IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 329 
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the activities of Islamist terrorist 
organizations in the Western Hemisphere. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 22, 2005 
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself and Mr. LANTOS) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Inter-
national Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the activities 
of Islamist terrorist organizations in the Western Hemi-
sphere. 
Whereas the brutal attacks of September 11, 2001, dem-
onstrated that terrorists can strike anywhere in the 
world; 
Whereas terrorist activity that goes unaddressed is an invita-
tion for terrorist organizations to carry out attacks 
against the United States, our allies and interests; 
Whereas the Department of State has concluded in its most 
recent Country Reports on Terrorism, which was released 
in April 2005, that although the threat of international 
terrorism in the Western Hemisphere remains relatively 
low as compared to other world regions, international ter-
•HCON 329 IH 
rorists may seek safe-haven, financing, recruiting, illegal 
travel documentation, or access to the United States from 
Latin American and Caribbean countries and thus pose 
serious threats; 
Whereas in recent years, the activities of Islamist terrorist or-
ganizations in the Western Hemisphere has focused on fi-
nancing their criminal and terrorist activities outside of 
the region rather than carrying out or directly supporting 
terrorist attacks in the Western Hemisphere; 
Whereas, as the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Ar-
gentina and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish Com-
munity Center in Argentina clearly showed, international 
terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah, are ready, 
willing, and able to carry out attacks in the Western 
Hemisphere, including in the United States; 
Whereas since at least the AMIA bombing in 1994, Hezbollah 
has maintained networks in the tri-border area of Para-
guay, Brazil, and Argentina—primarily focusing on fund-
raising and recruitment; 
Whereas in May 2003, a relative of Assad Ahmad Barakat, 
the reputed head of Hezbollah in the tri-border area, was 
arrested at the airport in Asuncion, Paraguay, in what 
Paraguayan police believe was a scheme to sell drugs in 
Syria, with proceeds reaching Hezbollah forces in Leb-
anon; 
Whereas Barakat, a Lebanese-born Paraguayan, is himself in 
custody in Brazil awaiting extradition to Paraguay after 
raids on his businesses in Paraguay’s tri-border area 
found evidence that he transferred tens of millions of 
United States dollars to Hezbollah in Lebanon;
•HCON 329 IH 
Whereas there have been media reports of Hezbollah sympa-
thizers and financiers also conducting black market ac-
tivities in Iquique, Chile; Maicao, Colombia; Margarita 
Island, Venezuela; and Colon, Panama; 
Whereas the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has also been 
known to raise funds in the tri-border area; 
Whereas in a 2002 court case, one of the two Lebanese men 
who were convicted of financing Hezbollah with 
$2,000,000 in illegal cigarette sales in the United States 
entered the United States illegally from Venezuela; 
Whereas earlier this past year, a Lebanese individual from 
Detroit who was charged with supporting Hezbollah fi-
nancially, and described by the United States Attorney in 
the case as a ‘‘fighter, recruiter, and fundraiser,’’ report-
edly entered the United States illegally from Mexico; 
Whereas a number of media reports have raised concerns 
that al-Qaeda operatives may be seeking to establish a 
presence in the Western Hemisphere; 
Whereas officials in both the United States and El Salvador 
confirmed earlier this year that ‘‘Mara Salvatrucha,’’ a 
violent gang with roots in the Salvadoran civil war and 
branches in several United States States, had met with 
al-Qaeda; 
Whereas in 2004, the Honduran Security Minister is reported 
to have claimed that Adnan Shukrijumah, a Saudi-born 
terrorist who the Honduran Security Minister has linked 
to al-Qaeda, was spotted in an Internet cafe in 
Tegucigalpa, Honduras; 
Whereas several members of the Egyptian Islamic Group 
have been arrested in Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia 
since 1998;
•HCON 329 IH 
Whereas Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has reportedly instructed his 
followers to travel to Brazil with the eventual goal of en-
tering the United States through Mexico to carry out ter-
rorist attacks; 
Whereas Ashref Ahmed Abdallah, an Egyptian national who 
is one of the most significant human smuggling targets, 
was arrested by United States authorities at Miami 
International Airport in July 2004 for using Central 
America and Brazil as a staging ground for smuggling il-
legal aliens from countries of the Middle East, including 
special interest countries that are linked to international 
terrorism, into the United States; 
Whereas recent press reports state that United States intel-
ligence has tracked several al-Qaeda operatives through 
Panama as either a base of operations or a transit point 
for operations; 
Whereas the activities of sympathizers and financiers of 
Islamist terrorist organizations in the Western Hemi-
sphere represent a potential threat to the United States, 
our allies and interests; 
Whereas section 7102 of the Intelligence Reform and Ter-
rorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108–458; 22 
U.S.C. 2656f note) amends United States law to identify 
and address emerging and current terrorist sanctuaries 
and secure international cooperation to combat this 
threat; 
Whereas many countries of the Western Hemisphere have co-
operated with the United States and regional organiza-
tions to counter the threat of regional and international 
terrorism, 
including 
by 
participating 
in 
joint 
counterterrorism 
training 
and 
simulations,
•HCON 329 IH 
Counterterrorism Action Group (CTAG) meetings which 
are hosted by United States embassies, and the Inter- 
American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) of the 
Organization of American States (OAS); and 
Whereas, despite these efforts, many factors within the West-
ern Hemisphere contribute to creating an environment 
which is conducive for future activities by international 
terrorist organizations: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) recognizes the potential threat that sympa-
thizers and financiers of Islamist terrorist organiza-
tions that operate in the Western Hemisphere pose 
to the United States, our allies and interests; 
(2) acknowledges the commitment and coopera-
tion of some governments of countries of the West-
ern Hemisphere to deny the use of their territory to 
Islamist terrorist organizations and calls on all gov-
ernments to intensify their efforts; and 
(3) encourages the President to direct the 
United States Representative to the Organization of 
American States (OAS) to— 
(A) seek support from OAS member coun-
tries for the creation of a special task force of 
the Inter-American Committee Against Ter-
rorism (CICTE) to assist governments in the 
region in investigating and combatting the pro-
•HCON 329 IH 
liferation of Islamist terrorist organizations in 
the Western Hemisphere and to coordinate re-
gional efforts to prevent the spread of this 
threat; and 
(B) urge OAS member countries to des-
ignate Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic 
Jihad, al-Qaeda and its constituent entities, and 
other such groups as terrorist organizations if 
they have not already done so. 
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