Judge strikes law citing 'terrorist' groups

[Major Variola (ret)]

Judge strikes law citing  'terrorist' groups

http://www.washtimes.com/world/20020627-595079.htm

                      By Ben Barber
                      THE WASHINGTON TIMES


                           A U.S. law authorizing the State Department
to designate
                      groups as "terrorist" and which allows those who
support
                      them to be prosecuted has been declared
unconstitutional by
                      a federal judge, throwing U.S. anti-terrorism
strategies into
                      disarray.
                           A U.S. official who has been
                      dealing with the issue said
                      yesterday there will be "serious
                      problems" if the decision stands on
                      appeal. The U.S. government
                      could no longer use the existing
                      law to prosecute those who give
                      "material support" to groups on the
                      list such as Hamas, al Qaeda,
                      Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah.
                           U.S. District Judge Robert M.
                      Takasugi in Los Angeles ruled
                      against the Justice Department in
                      the little-noticed decision last
                      week, declaring the 1996 law
                      "unconstitutional on its face" since
                      it does not allow the suspect groups to challenge
the terrorist
                      designation.
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