Message to the Congress Transmitting Proposed Legislation for the Implementation of the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Nov 5, 2001

October 25, 2001

To the Congress of the United States:

Enclosed for the consideration of the Congress is a legislative proposal to implement the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Also enclosed is a detailed explanation of the bill's provisions.

Title I of the bill is entitled the "Terrorist Bombings Convention Implementation Act of 2001." It would implement the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, which was signed by the United States on January 12, 1998, and which was transmitted to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification on September 8, 1999. In essence, the Convention imposes binding legal obligations upon State Parties either to submit for prosecution or to extradite any person within their jurisdiction who unlawfully and intentionally delivers, places, discharges, or detonates an explosive or other lethal device in, into, or against a place of public use, a State or government facility, a public transportation system, or an infrastructure facility. A State Party is subject to these obligations without regard to the place where the alleged act covered by the Convention took place. Twenty-eight States are currently party to the Convention, which entered into force internationally on May 23, 2001.

Title II of the bill is entitled the "Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism Convention Implementation Act of 2001." It would implement the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, which was signed by the United States on January 10, 2000, and which was transmitted to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification on October 12, 2000. The Convention imposes binding legal obligations upon State Parties either to submit for prosecution or to extradite any person within their jurisdiction who unlawfully and wilfully provides or collects funds with the intention that they should be used to carry out various terrorist activities. A State Party is subject to these obligations without regard to the place where the alleged act covered by the Convention took place. The Convention is not yet in force internationally, but will enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of the deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or acce ssion with the Secretary General of the United Nations.

I urge the prompt and favorable consideration of this proposal.

George W. Bush

The White House, October 25, 2001.

NOTE: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on October 26. This item was not received in time for publication in the appropriate issue. An original was not available for verification of the content of this message.