Ed Royce: “I have a colloquy on an amendment I intend to withdraw. Mr. Chairman, we are facing a serious and growing national…”

“I have a colloquy on an amendment I intend to withdraw. Mr. Chairman, we are facing a serious and growing national security threat in central Africa. Rebel groups, long active in the region, have taken on a new form of illicit activity to fill their coffers, and that form is poaching. On the black market, ivory from elephant tusks runs over $1,000 per kilo. Rhino horns are worth more than their weight in gold--$30,000 per pound. The black market for wildlife is now in the league of drug smuggling. The low risk and high reward of poaching makes it ideal for criminal groups, but also for extremist groups. Indeed, groups like the Lord's Resistance Army, which the U.S. military is helping Africans to track down, and the al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab are reaping the benefits by brutally slaughtering these majestic, defenseless animals. These aren't your poor man's poachers either. Many poachers today are outfitted with night-vision goggles and sophisticated GPS equipment. They fly helicopters, slaughtering these endangered species from above. A recent U.N. report cites an increase in advanced weapons used in poaching, which can be traced back to the fall of Qadhafi in Libya.…”