IV

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 118

To condemn the release by the Government of Malta of convicted terrorist

Mohammed Ali Rezaq.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 8, 1993

Mr. LANTOS (for himself and Mr. BEREUTER) submitted the following

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

To condemn the release by the Government of Malta of

convicted terrorist Mohammed Ali Rezaq.

Whereas on November 23, 1985, terrorists hijacked Egypt

Air flight 648 and diverted it to Malta;

Whereas during the hijacking, 60 people were killed, including citizens of 12 countries;

Whereas one of those killed by the terrorists was Scarlett

Rogenkamp of Oceanside, California, who was one of 5

women, including 3 United States citizens, who were shot

in the head;

Whereas after investigations, Mohammed Ali Rezaq, a suspected member of the Abu Nidal Organization, was tried

and convicted in Malta on a variety of charges related to

the hijacking, including the willful homicide of Scarlett
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Rogenkamp and others, and he was sentenced to a prison

term of 25 years;

Whereas the Government of Malta assured the United States

Government in 1992 that Rezaq would remain in prison

until 1996;

Whereas the United States Government learned in February

1993 that the Government of Malta had, without notice

to the United States and other interested parties, reduced Rezaq’s sentence and planned to release him that

month;

Whereas the United States Government and the governments

of other countries whose citizens were killed in the hijacking of Egypt Air flight 648 repeatedly urged the Government of Malta to retain Rezaq in custody or make arrangements for him to be tried elsewhere;

Whereas on February 12, 1993, because of concern that

Rezaq could be released, the United States District Court

for the District of Columbia issued an arrest warrant for

Rezaq, and this warrant was provided to the Government

of Malta in the hope that the Government of Malta would

continue to detain him;

Whereas the Government of Malta brushed aside the requests

that had been made by the governments of the United

States and other countries and allowed Rezaq, in the

company of an official of the Government of Malta, to fly

to another country without notice; and

Whereas these actions by the Government of Malta undermine the efforts to deter international terrorists by letting them go free without serving their sentences: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
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1 (1) strongly condemns the release by the Gov2 ernment of Malta of convicted terrorist Mohammed

3 Ali Rezaq;

4 (2) believes such action seriously undermines

5 the efforts to foster good relations between Malta

6 and the United States and undermines the inter7 national and United States efforts to discourage and

8 deter international terrorism;

9 (3) urges all governments to cooperate in extra10 diting Rezaq either to the United States or to an11 other concerned country in order that he may face

12 additional criminal charges for his involvement in

13 the Egypt Air hijacking and the murder of innocent

14 civilians;

15 (4) urges all governments to abide by the rule

16 of law and not provide safe haven to terrorists in

17 order that terrorism will be met with the full force

18 of justice and that terrorists will not escape being

19 held accountable; and

20 (5) urges the President to review the United

21 States relationship with Malta, including foreign as22 sistance and economic relations.

23 SEC. 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives

24 shall transmit a copy of this resolution to the Secretary
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1 of State with a request that the Secretary transmit a copy

2 of this resolution to the Government of Malta.

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