lehtinen/Lantos/Burton/Engel
resolution. It pulls together the oversight and investigative efforts
of two regional subcommittees of the House International Relations
Committee. This resolution also builds upon measures previously adopted
by the House related to the Jewish Community Center bombing in Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
In addition to outlining the emerging threat of Islamic terrorist
organizations in our hemisphere, H. Con. Res. 338:
One, calls on all governments to intensify their efforts against
terrorists and their financiers;
Second, calls for establishment of a special task force of the Inter-
American Committee Against Terrorism to assist governments in the
hemisphere in combating the proliferation of Islamist terrorist
organizations from a national and regional perspective; and,
Third, urges the OAS member countries to designate Hezbollah, Hamas,
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, al-Qaeda and its constituent elements and
other such groups as terrorist organizations if they have not already
done so.
In recent years, there has been increasing numbers of reports of a
growing presence of Islamic terrorist organizations in the Western
Hemisphere. Areas of concern include fundraising and remittance to
terrorist cells in Arab countries, material support for terrorist
organizations, recruitment of terrorist black market activity and
involvement in global narcotrafficking. There has also been an increase
in anti-Semitism, not unlike what we have seen in Europe and in the
Middle East.
H. Con. Res. 338 recognizes the presence of Islamic terrorist
organizations in the Western Hemisphere. It details terrorist
activities that have taken place, and the presence of terrorists in
many Western Hemisphere countries, including but not limited to the
United States, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and
Panama.
Madam Speaker, there is a large Arab community of roughly 30,000,
primarily Lebanese and Syrian immigrants, involved in business
enterprises in the tri-border area, both illegal and legal. Hezbollah
and Hamas have a history of using the tri-border area, TBA, for
fundraising and other support. Although the area has been monitored for
some time, in 1992 and 1994, bombings in Buenos Aires caused increased
scrutiny there.
Madam Speaker, the area has been, and remains, a haven for illicit
activities by organized crime and most likely by terrorist groups.
These groups use the TBA for smuggling, money laundering, product
privacy and drug and arms trafficking. Numerous organized crime groups,
including the Lebanese and Chinese mafias, are known to use the area
for illicit activities.
The level of financial transactions, Madam Speaker, is staggering.
The Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este generated $12 to $13 billion in
cash transactions annually as of 2001, making it the third largest
money handler worldwide behind Hong Kong and Miami.
Corruption and weak governance, fragile democratic institutions and
weak law enforcement and adherence to the rule in parts of Latin
America presents opportunities for terrorists to exploit. There is
evidence that terrorists are tapping into drug, arms and human
trafficking networks. We need to enhance regional engagement and
cooperation, strengthen monitoring efforts, and fight criminal
activities. This resolution casts much needed attention on a growing
threat in our hemisphere and calls for vigilance among the community of
nations which is collectively threatened. Islamic terrorist
organizations are skilled at exploiting these weaknesses around the
globe and here in our own hemisphere as well.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
I rise in strong support of this resolution. On July 18, we will mark
the 12th anniversary of the senseless loss of 85 lives in the bombing
of the Jewish Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We will
commemorate with profound pain the loss of the families who forever had
their loved ones brutally taken from them. And we will recall the shock
felt in Jewish communities across the globe at this ferocious attack on
innocent lives in a city where Jews had previously felt totally secure.
[[Page H3738]]
Madam Speaker, we would now know that at least seven Iranian
government officials, including the former Iranian Ambassador to
Argentina, planned and orchestrated this vicious attack. There is
little doubt that these Iranian officials called upon their Hezbollah
stooges to execute their nefarious plans.
We also know that the Hezbollah terrorist cell that carried out the
attack received financial and logistical support from sympathizers in
the tri-border region between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The
suicide bomber himself probably entered South America and transited to
the Argentine capital through this lawless frontier.
The varied nationalities of those who were murdered in the bombing
also reflect the international character of this shameful terrorist
attack. Among the 85 victims there were six Bolivians, two Poles, and a
Chilean.
Although the modus operandi of the terrorists in the bombing has not
been replicated since 1994, supporters and facilitators of Islamic
terrorist organizations have gathered in scattered outposts throughout
the Western Hemisphere. Operating from hard to reach areas in Chile,
Colombia, Venezuela and Panama, these individuals lend financial and
logistical assistance to terrorists organizations in the Middle East.
{time} 1530
Although these isolated communities have yet to metastasize into
operational cells of Islamic terrorists, the threat to regional
security remains strong and requires our constant vigilance.
We must redouble our efforts to root out the fundraising networks in
the Western Hemisphere of Islamic terrorists and to disperse the
growing web of links between terrorist financiers and narcotics
traffickers.
Our important resolution furthers both of these goals. It promotes
the establishment of a special task force in the Organization of
American States to assist regional governments in investigating and
combating the proliferation of Islamic terrorists within our
hemisphere.
Our resolution urges all Latin American and Caribbean countries to
designate al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad
as terrorist organizations.
Madam Speaker, international terrorists have demonstrated that they
will not rest in pursuit of their villainy. Our resolution once again
puts them on notice that they will fail, whether they are in the Middle
East or here in the Americas.
I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this important
measure.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, because Islamist terrorism anywhere
is a threat to free people everywhere, I ask my colleagues to render
their strong support of H. Con. Res. 338.
This resolution which I drafted with the distinguished Ranking Member
of the House International Relations Committee, and which enjoys the
support of both Chairman Burton and Ranking Member Engel of the
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, calls for a preventive approach
to rising threats in our hemisphere. Islamist terrorist activity in our
Hemisphere has been increasing and becoming more prominent for at least
15 years.
Reports document that Hezbollah is active in the triborder area of
Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, raising money to support its murderous
acts and recruiting people to carry them out.
Hamas and the Egyptian Islamic Group also reportedly maintain a
presence in Latin America, and al-Qaeda is active there, too. Although
such activity is dominated by financing and money laundering, these
Islamist extremists have not hesitated in launching direct attacks as
well.
In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Argentina was bombed, killing 29
people and wounding almost 250. In 1994, terrorists linked to Hezbollah
and the Iranian regime, bombed the MIA Jewish Community Center in
Buenos Aires, killing 85 and wounding over 300.
Islamist jihadists often use countries in the Western Hemisphere as
staging areas for entry into the United States.
Before Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was eliminated as a threat last week, it
has been reported that he instructed members of Al-Qaeda in Iraq to go
to Brazil, with the goal of entering the U.S. through Mexico and
carrying out acts of terror.
Just 10 days ago, on June 2nd, 14 suspects in an Islamist terror cell
in Canada were arrested. The cell possessed 3 tons of ammonium nitrate,
3 times the amount used in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. They
planned to blow-up buildings and take politicians hostage. Such
terrorists, with such explosives, were only two hours away from the
U.S. border.
This cell was captured. Others, however, remain free and growing--
both to our north and to our south.
Islamist terrorists are ready, willing, and able to strike in this
hemisphere. What should our nation and our allies do about this threat?
After September 11th, our Nation has vigorously combated terrorists
and their state sponsors. We removed the Taliban in Afghanistan and
Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, and have captured and eliminated
numerous members of al-Qaeda.
We have refused to wait for terrorists to again strike at our
homeland by taking the battle to them and denying them sanctuaries
throughout the world.
We must proactively identify and address emerging problems before
they can threaten our homeland, our allies, and our interests--
particularly, in the Western Hemisphere; our neighborhood.
This resolution acknowledges the threat that Islamist terrorist
groups and their sympathizers, operating in this hemisphere, pose to
America and her allies.
Many governments in the hemisphere have cooperated with us on
counterterrorism and have committed to denying the use of their
territory for such fundraising, recruitment and operations. Despite
these efforts, the Islamist terrorist presence in our hemisphere is
growing. We must do more.
This resolution encourages the President to direct the U.S.
Representative to the OAS to seek support from OAS member countries to
create a special task force of the Inter-American Committee Against
Terrorism. This task force would assist governments, and coordinate
efforts between nations, in investigating and combating the
proliferation of Islamist terrorist activities in this hemisphere.
The measure further calls for the U.S. Representative to the OAS to
work with OAS member nations to designate groups such as Hezbollah,
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda as terrorist groups, if
they have not already done so.
Madam Speaker, if we are to one day realize a more secure and
peaceful world, we must address all threats, starting with those
closest to our shores.
We see the growth of Islamist terrorist groups in the Western
Hemisphere. The resolution before us provides us with a roadmap on
efforts we should undertake to begin to eradicate the threat before it
festers and strengthens.
I ask for a ``yes'' vote on this resolution.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of
my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 338.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
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