Statement of Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Illinois), hearing of the House International Relations Committee, April 24, 2002

Statement of Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Illinois), hearing of the House International Relations Committee, April 24, 2002
Remarks of The Honorable Henry J. Hyde

Hearing on International Global Terrorism

April 24, 2002

Once distant and abstract, the threat of terrorism now commands a central place in our attention. We have always faced individual fanatics and a patchwork of anti-American extremists. But as our newly focused investigations expose ever-deeper layers, it is increasingly clear that the phenomenon is an international one, drawing strength from a network of widely dispersed groups. Their seemingly diverse goals have one thing in common: the deliberate use of terror. Their assault on the institutions of civil society respects no borders, gives no quarter, recognizes no innocents.

This "globalization of terror"ought to concern every member of this committee. We have a duty to recognize that all individuals, organizations, and regimes involved in terror have placed themselves outside the pale of the civilized community, and we must deal with them accordingly.

If the United States and its allies are to be successful in combating this growing threat, our efforts cannot be limited to isolated regions or single targets. Instead, we must combat an array of widely dispersed components simultaneously and pursue them wherever they may be hiding.

One of the most disturbing developments is the emerging nexus of organized crime, terrorism, and drugs. Nowhere is this destructive combination more advanced than in Colombia.

For several years, Colombia has been waging a bitter war on many fronts. At times, the combined assault by terrorists, drug lords, and others has threatened to overwhelm it. Of these threats, the most prominent is that posed by the narco-terrorists known by their Spanish acronym as the FARC.

The FARC is waging war against Colombian society. In the past decade, over 5000 Colombian police have been killed, thousands of civilians slaughtered, the government’s authority obliterated in much of the country. Despite repeated and unprecedentedly generous peace offerings by the government, the armed assault on that government and on the Colombian people has only increased. The FARC now acts as though it is sovereign in its own territory. Were it to succeed, the consequences would be nightmarish, a criminal state free to expand its corrupting touch to its neighbors and beyond.

We already have a taste of what might come. The FARC’s war against Colombia is being financed by illegal drugs. In this, the FARC is not a mere passive profiteer, taking its cut. Instead, it has become an active participant by sheltering and promoting the cultivation, processing, and trade in illegal drugs.

Worse may yet come. Already, the disorganization in Colombia is such that it has become familiar ground to a wide range of terrorists, including Iranians, Cubans, and the ETA, among others. President Pastrana has stated that "Like the United States in the fight against al Qaeda, we are fighting a multinational terrorist network."

Why should the growing chaos in this unfamiliar country on another continent concern us?

We can hardly be bystanders. Colombia is only three hours from Miami. Should Colombia be fatally undermined, the contagion would spread to neighboring countries and beyond. The FARC has already declared the U.S. to be an enemy, terming U.S. assistance to the Colombian government an "act of war." Americans in Colombia are routinely kidnapped and even murdered. And the FARC’s promotion of an increasing supply of drugs to the United States guarantees an ever-more-deadly impact here at home.

Some caution us against providing assistance to Colombia, invoking the specter of Vietnam. But the true comparison is with Afghanistan under Taliban rule, only this time located in our own hemisphere.

Our hearing today will include a small piece of the problem we face, one which is vastly revealing of its complex and dangerous nature. That is the capture of three IRA members in Colombia last year. Let me caution that this hearing is not about the Irish peace process or the three Irish nationals indicted in Colombia. Its sole focus is the impact on U.S. national interests from the developments in Colombia.

Having said that, the question is "What are members of the IRA doing in Colombia?" Claims that these individuals were there for benign purposes – specifically, eco-tourism or for activities related to the Irish and Colombian peace processes – are an insult to our intelligence. According to President Pastrana, these IRA members had been training FARC guerrillas in the use of explosives and other destructive techniques. The result has been to significantly enhance the FARC’s campaign of urban terrorism, which can already measure its success in thousands of casualties.

The available evidence strongly indicates that the involvement of the IRA in Colombia extends beyond the three members who were captured and that it has had a presence in that country for at least three years.

What does the IRA gain in exchange for its services? Probably money derived from the FARC’s drug trade, as well as an ability to test and improve new weapons and methods of destruction for use elsewhere.

Here are the facts as we know them:

Two members of the IRA were arrested in Colombia, along with the Sinn Fein representative based in Cuba

Each was carrying a false passport

Forensic tests conducted revealed the trace presence of explosives on their clothing

Colombia has indicted these three Irish nationals for training the FARC and for using false documents

The U.S. has indicted the FARC on drug trafficking charges

These and other facts were compiled by the staff of the International Relations Committee which has conducted an exhaustive investigation, including interviews with an extensive list of witnesses and experts in Colombia, the United States, and Europe and also obtained information from Colombian officials and other sources.

I would also ask unanimous consent that the letter I received from Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams dated April 23, 2002 be made part of the record. I note that he says on page two "Let me state again to you that neither I, nor anyone else, in the Sinn Fein Leadership were aware that the three men were traveling to Colombia." For those who have dealt with Mr. Adams through the long struggle for peace and justice in the North of Ireland, he has never given them any reason to doubt his word. I accept Mr. Adams’ statement at face value and ask that it be included in the record. At this time, we have no information contradicting this statement.

We are only at the beginning of the process of discovery regarding the nature and extent of the threat that we face. This hearing is an important step in that direction, but only one of many measures that remain to be taken. Shielding our eyes from unpleasant truths will only guarantee that Colombia will present us with a growing list of ever more unpleasant surprises.

I note that General Tapias has only a limited time with us, due to pressing commitments which necessitate his return to Colombia. Given the time constraints placed on the Committee, without objection, I would ask that Members place their opening statements in the record of today’s proceedings.

As of April 24, 2002, this document was also available online at http://www.house.gov/international_relations/hyde0424.htm