Today’s “Golden Fleece Award” goes to the Department of , its Secretary, Michael Chertoff and Secretary of State, Condoleezza “Condi” Rice for their dilligence in maintaining the U.S. Terrorist Watch List

Would it be difficult for you to beleive that a Nobel Peace Prize winner and international symbol of freedom was flagged and put on U.S. terrorist watch lists and needs special permission to visit the USA.? 

Well, it’s true! 

, who spent 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa before becoming the country's first black president.can now add the United States Terroist Watch List on to his resume, an honor I am sure he appreciates i(only because of his amazing sense of humor). 

 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the situation "embarrassing," and some members of Congress vow to fix it.

This honor of residing on the “list” has also been bestowed on other members of South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC), the once-banned anti-Apartheid organization. In the 1970s and '80s, the ANC was officially designated a terrorist group by the country's ruling white minority. Other countries, including the United States, followed suit. 

Because of this, Rice told a Senate committee recently, her department has to issue waivers for ANC members to travel to the USA. 

"This is a country with which we now have excellent relations, South Africa, but it's frankly a rather embarrassing matter that I still have to waive in my own counterpart, the foreign minister of South Africa, not to mention the great leader Nelson Mandela," Rice said. 

"What an indignity," said Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., chairman of the House International Relations Committee. "The ANC set an important example: It successfully made the change from armed struggle to peace. We should celebrate the transformation." 

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says "common sense" suggests Mandela should be removed. He says the issue "raises a troubling and difficult debate about what groups are considered terrorists and which are not." 

Common sense, huh?  

Then how is it that when ANC members apply for visas to the USA, they are flagged for questioning and need a waiver to be allowed in the country. In 2002, former ANC chairman Tokyo Sexwale was denied a visa. In 2007, Barbara Masekela, South Africa's ambassador to the United States from 2002 to 2006, was denied a visa to visit her ailing cousin and didn't get a waiver until after the cousin had died, 

Our goevernment in action…..kind of make you proud. Doesn’t it? 

HERE IS MORE ON THE STORY:

• Nelson Mandela On Terrorist Watch List
• Nelson Mandela and the ANC are on the US terrorist watchlist and ...
• US has Mandela enlisted on terrorist watch list!
• Colbert Report: Terrorist Nelson Mandela