[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 118 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 118

    To condemn the release by the Government of Malta of convicted 
                     terrorist Mohammed Ali Rezaq.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 8, 1993

   Mr. Lantos (for himself and Mr. Bereuter) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    To condemn the release by the Government of Malta of convicted 
                     terrorist Mohammed Ali Rezaq.

Whereas on November 23, 1985, terrorists hijacked Egypt Air flight 648 and 
        diverted it to Malta;
Whereas during the hijacking, 60 people were killed, including citizens of 12 
        countries;
Whereas one of those killed by the terrorists was Scarlett Rogenkamp of 
        Oceanside, California, who was one of 5 women, including 3 United States 
        citizens, who were shot in the head;
Whereas after investigations, Mohammed Ali Rezaq, a suspected member of the Abu 
        Nidal Organization, was tried and convicted in Malta on a variety of 
        charges related to the hijacking, including the willful homicide of 
        Scarlett Rogenkamp and others, and he was sentenced to a prison term of 
        25 years;
Whereas the Government of Malta assured the United States Government in 1992 
        that Rezaq would remain in prison until 1996;
Whereas the United States Government learned in February 1993 that the 
        Government of Malta had, without notice to the United States and other 
        interested parties, reduced Rezaq's sentence and planned to release him 
        that month;
Whereas the United States Government and the governments of other countries 
        whose citizens were killed in the hijacking of Egypt Air flight 648 
        repeatedly urged the Government of Malta to retain Rezaq in custody or 
        make arrangements for him to be tried elsewhere;
Whereas on February 12, 1993, because of concern that Rezaq could be released, 
        the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued an 
        arrest warrant for Rezaq, and this warrant was provided to the 
        Government of Malta in the hope that the Government of Malta would 
        continue to detain him;
Whereas the Government of Malta brushed aside the requests that had been made by 
        the governments of the United States and other countries and allowed 
        Rezaq, in the company of an official of the Government of Malta, to fly 
        to another country without notice; and
Whereas these actions by the Government of Malta undermine the efforts to deter 
        international terrorists by letting them go free without serving their 
        sentences: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns the release by the Government of 
        Malta of convicted terrorist Mohammed Ali Rezaq;
            (2) believes such action seriously undermines the efforts 
        to foster good relations between Malta and the United States 
        and undermines the international and United States efforts to 
        discourage and deter international terrorism;
            (3) urges all governments to cooperate in extraditing Rezaq 
        either to the United States or to another concerned country in 
        order that he may face additional criminal charges for his 
        involvement in the Egypt Air hijacking and the murder of 
        innocent civilians;
            (4) urges all governments to abide by the rule of law and 
        not provide safe haven to terrorists in order that terrorism 
        will be met with the full force of justice and that terrorists 
        will not escape being held accountable; and
            (5) urges the President to review the United States 
        relationship with Malta, including foreign assistance and 
        economic relations.
    Sec. 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit a 
copy of this resolution to the Secretary of State with a request that 
the Secretary transmit a copy of this resolution to the Government of 
Malta.

                                 <all>