US RESPONSE TO TERRORISM

Congress may soon give the President and Justice Department some emergency powers to confront the current attack on our internal national security. The emergency measures currently enacted should be “sunseted” i.e. have a clearly defined date or time when they should be terminated. These ’emergency’ measures could then be reevaluated, hopefully during less tumultuous Congressional hearings than those that recently and tragically are have now occurred. To more objectively define end goals for war on terrorism will further enable Congress to later appropriately revisit any serious erosion of Americans’ civil liberties.

Along with any effective judicial and military responses, the other challenge the US faces is a war of ideology. This “war”, can only be “won” with world-wide public relations efforts, fought on the moral high-ground of legality and of human rights. To increase America’s leadership will thus require honest endeavors at resolution of existing domestic and global, economic and social inequities. Along with addressing issues of aggression and political injustice, only such concurrent humanitarian initiatives will also effectively reduce the fertile soil on which extreme fanatic terrorism has always thrived.

May God Bless America.

R.L.C.

“They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.”

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

21 May 2002

Cuba Continues to Sponsor Terrorism, Says 2001 State Department Report

Report on global terrorism accuses Castro of harboring fugitives – Excerpts:

The regime of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro continues to harbor international fugitives suspected of terrorist activity and other violent crimes, while refusing to cooperate with countries seeking to extradite those fugitives, according to the State Department’s annual “Pattern of Global Terrorism” report.

Released May 21, the 2001 edition of the report charges that Castro’s regime has allowed members of various terrorist organizations “to reside in Cuba as privileged guests” and “provided a degree of safe haven and support” to these criminals. In addition, the report says that during the past year, “numerous U.S. fugitives continued to live on the island, and living as a guests of the Castro regime.”

Overview of State-Sponsored Terrorism

The seven designated state sponsors — Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, and Sudan — clearly heard the President’s recent message. While some of these countries appear to be reconsidering their present course, none has yet taken all necessary actions to divest itself fully of ties to terrorism.