Declares that it is the sense of the Senate that the President should transmit to Congress proposed legislation, consistent with U.S. law for the protection of human rights, to assist the Colombian Government in protecting its democracy from such terrorist organizations and the scourge of illicit narcotics.
[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 219 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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>
Introduced in Senate
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1680)
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