C.R. Gets Reprieve In Terrorism Flap

Costa Rica just dodged an international bullet.

With a May 30 deadline looming for the Legislative Assembly to pass anti-terrorism legislation, the international intelligencesharing Egmont Group decided not to expel the country from its network.

Egmont is an informal body of 108 member governments that share intelligence on terrorism and money laundering.

It was created in 1995, and Costa Rica joined in 1999, the country’s Drug Institute Director Mauricio Boraschi said.

If Costa Rica is expelled, “We’ll end up isolated from the world and without access to this valuable, trustworthy source of information,” he said (TT, April 25).

According to a press release, Public Security Vice Minister José Torres managed to coordinate an extension until March.

Torres is asking the assembly to move forward with passage of an anti-terrorism law.

In nine years, the anti-terrorism bill has not made it out of committee.