26 December 2001
Text: Powell Names Two Groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
(Secretary of State calls on India, Pakistan to help curb them) (430)
Secretary of State Colin Powell has added two groups to the U.S. list
of foreign terrorist organizations, accusing them of committing
"numerous terrorist attacks in India and Pakistan."
In a statement issued December 26, Powell said the two groups, Lashkar
e-Tayyiba (LET) and Jaish e-Mohammed (JEM), claim to operate in
support of the people of Kashmir.
Listing the groups clears the way for the administration to make it
illegal for persons under U.S. jurisdiction to provide them material
support, require U.S. financial institutions to block their assets,
and deny visas to their representatives.
Powell said that the United States will work with India and Pakistan
to shut the groups down.
Following is the text of Powell's statement.
Begin text:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
December 26, 2001
STATEMENT BY SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL
DESIGNATION OF FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
The vicious attacks that took place on September 11 made it clear that
the United States must use every tool at its disposal to combat
terrorism.
Today I am taking another important step in our campaign to eliminate
the scourge of terrorism. I am designating two groups, Lashkar
e-Tayyiba (LET) and Jaish e-Mohammed (JEM), as Foreign Terrorist
Organizations under U.S. law.
These groups, which claim to be supporting the people of Kashmir, have
conducted numerous terrorist attacks in India and Pakistan. As the
recent horrific attacks against the Indian parliament and the Srinigar
State Legislative Assembly so clearly show, the Lashkar e-Tayyiba,
Jaish e-Mohammed, and their ilk seek to assault democracy, undermine
peace and stability in South Asia, and destroy relations between India
and Pakistan.
By designating these groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and
publishing that decision today in the Federal Register, we implement
the provisions of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
This Act makes it illegal for persons in the United States or subject
to U.S. jurisdiction to provide material support to these terrorist
groups; it requires U.S. financial institutions to block assets held
by them; and it enables us to deny visas to representatives of these
groups. I made this decision in consultation with the Attorney General
and the Secretary of the Treasury after an exhaustive review of these
groups' violent activities.
The United States looks forward to working with the governments of
both India and Pakistan to shut these groups down.
(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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