Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has introduced legislation to compel the State Department to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information about the Benghazi attacks. If this bill were passed, the Egyptian government may be able to claim some of the reward money.

Ted Cruz: Time to issue rewards on Benghazi.

Via the Ted Cruz Press Release:

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced legislation to require the Secretary of State to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information on the Benghazi attacks or information that leads to the capture and prosecution of a suspect.

“The State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program exists to help the U.S. identify and apprehend its enemies, but the Obama Administration has not used it to pursue the terrorists who attacked our personnel in Benghazi,” Cruz said. “This legislation enables the Secretary of State to offer a substantial reward for information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of the suspects who have been identified. U.S. investigators should have all available tools at their disposal to bring to justice those who murdered four Americans in Benghazi, including the first Ambassador killed in service since 1979.” {emphasis ours}

Well now, if said legislation were to pass, we have a question that deserves answering: If the Egyptian government has already detained suspects in the Benghazi attacks, would that government be eligible to collect reward money if it granted the U.S. access to said prisoners?

If yes, then perhaps Mr. Cruz is on to something.

Consider that Muhammad Jamal Abdo Al-Kashif is sitting in an Egyptian jail right this very second. He is also the founder of the Jamal Network, a terrorist entity, as defined by none other than the U.S. State Department itself; so is Al-Kashif. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has identified Al-Kashif as a lead suspect in the Benghazi attacks. Cruz’s legislation suggests reward money should go to those who provide “information that leads to the capture and prosecution of a suspect.”

Al-Kashif: Time to make this Benghazi suspect famous (and Egypt $5 million richer)?

If the current Egyptian government were to cough up Al-Kashif to the U.S., it would be able to claim that it not only provided information that led to the prosecution of a Benghazi suspect but that it provided the actual defendant!

The same goes for another leader in the Jamal Network; his name is Tarek Taha Abu Al-Azm. Like Al-Kashif, Al-Azm is currently jailed in Egypt. He is widely suspected of having been involved in the June 5, 2012 bombing at the Benghazi Special Mission Compound (SMC). He was also reportedly trained by the United States Air Force (USAF).

Al-Azm: Worth $5 million to Egypt?

If Cruz’s legislation were to pass, Egypt itself might be incentivized to fork over two suspects in the Benghazi attacks who are already jailed. While this may conceivably only garner Egypt $10 million, it would be money very well spent by the U.S. In fact, Egypt should be able to command an even bigger reward; most Americans would gladly comply.

The last paragraph of Cruz’s press release is quite telling, though on a different topic:

Last year, then-Senator Kerry and Senator Coons offered similar legislation to expand the Rewards for Justice program to help capture Joseph Kony. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and was enacted into law last year. {Joseph Kony}

In 2012, Kony became a cause celebre of the left-wing organization known as Invisible Children, whose founder ran through the streets of San Diego naked in broad daylight: