- The U.S. administration has reservations about an Israeli
proposal for an international treaty against suicide bombing. American
officials believe the struggle against suicide bombing is covered by existing
international anti-terrorism treaties, and the Israeli proposal imposes
excessive restrictions on the freedom of expression.
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- Foreign Ministry legal adviser Alan Baker, who initiated
drafting the new treaty, met American officials in Washington two weeks
ago and was asked about the proposal. Jerusalem is waiting for the U.S.'s
final answer, and meanwhile has postponed presenting the document to other
governments who have expressed an interest in it, like Russia, Turkey,
India, Australia and Norway.
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- The new treaty was intended to cover a "legal void"
in current international anti-terrorist agreements that deal with the terrorists
themselves, but not with their collaborators. The draft defines inciting
suicide attacks or assisting the bombers as an international crime and
forbids economic support to the suicide bombers' families.
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- The American administration had difficulty accepting
the clauses regarding banning incitement and aggrandizing the names of
the suicide bombers, since they clash with the U.S. Constitution's first
amendment, which ensures freedom of expression.
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