Drug Trafficking and Terrorism

DRUG TRAFFICKING AND TERRORISM

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, since the tragic events of September 11, we have all strived mightily to ensure that our great homeland is never subjected to a terrorist attack by the evildoers again. But everyday those very evildoers weaken the fabric of our country, their enemy, by flooding our great society with addictive and deadly drugs. While the link between terrorists and drugs has been made countless times publically, we, as a Nation, have yet to attack the problem with an approach that is consistent and successful.

On March 13, 2002, Rand Beers, Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and Francis Taylor, Ambassador-at-large for Counterterrorism, made the points in joint testimony prepared for a hearing on "Narco-Terror: The Worldwide Connection Between Drugs and Terror" held by the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism and Government Information. Taylor, who delivered the opening testimony, told us that "relations between drug traffickers and terrorists benefit both."

"Drug traffickers benefit from the terrorists' military skills, weapons supply, and access to clandestine organizations. Terrorists gain a source of revenue and expertise in illicit transfer and laundering of proceeds from illicit transactions," he said.

Taylor listed terrorist groups with known links to drug trafficking around the world-from the South American nations of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay to Afghanistan, which, he said, accounts for more than 70 percent of the world's supply of opiates.

Mr. President, we know that 12 of the 25 major terror organizations identified by the State Department in 2002 have ties to drug traffickers and we know that drugs are a major source of funding for these terrorist groups. We know these groups sometimes work as conspirators to carry out their evil purposes.

The Lebanese Hezbollah group is increasingly involved in drug trafficking and terrorist organizations in Europe and Southeast Asia also are tied to illicit drugs.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly known as the FARC, protects cocaine laboratories and clandestine airstrips in southern Colombia and some FARC units directly control local cocaine base markets.

As evidence that terrorist groups cooperate and work together, the Colombian National Police arrested three members of the IRA in July, 2001, who are believed to have used the demilitarized zone to train the FARC in the use of explosives.

While we know these connections, we have not taken full advantage of the vast resources and knowledge available to exploit this connection. The link between terrorism and drug trafficking that may take many forms, ranging from facilitation-protection, transportation, and taxation-to direct trafficking by the terrorist organization itself in order to finance its activities. Traffickers and terrorists have many of the same needs in terms of the secret movement of goods, people and money.

There are no swans in the sewer, and the relationships between drug traffickers and terrorists benefit both. As Mr. Beers stated, "Drug traffickers benefit from the terrorists' military skills, weapons supply, and access to clandestine organizations. Terrorists gain a source of revenue and expertise [from drug traffickers] in illicit transfer and laundering of proceeds from illicit transactions." Corrupt officials who are influenced by the dirty money of the narco-terrorists make it easier for the groups to get access to fraudulent documents, including passports and travel documents. This allows the terrorists to travel abroad under the stealth and protection of a shadowy network that is virtually undetectable.

Terrorists and drug traffickers also use the same methods to hide their illegal profits and conduct fundraising to feed their evil plans. The schemes used by the terrorists for the transferring and laundering of drug money for general criminal purposes are similar to those used to move money to support terrorist activities. The use of "charities" and informal networks such as "hawalas" are easy and efficient ways to launder money.

Yet these are the only methods we know about. Congress is in the process of crafting a budget for the 2005 fiscal year. We have some tough choices ahead of us. But as we move forward, I would urge my colleagues to keep in mind the lessons we have learned in our efforts to go after drug trafficking organizations.
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First, to be successful, we need the assistance of other nations. Though many countries have been quick to update their regulations, few have the law enforcement structure in place to carry out interdiction. Law enforcement capabilities must improve globally. In addition, communication between law enforcement agencies nationally and internationally, must become seamless in order to rapidly and effectively identify, target and eradicate terrorists and their drug trafficking brothers before they eradicate us.

Second, our various law enforcement efforts within the United States must be coordinated. As our efforts to catch drug traffickers have taught us, no one agency has all of the tools, information, resources or skills to get the job done alone. Encouraging interagency cooperation, then, must be a priority.

And third, the efforts made at the State and local level to go after drug traffickers are also an important piece of our war on terror. We cannot, should not, and must not, overlook the efforts and expertise of our State and local law enforcement officers. They know best what's going on in their communities and often have the best, most effective approach to stem the flow of crime within their borders.

I will say more about the links between drug trafficking and terrorism in the future. But the connection is there and should not be ignored. Whether we discuss the financing or smuggling by terrorists, document fraud or corruption by drug traffickers, the sewer where the individuals bent on these activities dwell needs to be cleaned up. Let's not overlook the other filth in the water just because the sewer rat floats by.