[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 732 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 732

 Condemning the release of convicted terrorist Abdel Basset Mohamed al-
       Megrahi from a prison in Scotland to return home to Libya.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 10, 2009

   Mr. Adler of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. Maffei, Mr. Filner, Mr. 
Foster, Mr. Holt, Mr. LoBiondo, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. McMahon, Mr. Patrick J. 
   Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Murphy of New York, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
     Pascrell, Mr. Rothman of New Jersey, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of 
California, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Mr. Teague, Mr. Waxman, 
and Mr. Wolf) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the release of convicted terrorist Abdel Basset Mohamed al-
       Megrahi from a prison in Scotland to return home to Libya.

Whereas, on December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103, from London to New York, was 
        destroyed by a bomb, killing all 259 people on board, 11 civilians on 
        the ground, for a total of 270 people which included 189 people from the 
        United States;
Whereas, on January 31, 2001, Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi was sentenced to 
        life in prison for his participation in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 
        103;
Whereas, on August 20, 2009, the Scottish Government released him on 
        ``compassionate grounds'' to return to Libya due to terminal prostate 
        cancer;
Whereas, on August 20, 2009, the White House expressed deep regret for the 
        decision to release Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi and has stated that 
        he should serve out his sentence in Scotland;
Whereas, on August 20, 2009, the United States Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham 
        Clinton, expressed the United States deep disappointment by the decision 
        of the Scottish Government to release Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi 
        and deepest sympathies to the families of the victims; and
Whereas, on August 21, 2009, the Director of the Federal Bureau of 
        Investigation, Mr. Robert Meuller III, expressed his outrage of the 
        release of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi to the Scottish Justice 
        Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, stating ``Your action in releasing Megrahi 
        is as inexplicable as it is detrimental to the cause of justice. Indeed 
        your action makes a mockery of the rule of law. Your action gives 
        comfort to terrorists around the world who now believe that regardless 
        of the quality of the investigation, the conviction by jury after the 
        defendant is given all due process, and sentence appropriate to the 
        crime, the terrorist will be freed by one man's exercise of 
        `compassion.' Your action rewards a terrorist even though he never 
        admitted to his role in this act of mass murder and even though neither 
        he nor the government of Libya ever disclosed the names and roles of 
        others who were responsible.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns the release of Abdel Basset Mohamed 
        al-Megrahi, who was convicted for participating in the bombing 
        of Pan Am 103, causing the deaths of 270 innocent people, 
        including 189 United States citizens;
            (2) extends deepest sympathies to all the family members of 
        the victims of Pan Am Flight 103;
            (3) recognizes this type of action sends a negative message 
        to terrorists and undermines the judicial system in terrorist 
        convictions;
            (4) expresses concern for the celebration of Abdel Basset 
        Mohamed al-Megrahi's return to Libya because this sends the 
        wrong message to terrorists; and
            (5) urges the Government of Libya to immediately place 
        Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi under house arrest.
                                 <all>