Lawmakers Want Obeid Extradited, but Justice Dept. is Not So Sure

Despite growing sentiment on Capitol Hill to have Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid extradited to the United States, the Justice Department is not “seriously exploring” the possibility of asking Israel to do so, according to a well-placed department official.

The Shiite fundamentalist leader, who was captured by Israeli commandos at his home in southern Lebanon last Friday, “quite validly could be tried in Israel,” the official said Thursday.

While Obeid has claimed that he was not personally involved in abducting Lt. Col. William Higgins, he reportedly told Israeli interrogators that his home was used to plan the capture of the American Marine and two of the three Israeli soldiers believed to be held by Shiite groups in Lebanon.

The Justice Department official said that one reason for not pursuing extradition now is that Israel is “trying to cut some kind of deal” to trade Obeid for Israeli prisoners and possibly Western hostages being held in Lebanon.

If such a deal comes through, “that will be the end of it,” the official said.

Meanwhile, there is “no rush” to begin any extradition proceedings, the official said, and in any case, there is considerable doubt about whether Israel would agree to the extradition.

White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater, when asked Thursday about a possible extradition request, said there is no U.S. warrant for Obeid’s arrest and that there are “no charges at this time.”

An Israeli Embassy official said Thursday that he was unaware of any U.S. contacts with Israel about the possibility of extradition.

On Capitol Hill, however, Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) introduced a resolution Wednesday calling for Obeid’s extradition, “in order that he may be brought to justice for the kidnapping and murder” of Higgins, whose captors announced Monday that they had hanged him.

Ackerman’s resolution so far has the support of 41 members of the House of Representatives. Co-sponsors include eight other Jewish lawmakers, as well as several ultraconservative members of Congress, such as Reps. William Dannemeyer (R-Calif.) and Robert Dornan (R-Calif.)

The resolution was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and will not be considered before Congress returns in September from a recess that begins this weekend.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center this week endorsed Ackerman’s resolution, contending that “it is clear the Sheikh Obeid played a significant role in (Higgins’) kidnapping and fate.”

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater on Thursday would not support Israel’s claim that Higgins was murdered long before Obeid’s abduction last Friday. “Our own analysis is that we really cannot make a conclusion,” he said.

But The New York Times on Thursday quoted CIA sources as saying that Higgins probably was killed before Monday, and perhaps as far back as last December.

The date of death is significant, because Israel has been criticized for triggering Higgins’ murder by conducting the commando raid on Obeid’s home.