Expressing the Sense of Congress Regarding the Activities of Islamist Terrorist Organizations in the Western Hemisphere

EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE ACTIVITIES OF ISLAMIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

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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.

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