# Nelson Mandela is not longer considered a terrorist **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 29, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700 "2008-06-29T22:04:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/1 "2008-06-29T22:04:26Z")
I thought that Mandela admitted his terrorist deeds in his biography. Mandela was part of the military wing of the ANC. The ANC’s terrorist arm, which Mandela headed in 1963 was called Umkhonto we Sizwe. As a terrorist organisation it was pretty benign- but Mandela never denounced the organisation-[Terrorism Was a Part of the Struggle](http://sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/07-13_Struggle.php?uid=1836) Mandela is a great guy. But there should not be any white-washing of history. [Link](http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/champion-of-freedom-no-threat-to-us/2008/06/28/1214472849714.html) ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/2 "2008-06-29T22:37:47Z")
No longer. So sorry. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/3 "2008-06-29T23:05:13Z")
The opening paragraph of the linked article: > [@](#): > > THE US Senate has approved a bill to remove former South African president Nelson Mandela and his African National Congress from the US terrorism watch list. This makes no mention of historical events. The watch list is current (although, obviously, not updated with any relevancy). The ANC is not currently terrorizing anyone. Nelson Mandela is certainly not threatening anyone, today. Making this change to the watch list (of current threats and activity) is simply a recognition of reality. Do you think we ought to add Menachim Begin to the list, now? He’s only dead, of course, but we need to recognize history. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/4 "2008-07-02T01:05:39Z")
When were Nelson Mandela and the ANC ever a threat to the US? They didn’t happen to have communist leanings, did they? 😉 Before I _say_ more, I think I should _learn_ more about the “Watch List”, and how one gets added to it. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/5 "2008-07-02T02:17:47Z")
An article on this issue says that the United States had Mandela on a terrorist list because South Africa had declared the ANC a terrorist organization back in the day. Were we under some legal obligation to recognize their declaration? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/6 "2008-07-02T03:32:14Z")
Well that’s mighty white of them. On a more serious note, if it takes an act of Congress signed by the president to get someone as prominent as Mandela off the list, what chance does an ordinary schmuck who ends up there by mistake have? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/7 "2008-07-02T04:49:19Z")
Well, first you have to win the Nobel Peace Prize and that gets you on the list to be considered for removal. The average review period is twenty years but it was expedited up to fifteen in respect for President Mandela’s age. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/8 "2008-07-02T07:18:24Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] When were Nelson Mandela and the ANC ever a threat to the US? They didn’t happen to have communist leanings, did they? 😉 [/QUOTE] I may be being whooshed here, but yes, they did. ANC cadres were trained by Russian and Cuban officers, and supplied with Soviet ordinance. And the ANC and SA Communist Party were strong allies. ---
**Author:** ![Mellivora\_capensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mellivora\_capensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mellivora_capensis)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/9 "2008-07-02T08:26:12Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] I may be being whooshed here, but yes, they did. ANC cadres were trained by Russian and Cuban officers, and supplied with Soviet ordinance. And the ANC and SA Communist Party were strong allies. [/QUOTE] And they dressed funny too. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/10 "2008-07-02T10:45:13Z")
Hey, I resemble that remark - still have my purple-stained T-shirt from '89 somewhere… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/11 "2008-07-02T12:42:03Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] I may be being whooshed here, but yes, they did. ANC cadres were trained by Russian and Cuban officers, and supplied with Soviet ordinance. And the ANC and SA Communist Party were strong allies. [/QUOTE] The threat part is a comment/question. The commie part is indeed a whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-is-not-longer-considered-a-terrorist/454700/12 "2008-07-02T19:07:42Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] Before I _say_ more, I think I should _learn_ more [/QUOTE] What fun would it be if everyone did this?