December 12, 1998 The attention that international abduction is getting from legislators is incredible. In the last Congressional Session, several bills were passed which addressed this issue. However, I am not sure that any one of them have any "teeth" in them. S.RES 293 Nadia's resolution, which calls for the return of Nadia passed, but Nadia is not home. An AMENDMENT ( 3503) to included in the final version of the Federal appropriations bill that was signed by the President, states: "It is the sense of the Congress that the United States Government should promote international cooperation in working to resolve those cases in which children in the United States are abducted by family members who are foreign nationals and taken to foreign countries, and in seeing that justice is served by holding accountable the abductors for violations of criminal law". Then, there was the Religious Persecution Bill which passed. Contained are articles relating to the forced conversion of children abducted abroad. I am concerned that while there is an effort to address the issue of international abduction, the language is such that it appear these bills are as about as effective as the International Kidnapping Crime Act. Although this felony is rarely enforced ( and law enforcement are reluctant to even issue a warrant for abductors, and few if any are prosecuted) the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with many countries regarding abduction. Although a treaty exists between Jordan and the U.S., not a single abductor has ever been extradited from Jordan and I know of several cases of abduction to that country. I do not understand why laws are being made, but there appears to be absolutely no enforcement. Unlike the Hague Child Abduction treaty or the Child's Rights treaty, criminal laws are not dependent on diplomatic efforts. I have been told that the reason the U.S does not extradite these kidnappers is because the MAXIMUM jail time is 3 years...hardly worth the money it would cost Uncle Sam to extradite an abductor. I saw on the news a report where a man was sentenced to 10 years in a Florida jail for killing a puppy. I wonder what a child is worth to Uncle Sam.