Bomb Attack in Saudi Arabia: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, U. S. SenateStrom Thurmond DIANE Publishing, 1998 - 154 pages A hearing on the circumstances & consequences of a terrorist bomb attack on the Khobar Towers in Dhahram, Saudi Arabia, on June 25, 1996. The attack resulted in the deaths of 19 U.S. servicemen & injuries to 550 others, including 250 Americans. Covers: the extent to which it was recognized that U.S. military personnel housed in the Khobar Towers were vulnerable to a terrorist attack, the degree to which any concerns were made known up the chain of command, the measures that were taken to meet the threats that were identified & why safeguards that might have thwarted such an attack or minimized casualties were not in place. |
Common terms and phrases
actions additional Air Force American antiterrorism assessment believe Bosnia casualties CENTCOM chain of command Chairman THURMOND CINCS combatant commander committee cooperation Department of Defense deployed Dhahran directed Downing ensure EXON facilities fence force protection measures forces in Saudi funding going intelligence investigation Iraq issue Joint Chiefs joint task force Khobar Towers bombing Kuwait manders ment military forces mission Operation Southern Watch operational control OPM-SANG overseas Peay perimeter priority question recommendations request requirements responsibility for force risk Riyadh Saudi Arabia Saudi Government Saudi National Guard Schwalier Secretary of Defense Secretary PERRY security measures Senator BRYAN Senator GLENN Senator KEMPTHORNE Senator LEVIN Senator LIEBERMAN Senator MCCAIN Senator NUNN Senator ROBB Senator WARNER Shali SHALIKASHVILI Staff statement terrorist attack terrorist threat Thank threat level tion troops U.S. Central Command U.S. forces U.S. military United USCENTCOM vulnerability
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Page 150 - He is responsible to the President and the Secretary of Defense through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is the US military representative for collective defense arrangements in the Pacific.
Page 95 - ... auditing the performance of our units. Because force protection measures must be carried out by our uniformed military organizations, I have therefore designated the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the principal advisor and the single DOD-wide focal point for force protection activities. He will review and coordinate these activities in the context of broader national security policy matters with the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. The Chairman will establish an appropriate force...
Page 122 - Wheel-turning monarch ... and a third ; . . and a fourth . . . and a fifth . . . and a sixth . . . and a seventh king, a.
Page 94 - ... time avoiding and defending against terrorism, and it is a tough answer for them and their families, who must experience the loneliness of unaccompanied tours. We will have to compensate for these changes and greater hardships in order to continue to maintain the superb quality force we have today. Putting force protection up front as a major consideration along with other mission objectives around the world will require a fundamental change in the mind-set with which we plan and carry out operations....
Page 83 - ... complete their tasks if they are required to live in bunkers 24 hours a day. How then can we accomplish our missions without compromising their success or abandoning them altogether? The answer is that we will require tradeoffs in other areas, such as cost, convenience, and quality of life. This is a tough answer for our men and women in uniform who will live in less comfortable surroundings and spend more time avoiding and defending against terrorism, and it is a tough answer for them and their...
Page 93 - Government has assumed responsibility for constructing permanent facilities. The isolated location and large size of the Prince Sultan Air Base allows for extensive perimeters and avoids intense concentrations of troops. Some of the units in Saudi Arabia cannot be relocated without degrading their effectiveness. Our USMTM and OPM/SANG security assistance personnel who train and advise the Saudi military must be in close proximity to their Saudi counterparts in the capital and at various bases. Our...
Page 117 - ... also advised the CINCs of the increasingly serious nature of terrorism and have solicited their views for incorporation into this review. It is anticipated that a final report, including a plan of action, will be completed on March 30, 1984. 10. Military Preparedness to Defend Against Terrorism. — The Commission recommended that the Secretary of Defense direct the development of doctrine, planning, organization, force structure, education, and training necessary to defend against and counter...
Page 97 - Downing's specific recommendations that we look at both how we make intelligence available and how we use it at small unit levels. I will work with CENTCOM and the Military Departments to implement those recommendations. The goal is not only to have better intelligence collection, but to be better able to use it. We need to sort out the real and useful intelligence from the misinformation and disinformation that is also collected. One key to improved analysis at the Washington level is the Counter...
Page 24 - ... this environment. The first part involves understanding the Saudi culture and way of doing business. The second part involves the dynamics of managing operational risk. We need to keep in mind that our relationship with the Saudis is based on promoting our mutual interests. We are not colonizing the country. We do not seek to infringe on their culture. We respect their way of life but, we do not intentionally allow these efforts to endanger our service men and women. Over the last several decades,...
Page 92 - Indeed, our presence contributed significantly to our hosf s defense. The location of a large number of our personnel and our major combat air operations in the Dhahran region reflected this sense of well-being. The air facilities were excellent and the Saudi Government provided good quality residences and office facilities in the nearby Khobar Towers complex. That complex had been built by the Saudi Government and was offered to the US military for use during the Gulf War. It continued to be used...