America must bring to justice this grinning Palestinian child killer

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) asks the U.S. Attorney General to do his job in relation to Palestinian terrorists with American blood on their hands.

Ahlam Tamimi is proud to be a killer

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and his Department of Justice don’t have a particularly strong track record of enforcing all existing American laws – but the U.S. group Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is pressuring Holder to do his job in relation to Palestinian terrorists with American blood on their hands.

Calls for extradition of specific Palestinian terrorists arose after Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by terror organization Hamas, was released in exchange for Israel’s release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. Reports indicate that at least 15 of these 1,027 prisoners are responsible for killing or wounding Americans. Among those 15 criminals is the driver of the 2001 Sbarro pizza bombing, Ahlam Tamimi. She was also involved in intelligence gathering for the massacre and helped with operational planning.

To say Tamimi has expressed no remorse for her actions is almost an understatement. In fact, she has made clear that she would commit acts of terror again. In a recorded interview, Tamimi also grinned and laughed about the fact that her terror attack resulted in the death of 15 civilians, including 2 Americans and 8 children.

The two American victims, by the way, were a 15-year-old named Malki Roth, and a woman named Judith Hayman, pregnant with her first child. Their lives ended suddenly in that pizzeria back in 2001 – while Tamimi now lives as a free woman in Jordan, where she is revered as a hero.

So what could Holder and the Department of Justice do about it? According to the 1991 Anti-Terror Act, the United States may prosecute those who commit acts of terror overseas against Americans, with written permission from the Attorney General. However, despite the fact that a significant number of American citizens have been victims of terror attacks committed by Palestinians, the United States has to date never exercised this power.

This is especially bewildering in light of the fact that there is an entire division within the U.S. Justice Department specifically tasked with tracking down perpetrators of these types of attacks, as its name makes crystal clear: The Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism.

In a press release discussing this matter, ZOA states, “If the Justice Department does not go after the Palestinian Arab terrorists who were recently released and now living in freedom, then it is sending a dangerous and appalling message to victims and their families… that the United States does not value the victims and their families enough to ensure that these criminals are punished and justice is served.”

Serving justice is Holder’s job. By ignoring these attacks, he and his DOJ do the families of the American victims of Palestinian terror a great disservice. Why is the American Attorney General so unwilling to enforce American law? The ZOAis precisely right: it is not only in the interests of justice to extradite these terrorists, but also in the interests of U.S. foreign policy, in order to demonstrate that the United States will stand up for the rights of American citizens wherever they are. That is an assurance all Americans should not have to question.

Seeing as how Holder seems to have a difficult time holding anyone accountable within the United States (Fast and Furious, anyone?), it would be surprising to see him take appropriate action for the disturbing acts of violence beyond its borders. Let’s hope for the sake of those American lives lost to Palestinian terror that we are indeed pleasantly surprised.

Emily Schrader is a researcher for a pro-Israel education organisation and a blogger at www.danareport.com

http://www.thecommentator.com/article/873/america_must_bring_to_justice_this_grinning_pal