[DEBATE] : House votes to take ANC off terror no-entry lists

[mfleshman at aol.com]

see Tony? The Democrats <are> soft on terror.


-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Avirgan <tavirgan at epi.org>
To: debate: SA discussion list <debate at lists.kabissa.org>
Sent: Fri, 9 May 2008 2:50 pm
Subject: [DEBATE] : House votes to take ANC off terror no-entry lists



House votes to take ANC off terror no-entry lists

By Jesse J. Holland 
Associated Press / May 9, 2008 
WASHINGTON - The House, saying it was correcting a longstanding injustice, voted 
yesterday to drop apartheid-era travel restrictions and terrorist designations 
given Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress people who fought white 
minority rule.

"Despite recognizing two decades ago that America's place was on the side of 
those oppressed by apartheid, Congress has never resolved the inconsistency in 
our immigration code that treats many of those who actively opposed apartheid in 
South Africa as terrorists and criminals," said Representative Howard Berman, a 
California Democrat who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The House approved by voice vote legislation to give the State Department and 
Homeland Security Department wide latitude to disregard the ANC's antiapartheid 
activities when determining whether to allow members and former members into the 
United States.
The bill also adds the ANC to a list of groups that should not be considered 
terrorist organizations.

"Despite his legacy as a hero of the antiapartheid movement, despite the fact 
that he is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient . . . despite his election as 
president, we still require Nelson Mandela to apply for a visa waiver to enter 
into the United States just for a visit. This is just plain wrong," said 
Representative Barbara Lee, Democrat of California.
The African National Congress is the ruling party in the democratic, 
postapartheid South Africa, but was considered a terrorist organization by the 
preapartheid white minority government.

"The ANC is not a terrorist organization now," said Representative Lamar Smith, 
Republican of Texas.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked Congress last month to pass the 
legislation. She called it "embarrassing" that she still has to waive travel 
restrictions when Mandela and other ANC leaders visit the United States.
A similar bill is moving through the Senate.


Tony Avirgan
Global Policy Network
www.gpn.org
Economic Policy Institute
www.epi.org
1333 H Street, NW
Suite 300, East Tower
Washington, DC 20005
U.S.A.
Phone: 202 533 2555
?

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