30 April 2003
Report Gives Overview of Terrorism in the Western Hemisphere
(Terrorist groups said to have made Latin America a "battleground") (1340) International terrorist groups have made Latin America a "battleground" to advance their causes elsewhere in the world, the State Department says. In its annual "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report, released April 30, the State Department said in its overview of the region that the bombings of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 and the Argentine-Jewish Cultural Center in 1994 are examples of the damage caused in the Western Hemisphere by international terrorists. Meanwhile, the report said many countries have struggled with domestic sources of terrorism for decades, and many still do. As a result, these countries have sought to shore up legislative tools to outlaw terrorism, discourage terrorist financing, and make their territory as unattractive as possible to terrorists fleeing from other regions who might seek safe-haven in the hemisphere. Following is the text of the State Department's Western Hemisphere overview on terrorism: (begin text) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Report on Global Terrorism April 30, 2003 Overview of Terrorism in the Western Hemisphere When compared to other regions of the world, the Western Hemisphere generally does not attract attention as a "hot zone" in the war on terror. However, terrorism in the region was not born on September 11, 2001; Latin American countries have struggled with domestic sources of terrorism for decades, and many still do. International terrorist groups, moreover, have not hesitated to make Latin America a battleground to advance their causes elsewhere, such as the bombings of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 and the Argentine-Jewish Cultural Center in 1994. More recent international terrorist attacks in Bali, Indonesia, and Mombassa, Kenya, in 2002 demonstrates that no region of the world -- and no type of target -- is beyond the reach or strategic interest of international terrorist organizations. Recognizing this threat, and the impact of terrorism on their economic and social development, the vast majority of countries across the Americas and the Caribbean have given strong support to the international coalition against terrorism. At the June 2002 General Assembly, member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) adopted the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism -- the first international treaty against terrorism adopted since the September 11 attacks. All but one state has signed (Dominica is the exception); Canada became the first state to ratify in late 2002. The Convention, a binding legal instrument, establishes mechanisms for coordinated action to prevent and combat terrorism by the states of the Americas. Spurred by the Convention and the September 11 attacks, many countries in the hemisphere have sought to shore up legislative tools to outlaw terrorism, discourage terrorist financing, and make their territory as unattractive as possible to fleeing terrorists from other regions who might seek safe-haven in the hemisphere. However, a number of countries remain engaged in deep internal debate over the scope of new anti-terrorism bills that would grant governments broader powers necessary to prosecute the war on terror. An ongoing OAS "Legislative Action Against Terrorism " project with Central American parliaments, for example, is aimed specifically at helping legislatures draft anti-terrorism legislation and ratify the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism. The Western Hemisphere has created a model regional counterterrorism institution in its Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (known by its Spanish acronym CICTE). CICTE is a body of the Organization of American States (OAS) that was created in 1998. Since September 11, it has been reinvigorated as an effective coordinating body for OAS member states on all counterterrorism issues, but with a primary focus on information-sharing, training, and strengthening of financial and border controls. Under U.S. chairmanship and Argentine vice-chairmanship, CICTE established a full-time Secretariat in 2002 that is funded by voluntary donations from OAS member states. At its Third Regular Session in El Salvador in early 2003, CICTE member states adopted a strong "Declaration of San Salvador Against Terrorism" and made recommendations on counterterrorism initiatives for adoption by the Special Conference on Hemispheric Security (May 2003). The declaration and recommendations both call for increased cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism, and recognize the emerging threats posed to the Hemisphere by international terrorist groups and attacks on cyber security. In June, the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism -- a direct response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the first international treaty against terrorism adopted since those attacks -- was opened for signature in Barbados. The Convention, which is consistent with, and builds upon, previous U.N. conventions and protocols relating to terrorism and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1373, will improve regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism through exchanges of information, experience and training, technical cooperation, and mutual legal assistance. The Convention will enter into force when six states have deposited their instruments of ratification. All but one OAS member state has signed (Dominica is the exception), and Canada became the first state to ratify in late 2002. President Bush transmitted the Convention to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification in November. The OAS in 2002 also played an important role in the investigation of an illicit diversion in late 2001 of more than 3,000 AK-47 rifles and ammunition from Nicaraguan police and army stocks to the Special Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), which the United States has designated as a foreign terrorist organization and has designated pursuant to EO 13224 in Colombia. The OAS-commissioned report, released in January 2003, contained a detailed analysis of the case along with a series of recommendations for improving the existing inter-American, arms-control regime. The Government of Nicaragua quickly expressed its intention to follow up on the report and to strengthen its arms-controls and export procedures. Domestic terrorist groups continue to ravage Colombia and, to a lesser extent, Peru. The Colombian government under former President Pastrana cut off long-running peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organization in February after a series of provocative actions, including kidnapping of a Colombian senator. The FARC intensified its campaign throughout the year and steadily moved its attacks from the countryside to the cities. On 7 August, new President Alvaro Uribe was inaugurated amid an errant FARC mortar attack that killed 21 residents of a poor Bogota neighborhood. Some elements of the AUC disbanded and reconstituted themselves in an effort to seek political legitimacy, but their ties to narco-trafficking and human rights abuses persist. In December, AUC declared a unilateral cease-fire and sought peace negotiations with the government. The National Liberation Army (ELN) -- like the FARC -- continued to pursue its favorite terrorist methods of kidnapping and infrastructure bombing. All three organizations are linked to narco-trafficking. In Peru, a resilient Shining Path is suspected of carrying out the 20 March car bombing at a shopping center across from the U.S. Embassy, two days before a state visit by President Bush. Ten Peruvians died in the attack, including security personnel protecting the Embassy. At year's end, there was no confirmed, credible information of an established al-Qaida presence in Latin America. However, terrorist fundraising continued to be a concern throughout the region. Activities of suspected Hizballah and HAMAS financiers in the Triborder area (Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina) led those three countries to take determined and cooperative action during 2002 to investigate and disrupt illicit financial activities. Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina also invited the U.S. to join a new "Three Plus One" counterterrorism consultative and cooperation mechanism to analyze and combat any terrorist-related threats in the Triborder. The mechanism is an excellent example of terrorism prevention and regional foresight. Canada and Mexico worked closely with the U.S. to secure their common borders and to implement the comprehensive bilateral border accords (signed in December 2001 and March 2002, respectively). These accords aim to ensure national border security while facilitating the free and rapid flow of legitimate travel and commerce. (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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