mr. chairman , the hyde amendment recognizes a new reality in a very real danger that is growing : the deadly mix of drug trafficking and terrorism . 
it has now been estimated that nearly half of the designated foreign terrorist organizations are involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs . 
that is illegal drugs that end up on the streets of our cities , the cities of our allies , poisoning the fabric of their society and our society . 
terrorists , like old organized crime syndicates from the past , have recognized that illegally drug trafficking is a valuable source of financing and just another way to threaten our country . 
the evidence linking these two criminal activities is overwhelming . 
terrorists in afghanistan are now infiltrating and controlling the cultivation of poppy and ultimately heroin . 
the deadly bombings in spain were financed through drug money . 
hezbollah has been linked to drug trafficking from south america to the middle east ; and of course the revolutionary armed forces of colombia has long-standing drug trafficking operations which fund their deadly activities . 
the hyde amendment simply creates a new federal crime for the trafficking of controlled substances which are intended to benefit a foreign terrorist organization or any other terrorist organization and imposes a stiff mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years . 
it is a serious crime and one that needs to be stopped , and this amendment would do the job . 
i would say that those who have some question about mandatory minimum penalties , this is hardly the place to object to them . 
this is really seriously two crimes : the one of drug trafficking connected with terrorism . 
it seems to me this would be precisely the place we would support mandatory minimum penalties . 
i think we should be thanking the gentleman from illinois ( mr. hyde ) xz4001920 for bringing this to our attention . 
let us remember that since most of the afghan heroin goes to europe and not here to the united states , our justice department and hard-pressed dea are very limited in going after the drug dealers and drug lords who facilitate terrorism directed at our troops . 
they need some nexus to the drugs coming to the usa . 
please join me in supporting the hyde amendment . 
it makes sense . 
yes , it is tough ; but we need to be tough in this circumstance . 
