IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 250

Condemning the terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Israel, 

urging strengthened efforts in the fight against terrorism, and calling 

upon the Palestinian Authority to take effective action against terrorism. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2003

Mr. LANTOS (for himself and Mr. BLUNT) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION

Condemning the terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Israel, urging strengthened efforts in the fight 

against terrorism, and calling upon the Palestinian Authority to take effective action against terrorism.

Whereas al-Qaeda and organized terrorism remain a primary 

threat to the civilized world, as demonstrated by the 14 

murderous attacks carried out in little over a week by 

suicide bombers and car-bombers in the Middle East that 

resulted in 87 dead, including at least 7 Americans, and 

nearly 400 wounded; 

Whereas these attacks demonstrate the deadly and evil persistence of organized terrorism aimed at civilized values; 

Whereas the May 12 attacks in Riyadh underscore once again 

the intimate relationship between al-Qaeda and Saudi so-
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ciety, which continues to incubate the hate and religious 

fanaticism that spawns terrorism; 

Whereas Israel and Israelis were victimized by 5 Palestinian 

suicide bombings within 48 hours, and this most recent 

wave of anti-Israeli suicide bombings which began just 

before Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas held 

their first-ever summit and continued thereafter, and this 

most recent wave of Palestinian terrorism was clearly and 

perversely intended both to shed innocent Israeli blood 

and to use these acts of murder to undermine Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and the fledgling Abbas government; 

Whereas the coincidence of the suicide bombings and the 

Sharon-Abbas summit demonstrate once again that there 

can be no serious peace effort until Palestinian terrorism 

is ended; 

Whereas the unconscionable rise of Palestinian terrorism 

since September 2000 has been, in significant part, a result of Yasir Arafat’s cynical manipulation, and he has 

opposed and continues to oppose all serious efforts to 

combat violence and terrorism and to achieve internal 

Palestinian reform, including reform of the Palestinian 

security services; and

Whereas Arafat seeks international contacts and legitimacy 

for the sake of undermining Palestinian efforts to reform, 

to fight violence and terrorism, and to achieve peace with 

Israel: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) condemns in the harshest terms the recent 

3 wave of terrorism in the Middle East, including the 
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1 bombings of May 12 in Saudi Arabia, May 17 in 

2 Morocco, and May 17–19 in Israel, the West Bank, 

3 and Gaza; 

4 (2) expresses deepest condolences to the fami5 lies, relatives, and friends of the victims; 

6 (3) commits to strengthening United States ef7 forts in the global war against terrorism; 

8 (4) urges all states, including those in the Arab 

9 world, to intensify their anti-terrorist efforts, espe10 cially their anti-terrorist cooperation with the United 

11 States; 

12 (5) declares that it is imperative that Saudi 

13 Arabia, in particular, fully cooperate with all United 

14 States anti-terrorist investigations and other such 

15 efforts, that it cease the preaching of anti-Western, 

16 anti-U.S., anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and anti17 Israeli hatred in its schools, media, and mosques, 

18 and that it block all funding of Islamic terrorist 

19 groups by Saudi nationals; 

20 (6) concludes that murderous attacks in Israel, 

21 the West Bank, and Gaza, including suicide bomb22 ings, perpetrated by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic 

23 Jihad, al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, and other terrorist 

24 organizations are fully part of a global terrorist cam25 paign; 
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1 (7) affirms that there can be no progress to2 ward Middle East peace until the Palestinian Au3 thority takes decisive action against terrorism; 

4 (8) emphasizes that the recent suicide bombings 

5 in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza highlight the ur6 gent need for Palestinian Authority Prime Minister 

7 Abbas immediately to begin to demonstrate his de8 termination and ability effectively to fight terrorism; 

9 (9) underscores that the peace process, as based 

10 on the ‘‘roadmap’’ or any other conceivable docu11 ment or methodology, will only progress if it is per12 formance-based without regard to arbitrary 

13 timelines; 

14 (10) urges diplomats, officials, and other rep15 resentatives of ‘‘the Quartet,’’ meaning the Euro16 pean Union, Russia, and the United Nations, as well 

17 as the United States, in order most effectively to 

18 serve the causes of Palestinian internal reform, anti19 terrorism efforts, and peace with Israel, to direct its 

20 official contacts with the Palestinians solely through 

21 the Palestinian Authority prime minister and his au22 thorized representatives; and 

23 (11) further urges diplomats, officials, and 

24 other representatives of the Quartet to avoid any 
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1 further direct communication or meetings with Yasir 

2 Arafat.

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