U.S. Cuts Terror Funds

WASHINGTON: Want to wire money to the Kurdistan Worker's Party or the Tamil separatists in Sri Lanka? Sorry, Madeleine Albright says no. But luckily for those itching to fund terrorist organizations, the Irish Republican Army is still a perfectly legal investment.

The secretary of state crushed the hopes of another 30 extremist groups Wednesday by announcing that it's illegal to offer them money or other "material support". (You can still send them medicines or religious items). The list, mandated by last year's anti-terrorism law and required by Congress, includes Peru’s Shining Path, the Khmer Rouge, Basque separatists, a whole raft of Palestinian groups and even a couple of Jewish ones.

The Irish Republicans, however, got a reprieve: Albright acknowledged their "strong documented history" of shootings, bombings and kneecappings, but decided to "keep it under active review" in the wake of the current ceasefire. Couldn't be anything to do with all those votes Ted Kennedy gets from shaking hands with Gerry Adams, could it?