Benjamin Gilman: “H.R. 4660 sends the following message to terrorists and war criminals: ``You can run, but you cannot hide.'' Following…”

“H.R. 4660 sends the following message to terrorists and war criminals: ``You can run, but you cannot hide.'' Following the bombings of our embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, we must review the State rewards program. To date, the program is an unqualified success. Using these rewards, the U.S. Government captured terrorists like Ramsi Yousef, the mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing, and Mir Amal Kasi, who murdered two people outside of the CIA headquarters in 1993. Currently, we have an outstanding reward of $2 million to bring Haroun Fazil back dead or alive for the recent U.S. embassy bombings. And, Mr. Speaker, I am holding up the wanted poster for Fazil here in my hand, printed by the State Department and distributed throughout the world, along with reward matchbook covers, that resulted in the capture of a prior criminal. We last set the levels of these rewards back in 1989, and they are currently capped at $2 million. Last month, FBI Director Freeh testified before the Senate that the cap on rewards should be raised. Former CIA Director Woolsey noted that the architect of the embassy bombings, the very wealthy Bin Laden, could ``see our $2 million bet and raise it'' more than once. And we agree with that. The bill before the House raises the total amount available for rewards from $5 million to $10 million, and increases the cap from $2 million to $5 million.”