[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5] [Senate] [Page 6592] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]GERMAN RELEASE OF MOHAMMAD ALI HAMMADI Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 457, which was submitted earlier today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 457) 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. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution. Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I rise in support of S. Res. 457, expressing the Senate's disappointment with the government of Germany concerning their release of convicted terrorist and murderer Mohammad Ali Hammadi. The German government in December of 2005 released Mohammad Ali Hammadi, a Hezbollah leader who killed U.S. Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem in the June 1985 Hezbollah hijacking of TWA Flight 847. Coincidentally, a few days later Susanne Osthoff, a German hostage was released. Mr. Stethem was savagely beaten and then executed for refusing the demands of his hijackers. Hammadi and his fellow terrorists escaped, but Hammadi was eventually arrested in Germany in 1987 for traveling with liquid explosives and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Mr. Stethem. Hammadi's other accomplices are still part of the FBI's most wanted list and have a 15 million dollar bounty on their heads. The German government released Hammadi despite a U.S. request for his extradition to face numerous charges of terrorism. He was sentenced to life yet only served 18 years. Furthermore, despite our longstanding agreement to honor each others' extradition requests the German government flew Hammadi to Lebanon to reunite with his brothers who are senior Hezbollah leaders. The Germans did this despite knowing the United States does not have an extradition treaty with the government of Lebanon. Sadly, the family of United States Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem was not notified in advance of Mr. Hammadi's release. Mr. Stethem is an American hero who was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He also has a United States Navy ship named in his honor called the USS Stethem. We should continue to call on Lebanon to hand over Hammadi and other wanted terrorists to face trial in the United States, and we urge Lebanon to comply with such requests in order to help foster better relations between the United States and Lebanon. While the United States should continue to assist Lebanon in democratic reform initiatives, we must see results in denying refuge to some of the world's most wanted terrorists. The people of Lebanon have made great strides in recent times but the government of Lebanon must understand that continuing to harbor terrorists will only further isolate them from the international community and put future financial aid in doubt. The murderers of Robert Stethem must be brought to justice, and a clear message must be sent that the brutal murder of American service members or civilians will neither be tolerated nor forgotten. Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The resolution (S. Res. 457) was agreed to. The preamble was agreed to. The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows: S. Res. 457 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 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that-- (1) 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; (2) 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; (3) 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; (4) 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 (5) 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. ____________________