News In Brief
| Washington
Congress gets Reagan plan designed to fight terrorism
Legislation went from the White House to Congress Thursday designed to deter and punish acts of terrorism. The legislative package contains four elements:
* A bill that makes the taking of hostages, except in domestic family disputes, a federal crime, thus giving the FBI the right to enter the case at any time.
* Authorization of rewards to people who give information leading to the arrest and conviction of terrorists, or which prevents acts of terrorism. When the president specifically authorizes it, the rewards could be as high as $500, 000, and the informers would be given federal protection. If they are foreign, they would be permitted to enter the US without waiting for a visa.
* A bill that would levy heavy fines and jail terms up to 10 years on anyone who recruits, trains, or solicits people in the United States to engage in terrorism.
* Legislation to make all acts of aircraft sabotage, including ground navigation devices, a federal crime. The maximum penalty would $100,000 in fines or 20 years in prison.
