Palestinian "Militants": Freedom Fighters, Terrorists or Just Murderers-for-Hire

Last week I mentioned that Abbas had given budgetary approval for assistance to the families of suicide bombers. Today on The Corner, Andrew McCarthy--a former federal prosecutor--takes a look at an article on Arutz7 and gives a quick evalution of the legal implications:

There is no question that this is murder-for-hire. Under our federal murder-for-hire statute (18 USC 1959, called "violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity"), such a murder includes one committed "for the receipt of, or as consideration for a promise or agreement to pay, anything of value[.] …" For a killing to be a murder-for-hire, there is no requirement that the thing of value even be money, much less that it be paid directly to the person who carries out the murder. (Federal law requires the "thing of value" to be provided by a racketeering organization because the feds can't prosecute murder unless they have some federal jurisdictional hook, like racketeering, drugs, or victims who are federal employees. State murder-for-hire statutes contain no such limitations.)

Pity that McCarthy is talking only about American law, and not international law--although it is not as if you could take such an issue to The International Court of Justice, which has thus far not shown itself to be all that concerned with the families of the actual victims.

In a less legal vein McCarthy adds:

And Abbas is supposed to be the "good guy" we prefer to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad? Great.

For the millionth time I ask – as we preside, day-by-day, over the creation of a terrorist state on Israel's doorstep – what ever happened to the Bush Doctrine? What ever happened to "You're with us or you're with the terrorists"? Why are we subsidizing the Palestinian Authority?

Jonah Goldberg adds a comment by a reader:

As the article that Jonah linked to also has the following paragraph: "The budget of the Palestinian Authority is largely subsidized by grants from European nations and the United States. " Do the math. My tax dollars subsidizing terrorism.

I haven't seen anywhere where President Bush has responded to Abbas' new Murder-For-Hire program, but he did speak today in Philadelphia on the "War on Terror." He is talking about Iraq of course, and did not mention Abbas or the Palestinian Arabs--but he did mention Israel in passing:

So the fundamental question is, do we have the confidence and universal values to help change a troubled part of the world. If you're a supporter of Israel, I would strongly urge you to help other countries become democracies. Israel's long-term survival depends upon the spread of democracy in the Middle East. I recognize people have -- (applause) -- I fully recognize that some say it's impossible, that maybe only a certain kind of people can be -- can accept democracy. I just -- I reject that. I don't agree with that. I believe democracy -- the desire to be free is universal. That's what I believe. And if you believe that, then you've got to act on it. That doesn't mean militarily. But that means using the influence of the United States to work with others to help -- to help freedom spread.

OK, so "Israel's long-term survival depends upon the spread of democracy in the Middle East."--but who could possibly compare Iraq with Abbas' thugocracy?

Remember the debate about what kind of government would be best for Iraq and whether it was really ready for democracy?
Does anyone recall any parallel debate, discussion, or concern about the PA?

The US is determined that Baathist loyalists to Hussein should be marginalized.
But Abbas is going to have a regular family get-together of armed terrorists in the upcoming elections--BYOB (Bring Your Own Bombs).

Iraq's constitution has been carefully crafted and voted upon.
But according to the Fateh Constitution, one of the methods of achieving its goal is:

Article (22) Opposing any political solution offered as an alternative to demolishing the Zionist occupation in Palestine, as well as any project intended to liquidate the Palestinian case or impose any international mandate on its people.

I imagine that might put a damper on the enthusiasm to actually keep agreements like Oslo, Oslo II, and the Road Map.

Isn't it about time the Palestinians join the rest of the world and get themselves a real constitution?

And isn't it time the US put it's money where its mouth is--not in the pockets of the families of suicide bombers and unrepentant murderers, but in taking Abbas and his crew by the scruff of the neck and start them on the way to keeping their agreements and obligations?

It's a novel and apparently unpopular idea.

See also: Reaction to Terrorism: PA Compensates Families--of Terrorists

Technorati Tag: Israel and Palestinians.