Well, there is one thing you can say about Biden and that he is consistent. He doesn’t play favorites. He abandoned Americans in Afghanistan and he is doing the same thing in Israel and Gaza. And he never places American lives about the lives of terrorists. He has been the best president money can buy. The 500 are not allowed to leave by Hamas, not counting the alleged less than ten hostages captured on October7th.
Marsha Blackburn related that the 500 are Americans in Gaza. They are not prisoners but they are not permitted to leave. The administration says Hamas has offered deals but that they are not inclined to accept them. Two Americans have been released by Hamas along with two other hostages. The other two are Israelis. One Israeli was rescued this week by the IDF and Shin Bet.
Blackburn posted on X on Tuesday:
“White House admitted Hamas is holding nearly 500 Americans hostage in Gaza.”
The White House admitted Hamas is holding nearly 500 Americans hostage in Gaza.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 31, 2023
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Blackburn followed with a statement calling on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to resign:
“Hamas is preventing 500 American citizens from being able to leave Gaza. These Americans are considered hostages under federal law. @JakeSullivan46 needs to resign immediately.”
Hamas is preventing 500 American citizens from being able to leave Gaza.
These Americans are considered hostages under federal law.@JakeSullivan46 needs to resign immediately. pic.twitter.com/dXETvXlTmB
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 31, 2023
Blackburn’s office told a reporter she is basing her statement on U.S. law:
“White House said yesterday “less than 10” Americans were hostages. Blackburn’s office tells me they consider the 500 Americans who admin says are trapped in Gaza (the “400 American citizens and their families” Blinken referenced) to be hostages. Why? They cite 18 U.S. Code § 1203”
White House said yesterday “less than 10” Americans were hostages
Blackburn’s office tells me they consider the 500 Americans who admin says are trapped in Gaza (the “400 American citizens and their families” Blinken referenced) to be hostages
Why? They cite 18 U.S. Code § 1203 https://t.co/0lygKKUkRE
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) October 31, 2023
White House said yesterday “less than 10” Americans were hostages
Blackburn’s office tells me they consider the 500 Americans who admin says are trapped in Gaza (the “400 American citizens and their families” Blinken referenced) to be hostages
Why? They cite 18 U.S. Code § 1203 https://t.co/0lygKKUkRE
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) October 31, 2023
The Department of Justice on 18 U.S. Code § 1203:
HOSTAGE TAKING (18 U.S.C. 1203)
In 1984, Congress enacted the hostage taking statute to implement the International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages. The statute became effective on January 6, 1985. Hostage taking is defined as the seizing or detention of an individual coupled with a threat to kill, injure or continue to detain such individual in order to compel a third person or governmental organization to take some action. The United States has jurisdiction over the taking of hostages outside the United States (a) if the perpetrator or a hostage is a United States national, (b) if the perpetrator is found in the United States regardless of his nationality, or (c) if the United States is the Government coerced by the hostage taker. See JM 9-60.700, et seq.
18 U.S. Code § 1203 – Hostage taking
(a)Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, whoever, whether inside or outside the United States, seizes or detains and threatens to kill, to injure, or to continue to detain another person in order to compel a third person or a governmental organization to do or abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the person detained, or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be punished by imprisonment for any term of years or for life and, if the death of any person results, shall be punished by death or life imprisonment.
(b)
(1)It is not an offense under this section if the conduct required for the offense occurred outside the United States unless—
(A)the offender or the person seized or detained is a national of the United States;
(B)the offender is found in the United States; or
(C)the governmental organization sought to be compelled is the Government of the United States.(2)It is not an offense under this section if the conduct required for the offense occurred inside the United States, each alleged offender and each person seized or detained are nationals of the United States, and each alleged offender is found in the United States, unless the governmental organization sought to be compelled is the Government of the United States.
(c)As used in this section, the term “national of the United States” has the meaning given such term in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)).
(Added Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 2002(a), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2186; amended Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7028, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4397; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60003(a)(10), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1969; Pub. L. 104–132, title VII, § 723(a)(1), Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat. 1300.)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a Senate hearing Tuesday that about 400 Americans were trapped in Gaza by Hamas. (ABC News excerpt):
“We’re working on this every single day. We have about 400 American citizens and their family members, so it’s roughly 1,000 people who are stuck in Gaza and want to get out. I’m focused on this intensely,” Blinken said in an exchange with Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., during Tuesday’s testimony before the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
