News U.S. FBI offering $1 million reward in killing of U.S. Arab Facebook Twitter Email SMS WhatsApp Share By Tom Tugend | September 6, 1996 Sign up for Weekday J and get the latest on what's happening in the Jewish Bay Area. The FBI has taken the unusual step of inserting sizable paid ads in Jewish newspapers to publicize the reward in the Jewish community. Alexander Michel Odeh, the Western regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, was killed by a booby trap when he opened the door to his office Oct. 11, 1985, in Santa Ana. He had appeared the previous day on a TV program, during which he condemned terrorism but praised Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat as "a man of peace." Odeh, 41, a Palestinian who came to the United States in 1972, was generally considered a moderate voice within the Arab-American community. Orders to track down Odeh's killers came from the highest authorities in Washington, with U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno declaring, "We hope that this reward will lead to justice in this case, and I encourage anyone with information to come forward." Over the years, federal authorities have cited Robert Manning, a Los Angeles-born Israeli and veteran Jewish Defense League member, as a key suspect in the Odeh case. Manning, then a resident of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank, was extradited to stand trial in Los Angeles on an unrelated and non-political charge involving the 1980 mail bomb death of a secretary at a local computer firm. He was found guilty and is now serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison. However, under the terms of the U.S.-Israel extradition treaty, Manning could only be tried for the specific 1980 killing and cannot be prosecuted for any other alleged crimes. Three other Americans living in Israel have been mentioned as suspects. At least two of them are former JDL members, said JDL national chairman Irv Rubin. Rubin was among the protesters last week at a high-profile news conference at which the two top federal law enforcement officials in Los Angeles, U.S. Attorney Nora Manella and FBI Bureau Chief Charlie Parsons, announced the $1 million reward. The event took place near a statue of Odeh that was erected two years ago outside the main Santa Ana library in Orange County. Sami Odeh, the victim's brother, announced an additional $100,000 reward that was raised by the local Arab-American community. Rubin charged that the Odeh case was part of "an ongoing vendetta sponsored by the Arab community to get the Jews." He likened the accusations against Manning to the treatment meted out to Richard Jewell, a security guard who was identified by the FBI as a chief suspect — but never charged — in the explosion at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park. In addition to the newspaper ads, the reward information has been posted on the FBI Home Page on the Internet (at http://www.fbi.gov). The FBI has asked anyone with information on the "person or persons responsible for the murder of Odeh" to call (800) 705-6639. Tom Tugend JTA Los Angeles correspondent Also On J. Bay Area Thousands across region gather to mourn and remember Oct. 7 Organic Epicure Can food stem tide of memory loss in seniors? From the Archives How we've judged other Jews' holiday observances over the years Religion After Oct. 7, a Yom Kippur mourning ritual takes on fresh meaning Subscribe to our Newsletter I would like to receive the following newsletters: Weekday J From Our Sponsors (helps fund our journalism) Your Sunday J Holiday Bytes