The Nation : Bush Seeks Terrorist Law

Vice President George Bush urged that federal law be changed to give U.S. courts jurisdiction over terrorists who murder or kidnap Americans abroad. “Our laws at home should be equal to the terrorist challenge,” said Bush, who chairs the presidential Task Force on Combatting Terrorism and was in New York to accept an honorary degree from Yeshiva University. “We need to extend the reach of U.S. law to those who would kidnap or murder U.S. citizens overseas.” He said that Congress is currently considering such a change. The question of legal jurisdiction over international terrorists came up recently in the aftermath of the Achille Lauro hijacking, in which an American was killed. Italy is handling the prosecution.