NCJ Number
189548
Date Published
October 1999
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This document presents a list of 28 Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) and their backgrounds.
Abstract
The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 authorizes the Secretary of State to make these designations every two years. Of the 28, 27 were redesignations, organizations placed on the list two years ago and remaining on the list. The one addition was Al-Qaida, led by Usama bin Ladin, because it was responsible for several major terrorist attacks, including the August 1998 bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The effects of designation as a FTO are (1) it is unlawful for a person in the United States to provide funds or other material support to an FTO; (2) representatives and certain members of a FTO, if they are aliens, can be denied visas or excluded from the United States; and (3) U.S. financial institutions must block funds of FTOs and their agents. Other effects are that it deters donations to the groups and increases awareness and knowledge of terrorist organizations. The three criteria for designation are the organization must be foreign, must engage in terrorist activity, and must threaten the security of United States nationals or the national security. The process of designation begins after an exhaustive interagency effort and is subject to judicial review. Designations can be revoked if the Secretary of State determines that there are grounds for doing so and notifies Congress. The act of designation responds to concerns about foreign terrorist organizations raising funds in the U.S. Some terrorist organizations have tried to portray themselves as raising money solely for charitable activities such as clinics or schools. These activities have helped recruit supporters and activists and provided support to terrorists.