29 October 2001

Bush Urges Implementation of Anti-Terrorism Conventions

President Bush is urging the House of Representatives to pass legislation to implement two conventions aimed at battling international terrorism, according to his October 25 letter to the House.

The measure would implement the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

The House of Representatives took up the President's message on October 29 and referred it to the House Judiciary Committee.

President Bush said Title I of the proposed Act, dealing with terrorist bombings, would implement the Convention that 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."

Title II of the bill, dealing with the financing of international terrorism, would implement the Convention that requires signatories to either "submit for prosecution" or "extradite any person within their jurisdiction" who "unlawfully and willfully provides or collects funds" with the intention that those funds be used for terrorist activities.

Following is the text of the October 25 message from President Bush to the House of Representatives on the anti-terrorism legislation:

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message from the President of the United States; which was read and, together with the accompanying papers, without objection, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and ordered to be printed:

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.

Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism Title II of the bill is entitled the "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 willfully 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.