State Department Praises Palestinians for "Improved" Terror Definition That Doesn't Exist

On June 1, 2016, the US State Department released its annual terrorism report, Country Reports on Terrorism 2015, which lavished praise on the Palestinian Authority for criminalizing the financing of terrorism and defining terrorism. In the words of the report:

"Effective December 30, 2015, President Abbas issued Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Decree #20. Among the many improvements it made over the inadequate 2007 AML law (the Anti-Money Laundering Decree Law #9) was to make terrorism financing a criminal offense and to define terrorists, terrorist acts, terrorist organization..."

The problem? The decree doesn't define terrorism at all. Here's what it actually says in circuitous terms:

"Terrorist: Anyone commits any of the following acts:

1. Commits or attempts to commit, or participates as an accomplice in any terrorist act by any means directly or indirectly; and organizes terrorist acts or directs people to commit terrorist acts

2. Contributes in terrorist acts with a group of persons acting with a common purpose, such contributions shall be willfully made with the aim of enhancing terrorist acts to be made with knowledge of the intention of the group to commit any of the terrorist acts."

"Terrorist organization: Any group of terrorists who commits any of the following acts:

1. Commits or attempts to commit terrorist acts deliberately by any means directly or indirectly; or accomplices in executing or organizing terrorist acts, or directs others to commit terrorist acts.

2. Contributes in committing terrorist acts with a group of people who acting with a common purpose, to contribute in deliberately to affirm the terrorist act or with the knowledge of the intention of group to commit terrorist acts."

"Terrorist Acts: The terrorist Stipulated for in the penal code and any enforced laws in Palestine."

Presumably the State Department doesn't mean by new and improved the Jordanian Penal Code of 1960 (in force for the West Bank)or the British Mandate Penal Code of 1936 (in force for the Gaza Strip) or the Criminal Procedure Law of 2001?

So what are the laws enforced in Palestine? How about the Arab Terrorism Convention, formally ratified by "Palestine". The treaty says: "All cases of struggle by whatever means, including armed struggle, against foreign occupation and aggression for liberation and self-determination, in accordance with the principles of international law, shall not be regarded as an offense."

So not only does the State Department's "improved" Palestinian definition of terrorism not exist, the actual definition of terrorism for Palestinians excludes killing and maiming Israelis.

Which is why Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas continuously fails to condemn Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis as terrorism.

Congressmen need to demand to know why the State Department is promoting this scandalous charade.