by Matthew Hay Brown
With world leaders and global celebrities preparing to celebrate the 90th birthday of freedom champion Nelson Mandela, Congress has moved to remove the Nobel peace laureate from a U.S. database of terrorists.
The Senate voted late Thursday to lift longstanding travel restrictions on Mandela and his comrades in the African National Congress, which was banned in 1960 by South Africa's apartheid government and labeled a terrorist organization by the United States because it used armed force in the struggle against white minority rule.
The voice vote, reported by Reuters, follows a similar move by the House. Lawmakers hoped to strike Mandela's name from the list before his birthday on July 18.
Mandela was jailed for 27 years in the struggle against apartheid. Freed in 1990, he was the first South African president elected in a fully democratic election, and became a force for racial reconciliation in the divided nation.
The State Department and the Department of Justice have supported taking Mandela off the list; Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called the designation "embarassing."
"This is a country with which we now have excellent relations, South Africa, but it's frankly a rather embarrassing matter that I still have to waive in my own counterpart, the foreign minister of South Africa, not to mention the great leader Nelson Mandela," Rice told a Senate committee in April.
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Comments
Are Ben Gurion and Moshe Dyan still on the list??
Posted by: TheReamer | June 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Seems like the 'Founding Fathers' would be on the 'terror' list, hey? Further proof that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.
Posted by: C.Morris | June 27, 2008 6:22 PM
Wow, imagine that and we voted in this President and his administrations, twice !! TWICE. No wonder he was able to borrow a nominal amount of money to buy into the Texas Rangers and when he went to pullout his investment, I believe his cut was $14-15 million!! What business acumen !! No wonder he has been our President, twice. He sure was deserving, wasn't he, America!!!??
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | June 27, 2008 6:25 PM
Seems like the 'Founding Fathers' would be on the 'terror' list, hey? Further proof that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.
Posted by: C.Morris | June 27, 2008 6:22 PM
I couldn't have said it better!!!
Posted by: =S= | June 27, 2008 7:02 PM
So North Korea is off the list, and Nelson Mandela is still on the list.
Ponderous.
Posted by: Urban H | June 27, 2008 7:26 PM
With the taps....all Americans are being watched.
Posted by: bill r. | June 27, 2008 7:39 PM
Wheew...Just in time for him to come over for a visit and endorse Obama.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | June 27, 2008 10:28 PM
Republicians..
Prosecute the criminals, fight the terrorists, raise the flag, fight pornography, fight the murder of unborn bablies
Liberals...
"Free OJ, let terrorists go, Cops are bad, criminals commit crimes because Goverment is oppressive, prosecute the people going after criminals and terrorists, call the President the antichrist, burn the flag, defend porn, defend the murder of unborn babies"
Everything they believe is about defending disgusting practices, attacking the very people trying to uphold justice, and calling the wicked--good, and the good--wicked
60 million people died in WWII...yet 4000 brave souls are a tragedy beyond human comprehension for the sake of saving millions from getting slaughtered by radicals?
The 70000 that just died in China from a quake died for NOTHING. 85 million people die every year for NOTHING. Yet somehow 4000 people who signed up for serve their country FOR SOMETHING is a travesty? More die from bad beef
Little, childish, ignorant liberals who have no understanding of history, life, or sacrifice for something greater than themselves. So guilty with their big screen TVs and SUVs they cant bare to have anyone actually do anything noble. They are willing to drop like flies from smoking but refuse to accept defending a helpless population from slaughter.
Remeber "the War is Lost" by Democrats? Spineless hippies who have not mentioned a word about how Iraq has turned around--thats real greatful to the troops who did not want to quit. Imagine if you were there and they said the War is Lost...weak freaks
Posted by: Jim Nasium | June 28, 2008 10:34 AM
In order to be considered a terrorist, you have to pose a real threat to the masses. Apartheid was favored by the U.S. So, you're right, one man's freedom is another man's terror
Posted by: Jemal | June 28, 2008 12:23 PM
Paulo...I guess you think your funny, but you're just an idiot.
Posted by: GK | June 28, 2008 1:25 PM
Are Ben Gurion and Moshe Dyan still on the list??
Posted by: TheReamer | June 27, 2008 6:19 PM
I do not believe we put or keep people on the list who were dead before the list was started.
Posted by: John W. | June 28, 2008 1:54 PM
Jim Nasium...I feel as though your holding back. Tell us how you really feel.
Posted by: GK | June 28, 2008 5:06 PM