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SENATORS RELEASE STATEMENT ON OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HANDING HEZBOLLAH TERRORIST OVER TO IRAQI GOVERNMENT
December 16, 2011
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today released the following statement on the Obama Administration’s decision to hand over to the Iraqi government Ali Musa Daqduq, a Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist believed to be responsible for the deaths of at least five U.S. servicemen in Iraq:
“It is disgraceful that Ali Musa Daqduq, a Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist believed to be responsible for the deaths of at least five U.S. servicemen in Iraq, will be handed over to the Iraqi government, rather than transferred to the custody of the United States to stand trial for his crimes in a military tribunal under the laws of war. Coming on the heels of the Administration's failure to maintain a small American military presence in Iraq to support the fragile peace there, this failure to keep a committed murderer of Americans in U.S. custody sends exactly the wrong message to our allies and enemies in the region.
“The real test regarding Daqduq was not whether the United States should violate our security agreement with Iraq in order to maintain custody of him outside of the country. The real test was whether the United States could exercise our influence effectively with the Iraqi government to ensure that a committed killer of Americans would be held accountable for his crimes in the U.S. system of justice. The Administration has clearly failed that test. As a result, we are deeply concerned that Daqduq will never have to answer for his involvement in killing U.S. citizens, that he could be released from Iraqi custody for political reasons, and that he would then return to the fight against the United States and our friends.”
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