[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

[[Page H3737]]

     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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