ID :
11072
Sun, 06/29/2008 - 05:02
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/11072
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U.S. approves bill that removes Mandela from terror list
Washington, Jun 28 (PTI) The U.S. is set to remove former South African President Nelson Mandela from the US terror watch list with the Senate approving a bill in this regard.
"Today the United States moved closer at last to removing the great shame of dishonoring this great leader by including him on our government's terror watch list," media reports quoted Senator John Kerry as saying.
U.S. lawmakers approved the bill Friday to erase the terrorist' label on Mandela and his African National Congress (A.N.C.), the report said.
The legislation that also sought to remove travel restriction imposed on the Nobel laureate and his party who were instrumental in liberating South Africa from the colonial rule. The Senate unanimously passed it on a voice vote, the New York Times quoted news agencies as saying.
The House of Representatives had already approved the bill May 8.
The A.N.C. was banned by South Africa's white minority government in 1960. Its leaders were jailed or forced into exile until the ban on the movement was lifted 30 years later.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had termed the U.S. travel restrictions on Mandela, who retired from politics nine years ago, "embarrassing" and urged to end them.
Lawmakers wanted the changes made to the legislation before Mandela turned 90 on July 18 but there were fears that it would be delayed by Congress' summer recess for much of August and a break over the July 4 week, media reports said.
"Today the United States moved closer at last to removing the great shame of dishonoring this great leader by including him on our government's terror watch list," media reports quoted Senator John Kerry as saying.
U.S. lawmakers approved the bill Friday to erase the terrorist' label on Mandela and his African National Congress (A.N.C.), the report said.
The legislation that also sought to remove travel restriction imposed on the Nobel laureate and his party who were instrumental in liberating South Africa from the colonial rule. The Senate unanimously passed it on a voice vote, the New York Times quoted news agencies as saying.
The House of Representatives had already approved the bill May 8.
The A.N.C. was banned by South Africa's white minority government in 1960. Its leaders were jailed or forced into exile until the ban on the movement was lifted 30 years later.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had termed the U.S. travel restrictions on Mandela, who retired from politics nine years ago, "embarrassing" and urged to end them.
Lawmakers wanted the changes made to the legislation before Mandela turned 90 on July 18 but there were fears that it would be delayed by Congress' summer recess for much of August and a break over the July 4 week, media reports said.
