DATE=10/8/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TERROR GROUPS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-254829
BYLINE=KYLE KING
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The shadowy group headed by Saudi-born terror
suspect Osama Bin Laden has made it onto the State
Department's newest list of Foreign Terrorist
Organizations. Three other notorious groups have been
dropped from the list. V-O-A's Kyle King has this
report from the State Department.
TEXT: Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
designated a total of 28 groups as foreign terrorist
organizations.
Terror suspect Osama Bin Laden's group is the only new
addition to the list, which includes well-known
organizations from the Middle East, Japan, Turkey,
South America and Sri Lanka.
Publication of the list is required under the Anti-
Terrorism Act passed by Congress in 1996. Under the
act, it is illegal to provide weapons, funds or
support to any of the designated organizations.
The State Department's counter-terrorism ambassador,
Michael Sheehan, says a key purpose of the act is to
cut off support for terrorist groups.
// Sheehan act //
The designation helps us prevent fund-raising
for an organization, or people moving around who
are associated with it. Now we have a legal
basis to move against them.
// End act //
Officials acknowledge that some groups, like the
organization headed by Osama Bin Laden, do little
fund-raising in the United States. But Secretary of
State Albright says the list is an important way of
demonstrating the outlaw status of the groups.
// Albright act //
The importance of it is to basically make clear
that these are organizations that are outside
the conduct of proper affairs in a civilized
world.
// End act //
In addition to the list, the United States has also
offered a five-million-dollar reward for the capture
of Mr. Bin Laden, who is believed to have masterminded
the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
Dropped from the latest list of terrorist
organizations is the Khmer Rouge, which the State
Department says no longer exists as a viable
organization. Also off the list are the Manuel
Rodriguez Patriotic Front Dissidents, and the
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Officials say those groups were dropped because of the
absence of terrorist activity. Ambassador Sheehan says
it is important to note that groups can be removed
from the list.
// Sheehan act two //
It shows that if an organization does behave
properly, move away from support for terrorist
acts, they will be dropped and hopefully move
into the political process.
// End act //
Although the Democratic Front for the Liberation of
Palestine was dropped from the terrorist list,
financial transactions with the group are still barred
by a presidential Executive Order aimed at groups that
threaten to block the Middle East peace process.
(signed)
NEB/KBK/ENE/rrm
08-Oct-1999 17:21 PM EDT (08-Oct-1999 2121 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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