[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 14 (Friday, February 6, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E124-E125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     THE COUNTER-TERRORIST AND NARCO-TERRORIST REWARDS PROGRAM ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 6, 2004

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, today I am very pleased to introduce, along 
with Tom Lantos, the Ranking Democratic member of the House 
International Relations Committee, and my colleague from Illinois, Mark 
Steven Kirk, a bill, the ``Counter-Terrorist and Narco-Terrorist

[[Page E125]]

Rewards Program Act.'' This bill makes some major changes and 
modifications to the long-established U.S. State Department Rewards 
Program.
  The State Department Rewards Program has clearly prevented acts of 
terrorism in the past, has helped bring to justice long-sought 
terrorists, such as the individual who fled to Pakistan after 
assassinating our CIA employees in Virginia, and has served as a 
valuable intelligence and information tool in the global war on 
terrorism. The Rewards Program could do even more, if we enact this 
bill, with its reforms.
  After our experience with the efforts to date to capture Osama bin 
Laden and to reinvigorate and expand the reach and flexibility of the 
Terrorist Rewards Program, it's time for a renewed, expanded reward 
authority in the State Department, one that tackles and contends with 
the growing links, as recently reported in the press, of the illicit 
drug trade and the financing of terrorism. Our global terrorist enemies 
may very well be changing their methods and means, and we need to be 
even more flexible and creative than they are.
  Our statutory changes to the State Department Rewards Program, 22 
U.S.C. 2708, as proposed in this bill, would be as follows:
  First, a name change, so that the program is hereafter known as the 
``Terrorism and Narco-Terrorism'' Rewards Program, reflecting the 
growing links between illicit drugs and the financing of terrorism, 
whether in places like Colombia, Afghanistan, or others around the 
globe.
  Second, clarification that any information provided that disrupts the 
terrorist financing networks, including information related to illicit 
narcotics production or international trafficking, is eligible for 
reward monies. This information need not be tied to any specific act of 
terrorism, as the State Department now seems to require before any 
reward for information on illicit drugs can be paid out. We need 
clarity in the law concerning any link in illicit drugs to terrorism, 
and more explicit authority for the State Department to pay rewards to 
those pursuing or reporting the drugs that ``support'' or help 
``sustain'' global terrorism.
  Third, added flexibility in the forms of payment, by providing 
authority for the Secretary of State to give rewards other than money 
for useful information related to terrorism and drugs related to 
terrorism, such as vehicles, appliances, commodities, and other goods 
and services. In places like Afghanistan, a motorcycle or transport 
vehicle may be just as valuable as cash in gaining cooperation in the 
fight against terrorists. The changes more clearly authorize this new 
kind of reward.

  Fourth, added authority for the Secretary of State to conduct media 
surveys, analyses of media markets and the best means of communication, 
as well as literacy levels of proposed foreign audiences for the 
Department's reward efforts. We create the authority to find the best 
means to get rewards messages out for widest dissemination and effect. 
We also add authority to create media ads after market analyses and 
literacy level analyses has been completed.
  Fifth, in addition, clear authority is given for the Secretary of 
State to buy radio, TV, and newspaper ads, and procure any other media 
means abroad, including public service announcements for the rewards 
program. For example, the match books and wanted posters we have used 
in the effort to find Osama Bin Laden may be of limited value in some 
rural areas of Pakistan or Afghanistan where there is 30 percent 
literacy, but a BBC radio slot with a rewards offer might just reach 
the audience we need. The authority is now there to pursue greater 
exposure for these rewards.
  Sixth, statutory change is made to reflect a current optional reward 
set administratively for Osama bin Laden at $25 million today. Current 
law is raised by the bill from $5 million to $25 million for these 
terrorist and narco-terrorist rewards. We also provide the Secretary of 
State the added option to raise to a maximum of $50 million the reward 
for Osama bin Laden, if events warrant it and it might facilitate his 
capture. Bin Laden deserves such a high price on his head, and we would 
welcome the chance to pay this amount for the capture of this global 
terrorist.
  Seventh, finally, we require, 90 days after enactment, that the 
administration submit a plan to the Congress that maximizes the 
publicity surrounding the reward for Osama bin Laden's capture.
  The bill's text follows, and I asked that it be included in the 
Record with these introductory remarks as well.
       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Counter-Terrorist and Narco-
     Terrorist Rewards Program Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF STATE COUNTER-TERRORIST AND NACRO-
                   TERRORIST REWARDS PROGRAM.

       (a) Program Name.--Section 36 of the State Department Basic 
     Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708) is amended--
       (1) in the section heading by inserting ``COUNTER-TERRORIST 
     AND NARCO-TERRORIST'' after ``STATE''; and
       (2) in subsection (a)(1) by adding at the end the following 
     new sentence: ``The program shall be known as the `Department 
     of State Terrorist and Narco-Terrorist Rewards Program'.''.
       (b) Disruption of Terrorist Financing Network.--Subsection 
     (b) of such section is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (5) by striking ``or'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (6) by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(7) the disruption of financial mechanisms of a terrorist 
     organization, including the use by the organization of 
     illicit narcotics production or international narcotics 
     trafficking--
       ``(A) to finance acts of international terrorism; or
       ``(B) to sustain or support any terrorist organization.''.
       (c) Maximum Amount of Reward.--Subsection (e)(1) of such 
     section is amended--
       (1) by striking ``$5,000,000'' and inserting 
     ``$25,000,000'';
       (2) by striking the second period at the end; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``The 
     Secretary may authorize a reward of up to $50,000,000 for the 
     capture or information leading to the capture of Usama bin 
     Laden.''.
       (d) Forms of Reward Payment.--Subsection (e) of such 
     section is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(6) Forms of payment.--The Secretary may make a reward 
     under this section in the form of money, a nonmonetary item 
     (including such items as automotive vehicles), or a 
     combination thereof.''.
       (e) Media Surveys and Advertisements.--Such section is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (i) and (j) as (k) and 
     (l), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (h) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(i) Media Surveys and Advertisements Authorized.--
       ``(1) Surveys conducted.--For the purpose of more 
     effectively disseminating information about the rewards 
     program, the Secretary may use the resources of the rewards 
     program to conduct media surveys, including analyses of media 
     markets, means of communication, and levels of literacy, in 
     countries determined by the Secretary to be associated with 
     acts of international terrorism.
       ``(2) Creation and purchase of advertisements.--After the 
     surveys authorized under paragraph (1) have been conducted 
     and in accordance with their findings, the Secretary may use 
     the resources of the rewards program to create advertisements 
     to disseminate information about the rewards program among 
     populations in countries identified under paragraph (1). The 
     Secretary may purchase radio or television time, newspaper 
     space, or make use of any other means of advertisement, as 
     appropriate.
       ``(3) Advertisement for capture of usama bin laden.--Not 
     later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the 
     Counter-Terrorist and Narco-Terrorist Rewards Program Act, 
     the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on International 
     Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
     on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report documenting a 
     plan to increase advertising to maximize awareness of the 
     reward available for the capture or information leading to 
     the capture of Usama bin Laden.''.

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