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August 3, 2001/Av 14, 5761, Vol. 53, No.43
U.S. may reward terrorist info
MATTHEW E. BERGER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON - The State Department is close to publicizing rewards for information leading to the arrests of Palestinians who kill American citizens, according to the U.S. Middle East envoy.
William Burns, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, said the Bush administration has heard complaints from lawmakers and the American Jewish community that Palestinians are the only ones left off a Web site that offers rewards for information on people who have killed American citizens throughout the world.
"The administration shares the concern of many members of Congress and many Americans about the importance of finding a way to address this on the Web site, and we are going to do that," Burns said July 26 to the House International Relations Committee's Middle East panel. "We're looking now at exactly how we do that on the Web site, but we will move ahead and find a way of advertising on the Web site."
He noted that rewards are available for any information that leads to an arrest, whether the accused is listed on the Web site or not.
State Department policy has been to not offer rewards for the death of Americans killed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip because it "would be detrimental to ongoing efforts to capture" suspects "and could increase the danger to American citizens and facilities overseas," according to a department report released in March.
But a State Department spokesman said the policy has led to a "misconception" that the United States is uninterested in the capture of these terrorists.
In his first appearance before the House panel, Burns said he has seen some effort by Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to rein in violence and incitement, but that a lot more needs to be done.
Burns acknowledged that members of the Tanzim - the militia of Arafat's Fatah Party - and Force 17, his presidential guard, are involved in the violence against Israel.
Burns was asked repeatedly whether U.S. funds sent to the West Bank and Gaza go to the Palestinian Authority. He said they do not, but are dispersed by the U.S. Agency for International Development directly to humanitarian projects.
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