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[DOCID: f:sr219is.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 219

    Expressing support for the democratically elected Government of 
    Colombia and its efforts to counter threats from United States-
              designated foreign terrorist organizations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2002

  Mr. Graham (for himself, Mr. Helms, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Torricelli) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing support for the democratically elected Government of 
    Colombia and its efforts to counter threats from United States-
              designated foreign terrorist organizations.

Whereas the democratically elected Government of Colombia, led by President 
        Andres Pastrana, is the legitimate authority in the oldest 
        representative democracy in South America;
Whereas the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General and 
        the Secretary of the Treasury, is required to designate as foreign 
        terrorist organizations those groups whose activities threaten the 
        security of United States nationals or the national security interests 
        of the United States pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Act;
Whereas the Secretary of State has designated 3 Colombian terrorist groups as 
        foreign terrorist organizations, including the Revolutionary Armed 
        Forces of Colombia (FARC), the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia 
        (AUC), and the National Liberation Army (ELN);
Whereas all 3 United States-designated foreign terrorist organizations regularly 
        engage in criminal acts, including murder, kidnapping, and extortion 
        perpetrated against Colombian civilians, government officials, security 
        forces, and against foreign nationals, including United States citizens;
Whereas the FARC is holding 5 Colombian legislators, a presidential candidate, 
        and Colombian police and army officers and soldiers as hostages and has 
        recently escalated bombings against civilian targets, including a foiled 
        attempt to destroy the city of Bogota's principal water reservoir;
Whereas, according to the Colombian government, the FARC has received training 
        in terrorist techniques and technology from foreign nationals;
Whereas, since 1992, United States-designated foreign terrorist organizations in 
        Colombia have committed serious crimes against United States citizens, 
        kidnapping more than 50 Americans and murdering at least 10 Americans;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration believes that members of the FARC 
        and the AUC directly engage in narcotics trafficking;
Whereas individual members of Colombia's security forces have collaborated with 
        illegal paramilitary organizations by, inter alia, in some instances 
        allowing such organizations to pass through roadblocks, sharing tactical 
        information with such organizations, and providing such organizations 
        with supplies and ammunition;
Whereas while the Colombian government has made progress in its efforts to 
        combat and capture members of illegal paramilitary organizations and 
        taken positive steps to break links between individual members of the 
        security forces and such organizations, further steps by the Colombian 
        government are warranted;
Whereas in 1998, Colombian President Andres Pastrana began exhaustive efforts to 
        negotiate a peace agreement with the FARC and implemented extraordinary 
        confidence-building measures to advance these negotiations, including 
        establishing a 16,000-square-mile safe haven for the FARC;
Whereas the Government of Colombia has also undertaken substantial efforts to 
        negotiate a peace agreement with the ELN;
Whereas the United States has consistently supported the Government of 
        Colombia's protracted efforts to negotiate a peace agreement with the 
        FARC and supports the Government of Colombia in its continuing efforts 
        to reach a negotiated agreement with the ELN;
Whereas the United States would welcome a negotiated, political solution to end 
        the violence in Colombia;
Whereas, after the FARC hijacked a commercial airplane and took Colombian 
        Senator Jorge Eduardo Gechem Turbay as a hostage into the government-
        created safe haven, President Pastrana ended his government's 
        sponsorship of the peace negotiations with the FARC and ordered 
        Colombia's security forces to reestablish legitimate governmental 
        control in the safe haven;
Whereas President Pastrana has received strong expressions of support from 
        foreign governments and international organizations for his decision to 
        end the peace talks and dissolve the FARC's safe haven; and
Whereas the Government of Colombia's negotiations with the ELN are continuing 
        despite the end of the negotiations with the FARC: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the Senate--
                    (A) expresses its support for the democratically 
                elected Government of Colombia and the Colombian people 
                as they strive to protect their democracy from 
                terrorism and the scourge of illicit narcotics; and
                    (B) deplores the continuing criminal terrorist acts 
                of murder, abduction, and extortion carried out by all 
                United States-designated foreign terrorist 
                organizations in Colombia against United States 
                citizens, the civilian population of Colombia, and 
                Colombian authorities; and
            (2) it is the sense of the Senate that the President, 
        without undue delay, should transmit to Congress for its 
        consideration proposed legislation, consistent with United 
        States law regarding the protection of human rights, to assist 
        the Government of Colombia to protect its democracy from United 
        States-designated foreign terrorist organizations and the 
        scourge of illicit narcotics.
                                 <all>

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