Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) slammed President Joe Biden during a Senate hearing on Tuesday over the administration’s decision to remove a Marxist terrorist group from the U.S.’s official list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
“This morning, the Biden administration removed the FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, from the list of foreign terrorist organizations,” Cruz said. “The FARC is an organization of Marxist-Leninist narco terrorists. For decades, they have killed, they’ve kidnapped, they’ve extorted Colombians. They have murdered and seized American citizens. They continue to pose an acute threat to Colombian security and to American interest across the region. This is sadly a part of a pattern of Biden foreign policy when it comes to dealing with terrorists.”
“And it is a pattern of appeasement and weakness towards terrorists,” he continued. “It’s a pattern we’ve seen with the Taliban and the absolute disaster in Afghanistan. It’s a pattern we’ve seen with the Houthis in Yemen, where again, the Biden administration lifted sanctions on them, and it’s a pattern that has led to disaster.”
WATCH:
President Biden’s policy of dismantling terrorism sanctions and appeasing terrorists has already led to disasters around the world.
Why does the Biden admin believe delisting the FARC as terrorists will produce anything different? pic.twitter.com/Ur3bTKaJ3Q
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) November 30, 2021
TRANSCRIPT:
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): This morning, the Biden administration removed the FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia from the list of foreign terrorist organizations. The FARC is an organization of Marxist-Leninist narco terrorists. For decades, they have killed, they’ve kidnapped, they’ve extorted Colombians. They have murdered and seized American citizens. They continue to pose an acute threat to Colombian security and to American interest across the region. This is sadly a part of a pattern of Biden foreign policy when it comes to dealing with terrorists. And it is a pattern of appeasement and weakness towards terrorists. It’s a pattern we’ve seen with the Taliban and the absolute disaster in Afghanistan. It’s a pattern we’ve seen with the Houthis in Yemen, where again, the Biden administration lifted sanctions on them, and it’s a pattern that has led to disaster. Given that appeasement didn’t work with the Houthis in Yemen, given that it didn’t work with the Taliban in Afghanistan, why does the administration believe that weakness and appeasement and delisting the FARC as terrorists will produce anything but terrible results in Colombia? What makes you think weakness towards these terrorists is going to be successful?
BRIAN A. NICHOLS, STATE DEPARTMENT: Thank you, Senator. The administration is focused on the current terror threat. We designated the FARC-EP and the Segunda Marquetalia, the two active elements that are carrying out terrorist attacks, we continue to have a $10 million reward for alias Ivan Marquez, the head of the Segunda Marquetalia. We are focusing on supporting the peace process five years in and those elements of the–
CRUZ: Final question because my time is expired. If and when the FARC responds to being delisted with more violence and more terrorism, will you commit to coming before this committee and admitting that it was a mistake to pretend they weren’t terrorists and it was a mistake for President Biden to delist them today?
NICHOLS: I’m always available to appear before this committee.