McCaul Letter to Kerry: Why No Benghazi "Reward for Justice"?

84 House Members Sign McCaul Letter to Secretary Kerry Asking Why Reward is Not Offered for Benghazi Terrorists

WASHINGTON, DC – House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry inquiring as to why the Department of State failed to use its Rewards for Justice Program to help apprehend the terrorists who carried out the attack in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. The letter has 84 cosigners including the chairmen of the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees.

The Rewards for Justice Program,which began in 1984, has paid more than $125 million to more than 80 people who have provided actionable information that put terrorists behind bars or prevented acts of terrorism. The program played a significant role in the arrest of international terrorist Ramzi Yousef, convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and Saddam Hussein’s sons, Uday and Qusay. Earlier this year the President signed into law an expansion of the program due to its success.

“It is hard to understand why the State Department, which describes the Rewards for Justice Program as one of the most valuable assets the government has in fighting terrorism, has failed to use it to help apprehend the terrorists who committed this act,” the letter states. “If catching these terrorists truly is a top priority for the State Department then Secretary Kerry will act immediately and begin using this program today.”

The letter and signatures are located here and text of the letter is provided below:

October 30, 2013

The Honorable John Kerry

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20250

Dear Secretary Kerry:

It has been more than a year since the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the death of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. To date, no terrorist has been captured or held accountable for the heinous attack on innocent lives that fateful day.

President Obama has repeatedly vowed that his administration’s “biggest priority” is to bring these attackers to justice. We are therefore deeply troubled to learn that your department has failed to make available a Reward for Justice for the perpetrators of the Benghazi terrorist attack, in spite of the fact that the State Department’s own website describes the Rewards for Justice program as “one of the most valuable assets the U.S. Government has in the fight against international terrorism.”

As you know, under the Rewards for Justice program, the Secretary of State may offer rewards for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of anyone who plans, commits, or attempts international terrorist acts against U.S. persons or property, that prevents such acts from occurring in the first place, that leads to the location of a key terrorist leader, or that disrupts terrorism financing.

According to your Department, since the inception of the Rewards for Justice program in 1984, the United States has paid more than $125 million to over 80 people who provided credible information that put terrorists behind bars or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide. The program also played a significant role in the arrest of international terrorist Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

We fail to understand how such an important counterterrorism tool could not be used by the administration, when you and the President claim that bringing the assailants to justice is such a high priority. Please explain to us why one of the most valuable assets the U.S. government has in the fight against international terrorism will not help to bring justice the victims of the Benghazi attack, as you have so determined. If the Rewards for Justice program is somehow inadequate and needs reform, we respectfully request that you provide us with your thoughts about how to improve this program so that it may once again be used for its intended purpose. We look forward to your response to this letter.

Sincerely,

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