Arab Media & Society

111th CONGRESS 1st Session

H. R. 2278

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

December 9, 2009

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

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AN ACT

To direct the President to transmit to Congress a report on anti-American incitement to violence in the Middle East, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ANTI-AMERICAN INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

(a) Findings- Congress finds the following:

(1) Freedom of the press and freedom of expression are the foundations of free and prosperous societies worldwide, and with the freedom of the press and freedom of expression comes the responsibility to repudiate purveyors of incitement to violence.

(2) For years, certain media outlets in the Middle East, particularly those associated with terrorist groups, have repeatedly published or broadcast incitements to violence against the United States and Americans.

(3) Television channels that broadcast incitement to violence against Americans, the United States, and others have demonstrated the ability to shift their operations to different countries and their transmissions to different satellite providers in order to continue broadcasting and to evade accountability.

(4) Television channels such as al-Manar, al-Aqsa, al-Zawra, and others that broadcast incitement to violence against the United States and Americans aid Foreign Terrorist Organizations in the key functions of recruitment, fundraising, and propaganda.

(b) Statement of Policy- It shall be the policy of the United States to--

(1) designate as Specially Designated Global Terrorists satellite providers that knowingly and willingly contract with entities designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Executive Order No. 13224, to broadcast their channels, or to consider implementing other punitive measures against satellite providers that transmit al-Aqsa TV, al-Manar TV, al-Rafidayn TV, or any other terrorist owned and operated station;

(2) consider state-sponsorship of anti-American incitement to violence when determining the level of assistance to, and frequency and nature of relations with, all states; and

(3) urge all governments and private investors who own shares in satellite companies or otherwise influence decisions about satellite transmissions to oppose transmissions of telecasts by al-Aqsa TV, al-Manar TV, al-Rafidayn TV, or any other Specially Designated Global Terrorist owned and operated stations that openly incite their audiences to commit acts of terrorism or violence against the United States and its citizens.

(c) Report-

(1) REQUIREMENT FOR REPORTS- Beginning 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on anti-American incitement to violence in the Middle East.

(2) CONTENT- The reports required under paragraph (1) shall include--

(A) a country-by-country list and description of media outlets that engage in anti-American incitement to violence; and

(B) a list of satellite companies that carry mediums described in subparagraph (A) or designated under Executive Order No. 13224.

(d) Definitions- In this section:

(1) ANTI-AMERICAN INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE- The term `anti-American incitement to violence' means the act of persuading, encouraging, instigating, advocating, pressuring, or threatening so as to cause another to commit a violent act against any person, agent, instrumentality, or official of, is affiliated with, or is serving as a representative of the United States.

(2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES- The term `appropriate congressional committees' means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

(3) MIDDLE EAST- The term `Middle East' means Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Passed the House of Representatives December 8, 2009.

Attest:

LORRAINE C. MILLER,

Clerk.