Senators Use Fear of Terrorism to Push Gun Control
By Jeff Johnson
CNSNews.com Congressional Bureau Chief
December 10, 2001

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - It's not unusual for members of Congress to use current events as a springboard for legislation they want to pass, but critics are denouncing liberal senators for using the Sept. 11 attacks to promote registration of law-abiding gun owners.

Attorney General John Ashcroft appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday to answer questions about the Bush administration's war on terrorism.

During his testimony, Ashcroft quoted from a translated terrorist training manual, which he distributed to the media, to demonstrate that al-Qaeda members are trained to claim abuse by police officials at the first opportunity.

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) seized on Ashcroft's reference to take the hearing in another direction. He referred to "another manual entitled 'How Can I Train Myself for Jihad,'" describing it as "very similar to the one you mentioned here."

Kennedy claimed the second book was found in a terrorist safe house in Kabul, but did not make the document available to the media.

"It states, 'In other countries, some states, the U.S., it's perfectly legal for members of the public to own certain types of firearms," he said. "If you live in such a country obtain an assault weapon legally.'"

Despite the fact that assault (fully-automatic) weapons are illegal in the U.S. without a difficult-to-obtain federal license, Kennedy went on to try to connect terrorists and gun shows.

"We've been trying to deal with this problem for many months," he charged, "that a potential terrorist would walk into a gun show, walk out with a gun, no questions asked."

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) joined Kennedy in his criticism of the Bush administration's policies.

"When it comes to the area of even illegal immigrants getting guns, and finding out if they did," Schumer alleged, "this administration becomes weak as a wet noodle. And the question is, 'Why?' and, 'How we can change that?'"

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) echoed Schumer's attempt to portray the Ashcroft Justice Department as weak against terrorists.

"Why is it when it comes to the Second Amendment, when it comes to the question of purchasing firearms, particularly when it comes to illegal immigrants," he asked, "that there's such a blind eye from the Department of Justice?"

Durbin then challenged Ashcroft.

"Would you agree that illegal immigrants to this country and would-be terrorists should not be able to buy guns at gun shows and ship them back their terrorists' organizations overseas and use them in some conspiracy or plot against the United States?" he asked.

Ashcroft explained to Durbin that the current federal "Brady law" prohibits convicted felons, illegal (and most legal) aliens, and terrorists from obtaining or possessing a firearm in the United States, to which Durbin asked, "But what about the gun shows?"

In his earlier comments, Durbin had mentioned three cases in which illegal aliens, with possible ties to terrorist groups, had been arrested after purchasing weapons at gun shows.

"You just explained for me the fact that illegal aliens are being prosecuted by the Justice Department for possessing illegal weapons," Durbin reminded Ashcroft.

Durbin continued to press the theory that thousands of terrorists are buying weapons in the U.S., and that the Justice Department cannot catch them "because we don't check their backgrounds at gun shows."

Ashcroft disagreed, explaining that terrorists and other criminals seldom buy weapons at gun shows.

"Contacts are made there that are subsequently involved in private meetings for the sale of guns," he said. "But federally licensed gun dealers selling guns at gun shows are subject to the Brady law."

Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, says Ashcroft is correct.

"If gun shows were supplying al-Qaeda with their guns, they would probably be reduced to throwing rocks," Pratt said.

Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) followed up Kennedy's terrorist-to-gun show link, offering Ashcroft proposed legislation to deal with the so-called "gun show loophole."

"I'd like," she said, "to send you a proposal, which Senators (Jon) Corzine, (Daniel) Inouye, and (Harry) Reid and I will shortly introduce which is for a universal background check for the purchase of weapons."

That legislation, says Pratt, betrays the true goal behind linking criminals and terrorists to perfectly legal gun shows.

"What Kennedy and company are really after is, of course, to get us all registered so (someday) they'll be able to confiscate our guns," he charged.

Pratt scoffs at those who say background checks don't lead to registration. He cites a 1989 Justice Department document, entitled "Report to the Attorney General on Systems for Identifying Felons Who Attempt to Purchase Firearms."

"Any system that requires a criminal history record check prior to purchase of a firearm creates the potential for the automated tracking of individuals who seek to purchase firearms," the report said.

"It shouldn't exist. It's unconstitutional," Pratt said of the type of gun registration scheme Feinstein and her fellow senators propose. He also opposes gun owner databases for a more practical reason.

"Hawaii has had gun registration and licensing for a long time, and it has yet to be used to solve a crime. Canada has had handgun registration since 1934, ditto," Pratt said. "They have never solved a crime with all of that data."

Internet searches of publicly available government databases and anti-gun rights groups' web sites support Pratt's claim.

Ashcroft expressed his willingness to review any proposal that might give him legal ammunition to use against terrorists. But he cautioned the senators that he does not take lightly what he has officially defined as the constitutional right of individual U.S. citizens to possess and carry firearms.

"In all of the efforts of the al-Qaeda operation, they look for avenues of freedom which they can then exploit," Ashcroft said. "We always have to balance very carefully when we legislate to curtail their activities, with respect to our freedoms."