[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 44 (Monday, November 5, 2001)]
[Page 1561]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
 Message to the Congress Transmitting Proposed Legislation for the 
Implementation of the International Convention for the Suppression of 
Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression 
of the Financing of Terrorism

 October 25, 2001

 To the Congress of the United States:

     Enclosed for the consideration of the Congress is a legislative 
proposal to implement the International Convention for the Suppression 
of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the 
Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Also enclosed is a detailed 
explanation of the bill's provisions.
     Title I of the bill is entitled the ``Terrorist Bombings Convention 
Implementation Act of 2001.'' It would implement the International 
Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, which was signed 
by the United States on January 12, 1998, and which was transmitted to 
the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification on September 8, 
1999. In essence, the Convention imposes binding legal obligations upon 
State Parties either to submit for prosecution or to extradite any 
person within their jurisdiction who unlawfully and intentionally 
delivers, places, discharges, or detonates an explosive or other lethal 
device in, into, or against a place of public use, a State or government 
facility, a public transportation system, or an infrastructure facility. 
A State Party is subject to these obligations without regard to the 
place where the alleged act covered by the Convention took place. 
Twenty-eight States are currently party to the Convention, which entered 
into force internationally on May 23, 2001.
     Title II of the bill is entitled the ``Suppression of the Financing 
of Terrorism Convention Implementation Act of 2001.'' It would implement 
the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of 
Terrorism, which was signed by the United States on January 10, 2000, 
and which was transmitted to the Senate for its advice and consent to 
ratification on October 12, 2000. The Convention imposes binding legal 
obligations upon State Parties either to submit for prosecution or to 
extradite any person within their jurisdiction who unlawfully and 
wilfully provides or collects funds with the intention that they should 
be used to carry out various terrorist activities. A State Party is 
subject to these obligations without regard to the place where the 
alleged act covered by the Convention took place. The Convention is not 
yet in force internationally, but will enter into force on the thirtieth 
day following the date of the deposit of the twenty-second instrument of 
ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession with the Secretary 
General of the United Nations.
     I urge the prompt and favorable consideration of this proposal.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 October 25, 2001.

  Note:  This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on October 26. This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue. An original was not available for verification of the 
content of this message.