Arlen Specter: “If it is in fact true that Chairman Arafat had knowledge of that proposed bombing before it occurred, that would make…”

“If it is in fact true that Chairman Arafat had knowledge of that proposed bombing before it occurred, that would make him an accessory before the fact and a co-conspirator and subject to extradition under the so-called long-arm statutes which we enacted in 1984 and again in 1986. I think that ought to be done. Upon learning about Chairman Arafat's possible knowledge of that bombing, I wrote to the Attorney General, asking for an investigation, received back a vacuous answer from a subordinate, wrote again asking for a detailed investigation, and I am awaiting a response from the Department of Justice on that point. The amendment which I have been considering offering on this bill and may offer on the foreign aid bill would condition payment to the Palestinian Authority on the determination by the Department of Justice that Chairman Arafat was, in fact, not involved, having prior knowledge of the Trade Center bombing.”