William Luther: “This bill, Mr. Speaker, adds a new authority to the current program of paying rewards for information leading to the…”

“This bill, Mr. Speaker, adds a new authority to the current program of paying rewards for information leading to the arrest of terrorist and narcotics suspects. It would allow the Secretary of State to pay rewards for war criminals who are the subject of an indictment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The bill is an important contribution to the efforts of the United States and its NATO allies to move forward on the difficult issues of Bosnia peace implementation. We know that the arrest of major figures who have been indicted by the war crimes tribunal has gone slowly. We need to help energize that process. Offering rewards for information leading to the arrest of war criminals in the former Yugoslavia will, hopefully, give some incentive to those who, until now, have been wavering about offering information. The arrest of these war criminals may not be the solution in itself to the success of the Dayton peace process, but it would be an important step in the right direction in moving the Dayton peace process forward. Mr. Speaker, I support this important bill and I urge its adoption.”