[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 4, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H1491-H1492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SUPPORT THE KOBY MANDELL ACT OF 2003

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bishop of Utah). Under a previous order 
of the House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to speak on a subject that 
is very much on the hearts and minds of the American people, especially 
in these last 18 to 20 months, and that is terrorism.
  Terrorism is the deliberate use of violence against civilians for the 
purpose of achieving a political end. Terrorism is very much on the 
front page of our newspapers, but it is not new to America at all. 
Terrorism has historical consequences, it has human consequences, and 
we must make sure that it has future punitive consequences as well.
  This week we commemorate a sad anniversary, the 30th anniversary of 
the terrorist slaughter of two leading diplomats of our Nation. Thirty 
years ago this week, a group of Palestinian-based terrorists burst into 
the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, and held captive a group 
of diplomats, including some Americans. Evidence would suggest that 
upon orders from the leader of what was then known as the Palestinian 
Liberation Organization, what is now known as the Palestinian 
Authority, Mr. Arafat, a decision was made by these terrorists to first 
torture and then execute two American diplomats.
  According to a National Security Agency report at the time, the 
murders were carried out by members of the Palestinian terrorist group 
known as Black September. According to a CIA report at that time, Black 
September was a cover term for Mr. Arafat's Fattah movement, and the 
murders were carried out at his orders.
  This has very human consequences. Two diplomats serving their country 
who were murdered 30 years ago need to be remembered.
  Cleo Noel was a native of Oklahoma. He graduated from the University 
of Missouri, earned his masters degrees from the University of Missouri 
and Harvard; and he had a distinguished career in the State Department.
  The other murdered diplomat was George Moore, a native of Ohio who 
graduated from the University of Southern California where he also 
earned a masters degree. Mr. Moore also had a distinguished career with 
the State Department, and in fact was the highest-ranking African 
American in the Foreign Service at the time of his murder.
  Terrorism must have future punitive consequences. Our Nation has been 
awakened to this great threat. Very recently on the 20th of February of 
this year the Justice Department achieved a major victory in our war on 
terrorism when it issued indictments for eight members of a terrorist 
organization known as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a group 
responsible for the murder of at least 100 civilians.
  But we must have a more systematic approach to be successful in 
finding and bringing to American justice those who commit these acts of 
terror. The murderers of Cleo Noel and George Moore have never faced 
American justice over these last 30 years for the terrorism that they 
committed.
  In order to give us more opportunity, more authority, to wage this 
war on terrorism, I have introduced the Koby Mandell Act of 2003, named 
after an American citizen whose life was snuffed out while outside of 
our country in Israel.
  The purpose of this legislation is to create within the Department of 
Justice a permanent unit that will aggressively seek out those who have 
committed acts of terror against American citizens, wherever they 
happen to be in the world, so that American citizens can enjoy the 
protection of our law enforcement system wherever they may travel, most 
particularly in cases where the host countries are unwilling or unable 
to properly administer justice to those who commit such acts of 
atrocity.
  This was the case in the case of our two martyred diplomats. The 
Government of Sudan released them very shortly after their arrest. They 
were turned over to what was then called the Palestinian Liberation 
Organization, and nothing happened: no trial, no meaningful 
prosecution, no punishment. The word went out that the price of an 
American life, the price of a life of an American diplomat, was 
nothing.
  We believe differently. We respect the value of every human life, of 
every person of every country. We understand our obligation and our 
responsibility to stand forward and protect the lives of the people who 
have entrusted us with the governance of this Nation.

[[Page H1492]]

  In cases where other nations are unwilling to mete out justice, we 
must do so. I would urge my colleagues to enlist as cosponsors of this 
important legislation.

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