[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 26254-26255]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               PUERTO RICAN TERRORISTS AN ONGOING THREAT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, for those Americans who have been 
following the debate the last several months over the release of the 
terrorists known as the FALN, a group that was probably the most 
efficient terrorist group to engage in a reign of terror across this 
country during the 1970s and 1980s and who were, rightfully, sentenced 
to long prison sentences and just recently were granted clemency by the 
White House, the other shoe dropped today.
  The FALN participated in about 130 bombings, proudly proclaiming 
themselves to be freedom-fighters when, in reality, all they were were 
killers. Police officers who lost their sight or their legs, children 
who lost their fathers who died as a result of FALN bombings. For 
months, we have been trying to understand exactly why the White House 
would grant clemency to these known terrorists, especially after they 
have failed to even acknowledge that they have done anything wrong, 
have demonstrated no remorse and offered no apologies.
  The FBI testified recently that these groups still pose a threat to 
the national security. The Bureau of Prisons testified under oath that 
these people still are a threat and they should not have been released.
  Now, in a report today, we learn that the Attorney General, Janet 
Reno, says that a nationalist group that had been aligned still poses 
an ongoing threat to national security. Quote: ``Factors which increase 
the present threat from these groups include the impending release from 
prisons of members of these groups jailed for prior violence.''
  It is also reported today that the Justice Department formally urged 
President Clinton in December 1996 to deny clemency to imprisoned 
Puerto Rican nationalists, a recommendation that the White House never 
acknowledged in the furor over the President's decision last month to 
commute the sentences of the member militant group.
  So there we have it. We have the Bureau of Prisons, the FBI, the 
Justice Department, including the Office of the Attorney General, all 
recommending against clemency, and it was offered. Perhaps in the 
understatement of the century we have Deputy Attorney General Eric 
Holder who, in a hearing today said, quote: ``I think we could have 
done a better job getting in touch with the victims.'' Because in all 
of these years, the last several years, while the White House and the 
Attorney General's Office was meeting with advocates for terrorists and 
their spokespeople, the victims who suffered for so many years never 
even got a phone call, and they say they could have done a better job 
communicating with the victims.
  There are two more terrorists still in prison, and why do we bring 
this up today? God forbid they are offered clemency by this President 
or any other, for that matter. I think the American people have to know 
still to this day why we have decided to let terrorists free, 
especially to those who fail to offer any remorse.
  One of them, Mr. Adolfo Matos who was released was taped in April of 
1999, just several months ago, and he said, ``I do not have to ask for 
forgiveness from anybody. I have nothing to be ashamed of or feel that 
I need to ask for forgiveness. My desire has gotten stronger.'' This is 
a man who participated in a terrorist organization many years ago and 
his ``desire has gotten stronger to the point where I want to continue, 
continue to fight and get involved with my people because I love 
them.''

[[Page 26255]]


  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. FOSSELLA. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I just want to take this opportunity to 
commend the gentleman from New York for the outstanding job he has done 
in bringing this issue to the American people and continuing the fight 
and not backing down at all. The gentleman deserves the credit of all 
of us, and I just commend the gentleman for the great job he has done.
  Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I just want to thank 
my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), because he has 
been right by my side in fighting for what I believe is justice here, 
especially for the victims.
  The important point, Mr. Speaker, is that these people who still to 
this day offer no remorse, no apologies to the victims, not even a 
call; I doubt very much if the White House or the Attorney General's 
Office has even called Diana Berger who lost her husband, or Joseph and 
Thomas Connor who lost their father or the Richard Pastorell who lost 
his sight or Anthony Semft who lost his vision or Rocko Pasceralla, a 
police officer who lost his leg. I doubt very much if they have even 
gotten a phone call and, meanwhile, we have terrorists out on the 
street who feel committed to engage in a reign of terror against this 
Nation. It is ridiculous, and I think the American people deserve to 
know some answers.

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