Israel Matzav

Why doesn't the US take care of its own?

In today's New York Sun, Rick Richman updates the status of the 'investigation' into the murder of three Americans - John Branchizio, Mark Parsons, and John Linde - by 'Palestinian' terrorists in 2003.

On December 28, 2006, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request asking the State Department for all documents regarding the murder of Branchizio, Parsons, and Linde. I sought expedited processing, as a press requester seeking information about an issue of current concern.

The Department denied expedited treatment. They provided a few documents in July and said the search for records in the Tel Aviv Embassy was "continuing." As of last week, it was still continuing, as was a "review" of some documents located elsewhere.

Even a request from a member of Congress has received no response. On September 6, 2007, Rep. William Pascrell of New Jersey, acting on behalf of Mark Parsons' brother — whose own 2005 FOIA request received an unsatisfactory reply — sent a letter to Ms. Rice, urging her to "bring the full weight of the Department of State to bear in this case." As of last week, the Department had not replied.

It has been more than four years since Americans on State Department business were murdered in Gaza; more than three years since Musa Arafat said the PA knew who organized it; and nearly three years since Mr. Abbas assured Secretary Rice that the killers would be brought to justice. In response to that broken promise, the State Department appears to have done nothing.

On the contrary, American aid to Palestinians increased — with another half a billion dollars on tap. Dismantlement of terrorist groups and infrastructure — the explicit precondition to final status negotiations under the "Performance-Based Roadmap" — was waived to "accelerate" Phase III. After four years, the conclusion seems obvious: the Palestinians got away with murder.

I can only wonder why. Why is the State Department apparently indifferent to who murdered its own employees? Why does the United States government not demand answers from the 'Palestinian Authority'? Why does it continue to fund the 'Palestinian Authority' as if the PA were completely innocent?

But it's worse. Here's what I wrote about this story in October:

I have stated in several posts whom I believe to be responsible for the murders - Muhammed Dahlan and his deputy Rashid Abu Shbak. The same two terrorists were responsible for the attack on an Israeli school bus near Kfar Darom in November 2000, which was a similar attack. Just yesterday I reported that the United States was pressuring 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen to appoint Dahlan as his deputy with a view to eventually making Dahlan the leader of the 'Palestinian Authority.'

There's a bill before Congress to require Secretary of State Rice to report on what's being done to investigate these murders. The bill passed the House in July, but it still has not come before the Senate. Does anyone know why? Does anyone care? Or are Branchizio, Parsons and Linde destined to be 'sacrifices for peace'?

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:09 AM