[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 6, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         PROSECUTION OF PERPETRATORS OF GENOCIDE OR WAR CRIMES

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                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 2018

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3851, 
the War Crimes Rewards Expansion Act, which targets perpetrators of 
genocide or war crimes, and commend my friend Virginia Foxx for 
authoring it. The War Crimes Rewards Program, administered by the State 
Department, has helped apprehend perpetrators of atrocity crimes on the 
run from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia 
and the Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. But our current law does not 
explicitly authorize rewards to enable prosecutions in the United 
States or domestic courts in other countries. This bill would make it 
clear rewards can be used to support domestic prosecutions.
  Tribunals like those for the Former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda have 
done yeoman's work and we should continue to support them. That is why 
I have called for the United States to support and help stand up a 
Syria war crimes tribunal. But domestic courts are also essential for 
prosecuting perpetrators. With so many fugitive terrorists who 
committed atrocity crimes in Iraq or Syria, and can be tried in the 
domestic courts of their home country or another country, this 
legislation is especially timely.
  I support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do likewise.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I call on the Senate to finally vote on and 
pass H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and 
Accountability Act.
  This House passed it unanimously last June 6 and the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee unanimously passed it last September 19. The 
Committee Chairman, Senator Corker, has since been holding it hostage 
and will not permit it to proceed to the full Senate for a vote.
  The bill would authorize the State Department and USAID to direct 
some aid to Christians, Yazidis and other religious and ethnic 
minorities targeted for genocide to enable them to survive in their 
ancient homelands. It would enable oversight to ensure the career 
bureaucrats are fully implementing the policy of the Administration and 
provide clear, detailed authorization for appropriations.
  H.R. 390 also authorizes the State Department and USAID to support 
organizations conducting criminal investigations into ISIS perpetrators 
of atrocity crimes and collecting evidence that can be used in domestic 
courts and tribunals. This advances our counter-terrorism initiatives 
and justice for the victims. The House voted on H.R. 390 and the Senate 
should be given the same opportunity.

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