III
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 457
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 1, 2006
Mr. Vitter (for himself, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Craig, and Mr. Isakson) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the citizens of the United States and the United States Government have serious concerns regarding the release of convicted terrorist and murderer Mohammad Ali Hammadi by the Government of Germany.
Whereas, although the Government of Germany has been a significant partner in combating international terrorism, their release of Mohammad Ali Hammadi was a grave and unfortunate mistake;
Whereas, in 1985, Mr. Hammadi, along with Hasan Izz-Al-Din, Ali Atwa, and Imad Fayez Mugniyah, hijacked Trans World Airlines Flight 847, and subsequently escaped from the scene of the hijacking;
Whereas United States Navy Petty Officer Robert Dean Stethem was singled out during the hijacking of Trans World Airlines Flight 847 because he was a serviceman of the United States, savagely beaten before being executed, and dumped on the tarmac of Beirut International Airport;
Whereas Petty Officer Stethem was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart and buried at Arlington National Cemetery;
Whereas, in 1987, Mr. Hammadi was arrested at Frankfurt Airport while carrying liquid explosives in his luggage;
Whereas, in 1989, Mr. Hammadi, a Shiite militant from Lebanon, was convicted in a court in Germany for the brutal killing of Petty Officer Stethem and was sentenced to life in prison in Germany;
Whereas, after less than 19 years behind bars Mr. Hammadi was released in December 2005 and flown to Lebanon by the Government of Germany even though the United States does not have an extradition treaty with the Government of Lebanon; and
Whereas the release of Mr. Hammadi came in the face of strong opposition from the United States Government, and Petty Officer Stethem’s parents were not even informed in advance that the killer of their son was to be released; Now, therefore, be it
That it is the sense of the Senate that—
the unfortunate actions of the Government of Germany with respect to Mohammad Ali Hammadi have undermined the joint efforts by the United States Government and the Government of Germany to effectively combat international terrorism;
the early release of Mr. Hammadi sends a signal of weakness to terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and could increase the likelihood of further terrorist attacks against the citizens of Europe and the rest of the world;
the United States Government should continue to call on the Government of Lebanon to hand over Mr. Hammadi and other known terrorists so that they may face trial in the United States;
the United States Government should take all appropriate steps to secure the arrest of Mr. Hammadi and his fellow hijackers and their transfer to the United States for trial; and
the murderers of United States Navy Petty Officer Robert Dean Stethem must be brought to justice, and a clear message must be sent to the international community that the brutal murder of service members or civilians of the United States will neither be tolerated nor forgotten.