10 October 2001
Text: Ambassador Francis Taylor on Terrorism in the Western Hemisphere
(Says that Latin America has lengthy experience with terrorism) (1810)
While there is "clear and compelling evidence that the September 11
[terrorist] attacks [against the United States] originated in
Afghanistan, with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida organization, ... we must
also recognize that the threats to our people and interests can come
from any venue," says Ambassador Francis Taylor, coordinator for
counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State.
Testifying before Congress on October 10, he pointed out that the
Western Hemisphere "is no stranger to terrorism." And "although we in
the United States have been, until recently, blessedly free of
terrorist attacks by international groups, terrorism has been a fact
of life in many Latin American countries such as Colombia and Peru for
thirty years or more," he added.
According to Taylor, "modern terrorism" began around 1968 "when
revolutionary movements began forming throughout the Americas," and
during "those early years of the still-new phenomenon," the countries
of Latin America "saw more international terrorist attacks than any
other region" in the world.
"Today, the most dangerous international terrorist group based in this
hemisphere is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC," he
said. "Further south, in what is known as the 'tri-border area' where
Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay converge, we see the long-standing
presence of Islamic extremist organizations, primarily Hizballah and,
to a lesser extent, the Sunni extremist groups al Gamaat (IG) and
HAMAS."
Taylor warned that "these organizations are involved in fund-raising
activities and proselytizing ... [and they] engage in document
forgery, money laundering, contraband smuggling, and weapons and drug
trafficking." Also, he said, "the size and nature of these groups may
signal the existence of clandestine support cells that could be
activated to conduct terrorist attacks anywhere in the region."
As the September 11 attacks demonstrate, "the hemispheric threats of
terrorism are now moving closer to home," he said. "Turning to North
America, we are faced with a more diffuse and insidious threat: the
threat posed by our open borders with our friends to the north and
south."
He argued that since the United States "cannot stop terrorism alone,"
close intelligence and law enforcement cooperation with Canada,
Mexico, the nations of Central America and other allies is vital to
stopping terrorist operatives from achieving their objectives. Taylor
noted that his office is working with the Organization of American
States (OAS) and bilaterally with individual countries to improve
counterterrorism coordination throughout the hemisphere.
"Now, more than ever, is the time for building coalitions against
terrorism based on proactive diplomacy, proactive law enforcement,
financial controls, intelligence sharing and iron-willed resolve in
the pursuit of justice," he declared.
Following is the text of his remarks, as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
Statement of Ambassador Francis X. Taylor
Coordinator for Counterterrorism
U.S. Department of State
Before the
Committee on International Relations
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere,
U.S. House of Representatives
October 10, 2001
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee:
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee and
testify with my colleagues on the subject of terrorism, and the
presence of international terrorist groups in the Western Hemisphere.
The horrific attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on
September 11, just one month ago, were a jarring reminder that our
country and our hemisphere are no longer safe from international
terrorism. In this global era, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can no
longer protect our land and our people from violence, as they have
done in previous international conflicts.
As you know, we have presented to both Houses of Congress and our
coalition partners around the world clear and compelling evidence that
the September 11 attacks originated in Afghanistan, with Osama bin
Laden's al-Qaida organization. While this connection is clear, we must
also recognize that the threats to our people and interests can come
from any venue, including from within the Western Hemisphere. For that
reason I would like to speak for a few minutes about terrorism in the
Western Hemisphere.
This hemisphere is no stranger to terrorism. Although we in the United
States have been, until recently, blessedly free of terrorist attacks
by international groups, terrorism has been a fact of life in many
Latin American countries such as Colombia and Peru for thirty years or
more.
In fact, one can argue that modern terrorism originated in our
hemisphere. We date the advent of modern terrorism from 1968, four
years before [the] Munich [Olympics], when revolutionary movements
began forming throughout the Americas. The following year, in 1969,
the first terrorist kidnapping of an American ambassador took place
when Ambassador Burke Elbrick was taken hostage in Brazil by members
of two revolutionary groups. In those early years of the still-new
phenomenon, Latin America saw more international terrorist attacks
than any other region.
CURRENT THREATS
Today, the most dangerous international terrorist group based in this
hemisphere is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
Included on the State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist
Organizations (FTO), the FARC have murdered 13 Americans since 1980
and kidnapped over a hundred more, including three New Tribes
missionaries, kidnapped in 1993 and now believed dead.
FARC leaders not only welcomed the September 11 attacks. Afterwards
they reiterated their periodic call for the targeting of Americans for
murder and abduction. In addition, we have seen in recent months
evidence of an apparent relationship between the FARC and the
Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and possibly the Basque
separatist group ETA as well.
The danger presented by the FARC is compounded by activities of the
other major Colombian insurgent group, the National Liberation Army
(ELN) -- a group that also targets Americans, and by the far-right
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Both of these groups are
also included on the FTO list, and the AUC in particular has a history
of extreme brutality.
In Peru, the Shining Path, though greatly weakened, continues to carry
out sporadic attacks in isolated parts of the country. These attacks,
mostly raids on small villages for supplies and financial gain, have
resulted in 27 deaths so far this year, the majority of which were
civilians.
Further south, in what is known as the "tri-border area" where
Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay converge, we see the long-standing
presence of Islamic extremist organizations, primarily Hizballah and,
to a lesser extent, the Sunni extremist groups al Gamaat (IG) and
HAMAS.
These organizations are involved in fund-raising activities and
proselytizing among the large expatriate population from the Middle
East that lives in the tri-border area and also on Venezuela's
Margarita Island. These organizations engage in document forgery,
money laundering, contraband smuggling, and weapons and drug
trafficking.
The size and nature of these groups may signal the existence of
clandestine support cells that could be activated to conduct terrorist
attacks anywhere in the region.
Hizballah is the prime suspect behind the 1992 bombing of the Israeli
Embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 bombings of the Argentine Israel
Mutual Association (AMIA) community center. These attacks were
characterized by the same faceless cowardice that we saw on September
11, and they remain unsolved to this day, although I am pleased that a
trial in the 1994 bombing is now underway in Buenos Aires. We hope the
perpetrators will at last be brought to justice.
NORTH AMERICA
The hemispheric threats of terrorism are now moving closer to home.
Turning to North America, we are faced with a more diffuse and
insidious threat: the threat posed by our open borders with our
friends to the north and south.
The world's longest non-militarized border is that shared by the U.S.
and Canada, and the second-longest is that shared by the U.S. and
Mexico. Since the inception of NAFTA, these borders that were already
the world's busiest, in terms of commerce, have become even busier.
We will never have perfect knowledge of every person and every vehicle
that crosses these borders. Therefore, it is imperative that we work
hand-in-glove with intelligence, law enforcement, customs, and
immigration officials in these countries in order to make it as
difficult as possible for international terrorists to come into the
U.S. undetected, as difficult as possible to cross and re-cross our
borders with criminal intent, and with impunity.
We in the office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism view our
relationship with Canada as the model for bilateral counterterrorism
cooperation, and we know that we must continue to build on that solid
foundation. Like our relationship with Canada, we must improve
coordination with our counterparts in Mexico as well as with the
Central American nations that act as points of transit for people and
materials destined for the USA.
We know, above all, that we cannot stop terrorism alone. We know that
our best hope at stopping al-Qaida operatives and operatives from
other terror organizations from crossing land borders into the U.S.,
is to continue close intelligence and law enforcement cooperation with
Canada, Mexico, and the Central American states. We know that our only
hope of limiting the threat posed by groups such as the FARC and the
ELN in Colombia and the multiple Middle East-based groups in the
tri-border area, is close intelligence and law enforcement cooperation
with our allies in these areas of operation.
With these goals in mind, we are working closely with the OAS to
expand its involvement in regional counterterrorism activities. My
office has chaired the OAS Counterterrorism Committee (CICTE) for the
last year and has sought to invigorate it as a forum for exchange of
ideas and improved cooperation within the hemisphere. We are pleased
with our progress and are optimistic for the future.
STRATEGY
My office has also worked with the interagency community to craft a
counterterrorist strategy for Colombia and the other countries of the
Andean region. This strategy is designed to complement last year's
Plan Colombia and this year's Andean Region Initiative (ARI).
We also intend to intensify our bilateral relations with Mexico as
well as those countries in the Andean and tri-border areas of South
America to address specific threats from groups operating in these
regions. Much of our efforts in this area began before the events of
11 September, but that event has given even more urgency to these
initiatives.
Now, more than ever, is the time for building coalitions against
terrorism based on proactive diplomacy, proactive law enforcement,
financial controls, intelligence sharing and iron-willed resolve in
the pursuit of justice.
We cannot pretend that we can make terrorism go away, but we can, in
the short term, make it far more difficult for terrorists to achieve
their deadly objectives in this hemisphere.
This concludes my remarks. I will be happy to take any questions the
Committee may have.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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