Rewards For Justice Program
Encyclopedia
The Rewards for Justice Program (RFJ) is the counterterrorism rewards
program of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)
. The Secretary of State
is currently offering rewards for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism
against U.S. persons or property worldwide. Rewards also may be paid for information leading to the arrest
or conviction
of terrorists attempting, committing, conspiring to commit
, or aiding and abetting
in the commission of such acts. The Rewards for Justice Program has paid more than $100 million for information that prevented international terrorist attacks or helped bring to justice those involved in prior acts.
The program was established by the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism (Public Law
98-533). The program is administered by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security
. The Director of the Diplomatic Security Service
chairs an interagency committee which reviews reward candidates and then recommends rewards to the Secretary of State. The committee includes members from the staff of the White House National Security Council
, Central Intelligence Agency
, Department of Justice
, Department of Defense
, Department of Homeland Security
, Department of the Treasury
, and the US Department of State.
After the September 11 attacks, the list of wanted terrorists increased dramatically, and rewards were also increased, as part of the U.S. efforts to capture al-Qaeda
leadership. However, the plan has been largely ineffective against Islamic terrorists. The largest reward offered was $25 million for the leader of al-Qaeda
Osama bin Laden
, which had "attracted hundreds of anonymous calls but no reliable leads." Osama bin Laden
was killed on May 1, 2011.
On January 15 digitally aged pictures of Bin Laden were published on the Rewards for Justice Program website. Spanish newspaper El Mundo
revealed that pictures of a Spanish politician, Gaspar Llamazares
, were used for that purpose. The FBI has admitted to this and removed the image from its website.
Robert A. Hartung, Assistant Director, of Diplomatic Security's Threat Investigations and Analysis Directorate, announced on September 2, 2010 that the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering rewards of up to $5 million each for information that leads law enforcement or security forces to Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali ur Rehman. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented a list of "the five most wanted terrorists" to the Pakistan; the list included Ayman al-Zawahiri
, Mohammed Omar
, Ilyas Kashmiri
, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman
and Sirajuddin Haqqani
. Each of these five have bounties issued against them by the program; however, Kashmiri, who US Intelligence officials said they were 99% sure was killed in an airstrike in South Waziristan on June 3, 2011, has been removed from the list.
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
program of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)
Diplomatic Security Service
The U.S. Diplomatic Security Service is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. The majority of its Special Agents are members of the Foreign Service and federal law enforcement agents at the same time, making them unique...
. The Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
is currently offering rewards for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
against U.S. persons or property worldwide. Rewards also may be paid for information leading to the arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
or conviction
Conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime.The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal . In Scotland and in the Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which counts as an acquittal...
of terrorists attempting, committing, conspiring to commit
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
, or aiding and abetting
Accomplice
At law, an accomplice is a person who actively participates in the commission of a crime, even though they take no part in the actual criminal offense. For example, in a bank robbery, the person who points the gun at the teller and asks for the money is guilty of armed robbery...
in the commission of such acts. The Rewards for Justice Program has paid more than $100 million for information that prevented international terrorist attacks or helped bring to justice those involved in prior acts.
The program was established by the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism (Public Law
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
98-533). The program is administered by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Bureau of Diplomatic Security
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, more commonly known as Diplomatic Security, or DS, is the security and law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. DS is a world leader in international investigations, threat analysis, cyber security, counterterrorism, security technology, and...
. The Director of the Diplomatic Security Service
Diplomatic Security Service
The U.S. Diplomatic Security Service is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. The majority of its Special Agents are members of the Foreign Service and federal law enforcement agents at the same time, making them unique...
chairs an interagency committee which reviews reward candidates and then recommends rewards to the Secretary of State. The committee includes members from the staff of the White House National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
, Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
, Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
, and the US Department of State.
After the September 11 attacks, the list of wanted terrorists increased dramatically, and rewards were also increased, as part of the U.S. efforts to capture al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
leadership. However, the plan has been largely ineffective against Islamic terrorists. The largest reward offered was $25 million for the leader of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, which had "attracted hundreds of anonymous calls but no reliable leads." Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
was killed on May 1, 2011.
On January 15 digitally aged pictures of Bin Laden were published on the Rewards for Justice Program website. Spanish newspaper El Mundo
El Mundo (Spain)
El Mundo is the second largest printed and the largest digital daily newspaper in Spain and one of the newspapers of record in that country, with a daily circulation topping 300,000 readers for the printed edition and 24 million unique web visitors per month for the...
revealed that pictures of a Spanish politician, Gaspar Llamazares
Gaspar Llamazares
Gaspar Llamazares Trigo is a Spanish politician. He was the leader of the leftist coalition Izquierda Unida from 2001 to 2008, in the post of General Coordinator. He is a member of Communist Party of Spain ....
, were used for that purpose. The FBI has admitted to this and removed the image from its website.
Robert A. Hartung, Assistant Director, of Diplomatic Security's Threat Investigations and Analysis Directorate, announced on September 2, 2010 that the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering rewards of up to $5 million each for information that leads law enforcement or security forces to Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali ur Rehman. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented a list of "the five most wanted terrorists" to the Pakistan; the list included Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian and current leader of al-Qaeda. He was previously the second and last "emir" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zumar to life...
, Mohammed Omar
Mohammed Omar
Mullah Mohammed Omar , often simply called Mullah Omar, is the leader of the Taliban movement that operates in Afghanistan. He was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to late 2001, under the official title "Head of the Supreme Council"...
, Ilyas Kashmiri
Ilyas Kashmiri
Ilyas Kashmiri was a Pakistani film actor.Born in Muhalla Dara Shikoh, near Rewali Cinema, in Lahore, Punjab, British India, he started his film career from Bombay. In Bombay, the first film in which he appeared as a hero was Malika, directed and produced by Nazir...
, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman
Atiyah Abd al-Rahman
Atiyah Abd Al Rahman was reported by the US State Department to be a senior member of al-Qaeda and a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and Ansar al-Sunna...
and Sirajuddin Haqqani
Sirajuddin Haqqani
Sirajuddin "Siraj" Haqqani is a Pashtun warlord and military leader who fights against American and coalition forces from his base within North Waziristan in Pakistan, where it is claimed he provides shelter to Al Qaeda operatives...
. Each of these five have bounties issued against them by the program; however, Kashmiri, who US Intelligence officials said they were 99% sure was killed in an airstrike in South Waziristan on June 3, 2011, has been removed from the list.
See also
- U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Department of StateDiplomatic Security ServiceThe U.S. Diplomatic Security Service is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. The majority of its Special Agents are members of the Foreign Service and federal law enforcement agents at the same time, making them unique...
- Narcotics Reward Program
External links
- Bureau of Diplomatic Security description
- Factsheet (August 15, 2002) from the U.S. Department of State
- Diplomatic Security Service announces $5 million dollar reward
- Briefing of USG efforts to disrupt and dismantle Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
- DSS REWARDS FOR JUSTICE - Millions of dollars available for information leading to the capture of Terrorists
- U.S. Diplomatic Security الأمن الدبلوماسي
- Rewards for Justice - Arabic Language عـربي
- Rewards for Justice - Urdu Language اردو
- Rewards for Justice - Persian Language فارسي
- Rewards for Justice - Pashto Language پتو
- Rewards for Justice - Hindi Language हिन्दी