Legislators Introduce Long-awaited Terror Bill

With the help of Congress, President Clinton has launched phase two of his war on terrorism.

In the Senate and in the House of Representatives, legislators introduced the administration’s Omnibus Counterterrorism Act of 1995 last Friday.

The long-awaited bill seeks to ban fund raising by American organizations that benefits terrorist groups abroad.

The bill would also make it a federal crime to engage in terrorist acts and in the planning of terrorist acts both in the United States and abroad, if such acts affect U.S. interests.

And it would establish the death penalty as punishment for terrorism that results in murder.

Clinton began the American effort to combat terrorism two weeks ago by freezing the assets of 12 terrorist groups and preventing future money transfers to them.

Among the terrorist groups included in his order were the Islamic fundamentalist groups Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. Also included were two Jewish organizations, Kahane Chai and Kach.

The Treasury Department, which is responsible for the effort, has not been unable to say how much money, if any, has been seized.

Jewish groups were quick to praise the new bill, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Herb Kohl (R-Wis.) and Joseph Biden (D-Del.), and in the House by Reps. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Norman Dicks (D-Wash.).

“Passage of this tough, comprehensive bill will go a long way toward keeping our country from being used as a base to organize, finance and direct terrorist activity here and abroad,” Anti-Defamation League officials said in a statement. The statement was jointly signed by David Strassler, ADL national chairman, and Abraham Foxman, ADL national director.

Although ADL and other Jewish groups support the bill, some have joined the senators who introduced the legislation in expressing reservations about certain aspects of the initiative.

Provisions in the bill that give law enforcement officials greater flexibility in launching investigation of terrorist suspects could pose constitutional problems, the senators said in announcing the legislation at a news conference last Friday.

In addition, a section of the bill that would allow expedited closed-door deportation hearings for aliens accused of terrorist activity is problematic, they said.

At their joint news conference last Friday, Specter, Kohl and Biden pledged to air concerns about these provisions at hearings on the measure in the coming months.

Biden also said if some of these constitutional questions were not addressed, he would oppose the legislation.

Despite their reservations, the senators expressed optimism that the bill would ultimately pass Congress.

Specter praised Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno for sending the bill to Congress.

“The legislation will add to the arsenal of weapons in our nation’s battle against international terrorism,” Specter said.

Under the bill, the president would compile a list of international organizations suspected of terrorism. Anyone who raises funds for organizations on the list would have to register with the administration.

Before any money could be transferred to an organization on the list, the American fund-raisers would have to certify to the administration’s satisfaction that the money was only being used for humanitarian, educational or religious purposes.

The bill also authorizes wiretaps for investigation of international terrorism plots and institutes into law a 1991 international treaty aimed at identifying plastic explosives by airport sensors.