(9) Venezuela has concluded nearly 200 bilat-
eral agreements with Iran on military cooperation, 
the sharing of intelligence, expanding financial co-
operation, and initiating cultural exchanges, among 
others. 
(10) According to United States intelligence of-
ficials, Iran possesses the potential to use its close 
relationship with Venezuela to facilitate the smug-
gling of people, drugs, and weapons into the West-
ern Hemisphere through terrorist proxy groups. 
(11) In March 2008, the Colombian army led a 
raid against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Co-
lombia and seized computers containing documents 
that suggest evidence of $300,000,000 in payments 
to the extremist organization from the Venezuelan 
Government, high-level contacts by the FARC with 
officials from Ecuador and Venezuela, and efforts by 
the FARC to obtain 50 kilograms of uranium. 
(12) The Inter-American Convention Against 
Terrorism of the Organization of American States 
commits all State parties to establish domestic regu-
latory institutions that eradicate the financing of 
terrorist offenses, cooperate with fellow signatories 
to control borders, provide mutual legal assistance in 
counterterrorism efforts and prosecution of terrorist 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
offenses, and conform to all other stipulations of the 
convention designed to prevent, punish, and elimi-
nate terrorist offenses. 
(13) In June 2008, the Department of the 
Treasury designated two Venezuela-based supporters 
of Hizballah, Ghazi Nasr al Din and Fawzi Kan’an, 
along with two travel agencies owned and controlled 
by Kan’an, explaining it is ‘‘extremely troubling to 
see the Government of Venezuela employing and 
providing safe harbor to Hizballah facilitators and 
fundraisers.’’. 
(14) In May 2008, for the third year in a row, 
the Department of State determined, pursuant to 
section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, that 
Venezuela was not cooperating fully with United 
States antiterrorism efforts. 
(15) In April 2008, for the fouth year in a row, 
the Department of State’s Annual Country Report 
on Terrorism stated that the Government of Cuba 
provided safe haven to members of [several Latin 
American terrorist groups] and maintained close re-
lationships with other state sponsors of terrorism 
such as Iran. 
(16) In April 2008, for the fifth year in a row, 
the Department of State’s Annual Country Report 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
on Terrorism also noted that Venezuelan citizenship, 
identity, and travel documents remain easy to ob-
tain, making Venezuela a potentially attractive way- 
station for terrorists. 
(17) August to December 2008 marked a resur-
gence in deadly attacks by the Shining Path, a De-
partment of State-designated foreign terrorist orga-
nization, in Peru. Peruvian security officials say that 
while the group’s numbers have dwindled, its arsenal 
is stronger than in the past, as profits from the drug 
trade allow it to buy more powerful weapons. 
(18) In October 2008, reports surfaced that the 
Chavez government, with help from Cuban military 
advisors and FARC guerrillas, was allegedly oper-
ating a secret paramilitary training camp in a 
closed-off tourist campground in Venezuela. 
(19) In October 2008, the Department of the 
Treasury 
designated 
Banco 
Internacional 
de 
Desarollo, C.A., a financial institution located in 
Venezuela, to be owned or controlled by or acting or 
purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or in-
directly, the Export Development Bank of Iran 
(EDBI). EDBI was designated for its role in
help-
ing Iran
violate United Nations sanctions and han-
dle its illicit transactions. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
(20) In December 2008, media sources reported 
that Iran is using its close ties with Venezuela to 
dodge United Nations sanctions by using aircraft 
from Venezuelan airline Conviasa to transport com-
puters and engine components to Syria for use in 
missiles. 
SEC. 102. STATEMENT OF POLICY REGARDING REGIONAL 
EFFORTS TO COUNTER TERRORISM IN THE 
WESTERN HEMISPHERE. 
To enhance the security of the Western Hemisphere 
and bolster regional capacity to counter terrorism, it shall 
be the policy of the United States to promote the signing, 
ratification, and implementation by all countries in the 
Western Hemisphere of the following: 
(1) OAS AG/RES. 1840 (XXXII–O/02) Inter- 
American Convention Against Terrorism. 
(2) Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 
Recommendations on Money Laundering (ML) and 
9 Special Recommendations (SR) on Terrorist Fi-
nancing (TF). 
(3) The 1963 ICAO Convention on Offences 
and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Air-
craft. 
(4) The 1970 ICAO Convention for the Sup-
pression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
(5) The 1971 ICAO Convention for the Sup-
pression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil 
Aviation. 
(6) The 1973 United Nations Convention on 
the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against 
Internationally Protected Person, including Diplo-
matic Agents. 
(7) The 1979 United Nations International 
Convention Against the Taking of Hostages. 
(8) The 1988 ICAO Protocol for the Suppres-
sion of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serv-
ing International Civil Aviation, Supplementary to 
the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts 
Against the Safety of Civil Aviation. 
(9) The 1988 IMO Convention for the Suppres-
sion of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Mari-
time Navigation. 
(10) The 1988 IMO Protocol for the Suppres-
sion of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed 
Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf. 
(11) The 1991 ICAO Convention on the Mark-
ing of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detec-
tion. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
(12) The 1997 United Nations International 
Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bomb-
ings. 
(13) The 1999 United Nations International 
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of 
Terrorism. 
(14) The 2001 United Nations S/Res/1373 Cre-
ation of Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC). 
(15) The 2005 United Nations S/Res/1624 Pro-
hibition of incitement to commit terrorist act or 
acts. 
SEC. 103. AMENDMENTS TO ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS 
ON TERRORISM. 
Section 140(b) of the Foreign Relations Authoriza-
tion Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 
2656f(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4)(D), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
(3) by redesignating the second paragraph (3) 
and the second paragraph (4) as paragraphs (6) and 
(7), respectively; 
(4) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
(5) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by 
striking the period at the end; and 
(6) by adding after such paragraph (7) the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(8) a comprehensive assessment of all United 
States assistance available to combat terrorism in 
each country that is a subject of such report; and 
‘‘(9) with respect to countries in the Western 
Hemisphere that are the subjects of such report, the 
level in each such country of threat posed by radical 
Islamist terrorism.’’. 
SEC. 104. AMENDMENTS TO ANNUAL DETERMINATION PRO-
CEDURES. 
Section 706 of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107–228; 22 U.S.C. 
2291j–1) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)(ii); by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 
subparagraph (C); 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) 
the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) designate each country, if any, identi-
fied in such report in which a link has been de-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
termined to exist between illicit drug trafficking 
and a designated foreign terrorist organization 
and that has failed demonstrably, during the 
previous 12 months, to make substantial ef-
forts— 
‘‘(i) to adhere to its obligations under 
international counterterrorism agreements; 
and 
‘‘(ii) to implement effective counter-
terrorism measures, including action on 
such issues as the rule of law, denying safe 
haven to terrorists, financing and money 
laundering, and law enforcement; and’’; 
and 
(D) in subparagraph (C), as so redesig-
nated, by inserting before the period at the end 
the following: ‘‘under subparagraph (A) or 
(B)’’; 
(2) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘or’’ 
at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (B)(2), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
‘‘(C) subsequent to the designation being 
made under paragraph (2)(B), the country has 
made substantial efforts— 
‘‘(i) to adhere to its obligations under 
international counterterrorism agreements; 
and 
‘‘(ii) to implement effective counter-
terrorism measures, including action on 
such issues as the rule of law, denying safe 
haven to terrorists, financing and money 
laundering, and law enforcement.’’; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (8) as para-
graph (9); and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (7) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(8) BILATERAL AGREEMENTS.—If a country 
designated under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 
paragraph (2) does not receive a determination 
under subparagraphs (B) or (C) of paragraph (3), 
the Secretary of State shall negotiate with such 
country a bilateral agreement describing actions to 
be taken by the United States and such country to 
satisfy such determinations during the one year pe-
riod following such a designation. Such a bilateral 
agreement should include a needs assessment, a bi-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
lateral action plan, the provision of United States 
training and assistance, the use of International 
Law Enforcement Academy facilities in the region, 
and an exchange of model laws and best practices.’’. 
SEC. 105. AMENDMENT TO INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS 
CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT. 
Section 489(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 2291h(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(9) A separate section that contains informa-
tion relating to any links between illicit narcotics 
trafficking or money laundering and terrorists, ter-
rorist acts, or designated foreign terrorist organiza-
tions (as such term is used in section 219 of the Im-
migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189)), 
and any actions taken by the United States Govern-
ment or foreign government to address such links.’’. 
SEC. 106. UNITED STATES EFFORTS IN THE WESTERN 
HEMISPHERE. 
(a) DETERMINATION.—For any country in the West-
ern Hemisphere that the President has determined— 
(1) is engaged in military cooperation with a 
state sponsor of terrorism, 
(2) is engaged in nonmarket-based trade with a 
state sponsor of terrorism, 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
(3) is carrying out policies that threaten United 
States national security interests, or 
(4) is not fully cooperating with United States 
counterterrorism or nonproliferation efforts, 
the President is authorized to impose any of the sanctions 
described in subsection (b). 
(b) SANCTIONS.—For any country in the Western 
Hemisphere with respect to which the President has made 
a determination in accordance with subsection (a), the 
President is authorized to— 
(1) suspend United States nonhumanitarian 
foreign assistance to the government of that country; 
and 
(2) prohibit the sale, provision, or transfer of 
articles, including the issuance of any specific license 
or grant of any other specific permission or author-
ity to export any goods or technology under— 
(A) the Export Administration Act of 
1979; 
(B) the Arms Export Control Act; 
(C) the Atomic Energy Act of 1954; or 
(D) any other statute that requires the 
prior review and approval of the United States 
Government as a condition for the export or re- 
export of goods or services. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
02:55 Jan 12, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H375.IH
H375
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS