COMPLETE COVERAGE | FRONT LINES | AMERICA AT HOME | INTERACTIVES »

Ashcroft says 46 groups to be designated as terrorist organizations

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Attorney General John Ashcroft said Wednesday he wants the State Department to designate 46 groups as terrorist organizations, a move that he said would help authorities stop terrorists from entering the country and deport any who are already here.

At a news conference, Ashcroft also announced new security measures for the issuance of non-immigrant visas. At times, he said, "security advisory opinions" and background investigations will be solicited in consultation with the State Department, the FBI and CIA before a visa is granted.

"America will not allow terrorists to use our hospitality as a weapon against us," he said.

He also announced that Steven C. McCraw, an FBI agent, will head the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force, which will coordinate the work of several federal agencies to prevent would-be terrorists from entering the country, and tracking down and deporting those who get in.

He also said that aliens who provide material support to terrorist activity will also be barred from entering the country or deported if they are here.

"Just as we welcome America's friends, we will not allow our welcome to be abused by those who are America's enemies," he said.

Speaking to reporters at a separate event, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the "big challenge" to a tighter and more effective immigration policy is crafting up-to-date database that can be accessed by key authorities easily.

"We have to make sure that all derogatory information we have on individuals who might be trying to get into the country are in that database, so that when our consular offices around the world receive a request for a visa and they put it into the database, we check every single name against our databases," Powell said.

The 46 groups cited by Ashcroft include many linked to al Qaeda, the network run by Osama bin Laden.

"All these groups have committed or planned violent terrorist acts or serve as fronts for terrorist organizations. ... Designating these groups as terrorist organizations will enable us to prevent aliens who are affiliated with them from entering the United States. In addition, any aliens who are inadmissible because of their affiliation with these groups at the time they managed to enter our country would also be subject to removal," Ashcroft said.