Gary Fitleberg, December 4, 2004

A provision in next year's federal spending bill requires the Justice Department to pursue terrorists who have killed Americans overseas.

The omnibus spending bill, which passed Congress late last month, includes provisions commonly known as the Koby Mandell Act, which transfer responsibility for tracking terrorists who have killed U.S. citizens from the State Department to the Justice Department.

The bill, named in memory of a 13-year-old Israeli-American who was killed by a Palestinian mob in the territories of Judea & Samaria (wrongfully called "West Bank" in 2001, has been strongly backed by several Jewish groups.

Jewish groups have complained that the State Department doesn't do enough to capture and try those who kill Americans in Israel and the alleged Arab "Palestinian" territories (actually the disputed territories biblically, legally, morally and politically belonging to Israel and the Jewish people in which they are willing to give up their "Promised Land" in a land for peace deal).

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2004 Gary Fitleberg