DATE=10/8/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TERROR GROUPS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-254829
BYLINE=KYLE KING
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO:  The shadowy group headed by Saudi-born terror 
suspect Osama Bin Laden has made it onto the State 
Department's newest list of Foreign Terrorist 
Organizations.  Three other notorious groups have been 
dropped from the list.  V-O-A's Kyle King has this 
report from the State Department.

TEXT:  Secretary of State Madeleine Albright 
designated a total of 28 groups as foreign terrorist 
organizations. 

Terror suspect Osama Bin Laden's group is the only new 
addition to the list, which includes well-known 
organizations from the Middle East, Japan, Turkey, 
South America and Sri Lanka. 

Publication of the list is required under the Anti-
Terrorism Act passed by Congress in 1996.  Under the 
act, it is illegal to provide weapons, funds or 
support to any of the designated organizations.  

The State Department's counter-terrorism ambassador, 
Michael Sheehan, says a key purpose of the act is to 
cut off support for terrorist groups.

            // Sheehan act //

      The designation helps us prevent fund-raising 
      for an organization, or people moving around who 
      are associated with it.  Now we have a legal 
      basis to move against them.


            // End act //

Officials acknowledge that some groups, like the 
organization headed by Osama Bin Laden, do little 
fund-raising in the United States.  But Secretary of 
State Albright says the list is an important way of 
demonstrating the outlaw status of the groups.

            // Albright act //

      The importance of it is to basically make clear 
      that these are organizations that are outside 
      the conduct of proper affairs in a civilized 
      world.


            // End act //

In addition to the list, the United States has also 
offered a five-million-dollar reward for the capture 
of Mr. Bin Laden, who is believed to have masterminded 
the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.

Dropped from the latest list of terrorist 
organizations is the Khmer Rouge, which the State 
Department says no longer exists as a viable 
organization.  Also off the list are the Manuel 
Rodriguez Patriotic Front Dissidents, and the 
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Officials say those groups were dropped because of the 
absence of terrorist activity. Ambassador Sheehan says 
it is important to note that groups can be removed 
from the list.

            // Sheehan act two //

      It shows that if an organization does behave 
      properly, move away from support for terrorist 
      acts, they will be dropped and hopefully move 
      into the political process.


            // End act //

Although the Democratic Front for the Liberation of 
Palestine was dropped from the terrorist list, 
financial transactions with the group are still barred 
by a presidential Executive Order aimed at groups that 
threaten to block the Middle East peace process. 
(signed)

NEB/KBK/ENE/rrm



08-Oct-1999 17:21 PM EDT (08-Oct-1999 2121 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.