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Mandela Removed From U.S. Terrorist List
July 3rd, 2008The 90-year-old ex-president of South Africa has been unwelcome for many years
Following a national outcry which even included comments of outrage from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the United States government will finally remove former South African President Nelson Mandela’s from a U.S. terrorism watch list. The international icon and Nobel Peace Prize winner’s treatment by the U.S. government urged lawmakers to introduce a bill to take him off the list. President Bush signed the bill Tuesday. “He had no place on our government’s terror watch list, and I’m pleased to see this bill finally become law,” said Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. Mandela, the former head of the African National Congress, was the jailed for 24 years during the heyday of apartheid, the South African regime’s longtime system of racial separation that was brutally enforced by the White minority government for 46 years. South African dubbed the apartheid-fighting ANC a terrorist group. Thus ANC members were denied U.S. visas, without special permission. Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and, four years later, apartheid officially crumbled, but the leader’s name remained on the U.S. terrorist watch list. Under the new bill, both the State Department and Homeland Security Department have the power to dissolve the restrictions against Mandela and fellow ANC members. “What it will do is make sure that there aren’t any extra hoops for either a distinguished individual, like former President Mandela, or other members of the African National Congress to get a U.S. visa,” State Department spokesman Tom Casey said.
i think it’s about time they did that. it’s surprising to hear that the name was still there after all these years. i mean the man not only fought apartheid for south africa, BUT he fought and put his life on the line so that all humans and especially african/black people be recognised and given the necessary respect that they deserve.
and now throughout the world, his words exists and we still honor and respect them.
He should have been removed long before now. He is an honorable and decent man who has survived very difficult circumstances with grace.
well, I think is about time things get done right.
It is such a shock to learn that personalitys of like President Nelson Mandela could exist in such a list after what this man went through for justice, peace and human right. I wonder how many of such lists exist with whose name they choose to encode into their groupings. Thank God for blessing Mandela with such a mind set and life style. I wish him longer years to come and less opportunity for those that try to marginalize human beings.
What took them so long? We are where we are as South Africans thanks to utata uMadiba. It’s not suprising that he has not even question them for still calling him a terrorrist. The man possess such grace. Siyabonga Tata!
It just shows that even freedom fighters are considered terrorists. America needs to rethink the definition of the word.
Who is gonna remove Mr bush and Mr Reagan from the world terrorist list?
It is dumb that we look at every places not ar own of bad people so we pick others to be wrong the man as he is is a good man and the man went to hell by his own people. free is he and he allways like thank US and it about time
WHAT A SHAME THE MOST RESPECTED MAN IN THE MORDERN WORLD IS ON THE TERRORIST LIST OF UNITED STATES, AN THE SWINE SATAN DEVIL TERRORIST, FANATIC CHRISTIAN CRUSADER BUTCHER MURDERER LIAR GORGE W BUSH IS ON THE HEROS LIST WHILE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE OTHER WAY ROUND
your government is the biggest terrorist