THE Honorable Comrade Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and the Honorable Comrade Robert Mugabe are still acknowledged in the United States of America as a “Terrorist”. Nelson Mandela unable to travel to US because he is on USA Terrorist Watch List.
Both leaders’ political parties ANC and Zanu PF are included.
On April 4, 2008 a press release from a U.S. Congressmen’s office read as follows: “Legislation Will Lift Anachronistic U.S. Stigma Against Nelson Mandela, Other South African Political Leaders”
‘Washington, D.C. - Congressman Howard L. Berman (CA-28), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has introduced legislation to remove a government-imposed stigma against membership in the African National Congress of South Africa, which fought against Apartheid, by removing from any U.S. databases any notation that would characterize the ANC and its leaders as terrorists.’
“It is shameful that the United States still treats the ANC this way based solely on its designation as a terrorist organization by the old Apartheid South African regime,” Berman said.
“Amazingly, Nelson Mandela still needs to get a special waiver to enter the United States based on his courageous leadership of the ANC. What an indignity. This legislation will wipe it away.”
‘The South African Apartheid regime banned the ANC in 1960; its leaders were imprisoned or forced into exile. But with the end of Apartheid the ANC went on in 1994 to lead a multiracial, multiparty government, and it continues to be the leading political party in the post-Apartheid, democratic South Africa.’
“The ANC sets an important example: It successfully made the change from armed struggle to peace,” Berman noted. “We should celebrate this transformation, and not continue a policy that is nearly two decades out of touch with reality. No one should be prohibited from entering the United States simply because of ANC membership.”
‘The Berman bill (H.R. 5690), which effectively removes current and former African National Congress members from our country’s travel and terrorism watch lists, has the support of the State Department and is expected to have broad backing in the House and Senate. Original co-sponsors of the legislation are Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Africa Subcommittee Chairman Donald Payne (D-NJ), and Foreign Affairs Committee member Barbara Lee (D-CA).’
“Basic principles of fairness and opportunity for Members of the African National Congress have been wrongly denied for some time,” Chairman Thompson said. “It is a travesty to reject entry to America because of one’s participation in a fight for freedom and justice in South Africa. For far too long, many of these patriots have been mislabeled as terrorists solely because of their membership in the ANC. I applaud Chairman Berman for introducing this bill and working with my office to ensure that this injustice is corrected.” (End of Press Release)
WashingtonWatch.com reads “H.R. 5690, To exempt the African National Congress from treatment as a terrorist organization for certain acts or events, provide relief for certain members of the African National Congress regarding admissibility, and for other purposes”
As of 4/30/2008 5:30 AM WashingtonWatch.com’s “What People Think was 67% For and 33% Against passing H.R. Bill 5690 granting ANC non terrorist status.
United States Representative Barbara Lee, D-Calif. (9th CD), issued the following statement:
“Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9), an original co-sponsor of H.R. 5690, released the following statement in support of legislation to remove current and former African National Congress members from U.S. travel and terrorism watch lists: "As an original co-sponsor of the bill, H.R. 5690, which removes current and former African National Congress members from U.S. travel and terrorism watch lists, I am proud we are finally taking the steps to correct this long standing injustice.”
“All in the Name of Security” – ‘We're likely to experience more restrictions on personal freedom than has ever been the case in our country," Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor grimly warned a group of NYU law students after visiting the mangled tomb that was once the World Trade Center. O'Connor's calm acceptance of the proposition that the terrorism crisis means unprecedented incursions on civil liberty--which, given her position on the Court, puts her in a position to be a self-fulfilling prophet--sounds extreme. But it's a prediction firmly grounded in the aspirations of the Bush White House.
‘In contrast to the deliberation that has, so far at least, marked the Administration's military response to the WTC/Pentagon conspiracy, Attorney General John Ashcroft rushed to Capitol Hill with a hodgepodge of legislation to grant the FBI, INS and federal prosecutors powers to spy, jail and interrogate far greater than in any past war or national emergency.” Written October 4, 2001 in The Nation by Bruce Shapiro.
“US to lift ban on Mandela” - afrol News, 10 April – “In a bid to lift travel restrictions on South African leaders, including Nelson Mandela, the United States government has introduced a bill to the congress.
‘In the absence of a waiver, the ANC leaders cannot enter the country, a situation US officials described as "embarrassing."
"It is frankly a rather embarrassing matter that I still have to waive in my own counterparts, the foreign minister of South Africa, not to mention the great leader, Nelson Mandela," US Secretary of State, Ms Condoleezza Rice told the congress in Washington.
‘The Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, who had earlier tabled the bill, said it was "shameful" for the US to still treat the ANC as a terrorist organization.’
"Amazingly, Nelson Mandela still needs to get a special waiver to enter the United States based on his courageous leadership of the ANC. What an indignity. This legislation will wipe it away," Howard Berman said.”
“Analysis: U.S. puts Kurds on terror list” by Shaun Waterman, Washington (UPI) Jan 21, 2008. ‘The U.S. National Counter-Terrorism Center says it was a mistake to include the symbol of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan -- the political party headed by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani -- on a list of "terrorist logos" that police should be on the lookout for during traffic stops and other contacts with members of the public.’
“US shamed by Mandela terror link” Mr Mandela will celebrate his 90th birthday later this year. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has asked for "embarrassing" travel restrictions on Nelson Mandela and South African leaders to be lifted. BBC NEWS April 10, 2008
The Democratic National Committee website states that “FBI Terrorist Watch List Includes More Than 500,000 Names” Posted by Stephanie Taylor on June 14, 2007 at 10:18 AM
“An FBI terrorist watch list has apparently swelled to more than half a million names. According to privacy and civil liberties advocates, the list is out of control, and could possibly become useless in the war on terror.’
‘U.S. lawmakers and their spouses have been detained because their names were on the watch list. Reporters who have reviewed versions of the list found it included the names of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, at the time he was alive but in custody in Iraq; imprisoned al Qaeda plotter Zacarias Moussaoui; and 14 of the 19 Sept. 11, 2001 hijackers, all of whom perished in the attacks.’
‘ACLU senior legislative counsel Tim Sparapani called the number of names--now estimated at 509,000--"stunning."
"If we have 509,000 names on that list, the watch list is virtually useless," he told ABC News. "You'll be capturing innocent individuals with no connection to crime or terror."
"There's a reason the FBI has a '10 Most Wanted' list, right? We need to focus the government's efforts on the greatest threats. When the watch list grows to this level, it's useless as an anti-terror tool," Sparapani said.
http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/06/fbi_terrorist_w.php
