Meng claims victory in effort to stop release of convicted terrorist who murdered U.S. and Israeli diplomat

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, today claimed victory in her effort to block the release of a convicted terrorist jailed in France for the murder of American and Israeli diplomats and the attempted murder of a U.S. Consul General.

Meng, who three months ago urged French officials to not grant freedom to George Ibrahim Abdallah, the former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction (LARF), applauded the French Supreme Court for striking down a ruling to parole him, and send him back to Lebanon.

“George Ibrahim Abdallah deserves to remain in prison for his despicable crimes,” said Meng. “Keeping him behind bars is essential to ensuring that he continues to pay for what he did, and it assures us that he will not resume his acts of terror against the citizens of the United States, Israel, France or any other country. We must continue to stand firm against terrorism and I applaud France’s top court for understanding our concerns.”

Abdallah was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 after being convicted in France for the 1982 murders of U.S. military attaché Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov, as well as the 1984 attempted murder of U.S. Consul General Robert Homme. But last year a French appeals court granted conditional release to Abdallah contingent on his being deported to Lebanon.

Meng sent a letter to the French Ambassador to the United States in January calling on the French government to stop the release, since deportation decisions in France rest with the French Interior Ministry. After French officials declined to deport Abdallah, France’s highest court responsively struck down his conditional release.

Meng amassed a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress to join her letter, securing 21 signatures from both Democrats and Republicans.

The text of the letter is below.

Signatories included: Meng, Frank Wolf (R-VA), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Steve Israel (D-NY), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Bill Johnson (R-OH), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Randy Weber (R-TX), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Lois Frankel (D-FL).

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January 25, 2013

His Excellency Francois Marie Delattre

Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary

Embassy of France

4101 Reservoir Road, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20007

Dear Ambassador Delattre:

We urge the French government not to release George Ibrahim Abdallah, a convicted terrorist who was justly sentenced to life in prison for the murder of an American and an Israeli diplomat.

Abdallah is the former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade, and is responsible for the 1982 murders of U.S. military attaché Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in France, as well as the attempted murder of U.S. Consul General Robert Homme in 1984. For these crimes, he was justly sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987.

Now, however, we understand that a French appeals court has granted Abdallah conditional release, contingent on his being deported to Lebanon. The decision of deportation rests with the French Foreign Ministry; your government has the power to ensure that this terrorist is neither released nor returned to Lebanon.

There can be no compromise with terror, as both our nations have been recently and painfully reminded in North Africa. If Abdallah is released, he could very well resume his acts of terror, and could very well target citizens of France, the United States, and other allied nations. We must stand firm and united against the threat of terrorism. Please ensure that George Ibrahim Abdallah remains in prison for life.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Grace Meng, Frank Wolf, Eliot Engel, Ted Deutch, Henry Waxman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Joseph Crowley, Steve Israel, Gerald Connolly, David Cicilline, Albio Sires, Juan Vargas, Bill Johnson, Trent Franks, Randy Weber, Steven Palazzo, Ken Calvert, Jerrold Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, Jan Schakowsky, Lois Frankel.

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