International trade and travel rely almost exclusively on commercial aviation carriers. To affect the carriers' ability to safely operate jeopardizes tens of thousands of our citizens who travel each day and would have a drastic effect on international

commerce.

Pan Am 103 is a stark example of the acts of terrorism which we must do everything possible to prevent in the future. Hundreds of innocent people died, most of them Americans, at the hands of a few unknown, sophisticated terrorists, who in all likelihood are supported and financed by an unfriendly government or governments.

This tragedy occurred in part because we as a country -were not prepared to counter this new form of international terrorism, despite many previous instances of hijackings, bombings, and abductions. In each instance, it seems to me, we reacted more on a case-by-case basis without developing an effective defense and overall strategy against this type of threat.

Following Pan Am 103, President Bush created the Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism. This group of dedicated and highly professional individuals, including our colleagues Mr. Oberstar and Mr. Hammerschmidt, worked long and hard to develop sensible and realistic policy recommendations designed to counteract the threat of future terrorist acts against American citizens, many of which I can support enthusiastically.

Equally important, the Commission made a number of important findings regarding the vulnerabilities in our international aviation system with respect to the actions and policies of our federal government, and with private carriers.

I want to thank Chairman Fascell and Chairman Oberstar for scheduling today's hearing. I also want to thank our witnesses for taking time out of their busy schedules to appear before us. I look forward to their testimony.

Chairman FASCELL. Mr. Gilman.

Mr. GILMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to commend the Senator and the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism and the Chairman, Ann McLaughlin, for developing an excellent report.

I commend you, Mr. Chairman, and the chairmen of our other committees for moving along expeditiously on this measure. Senator, is a similar bill pending in the Senate?

Senator LAUTENBERG. There is a bill that the Senator from New York, Senator D'Amato, and I have introduced. It's been referred to the Commerce Committee.

Mr. GILMAN. I would assume that would move along expeditiously as well?

Senator LAUTENBERG. I believe that it will. I've had word from the Chairman of the Commerce committee and the chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee that they are very anxious to see this turned into law so that we can get on with the task.

Mr. GILMAN. Thank you. I want to again commend the Senator for his good work and diligence in making certain that we improve our aviation security.

Chairman FASCELL. Would you please yield to the gentleman from California?

Mr. LAGOMARSINO. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to just second everything you've said and I appreciate the Senator being here and his words as well.

Chairman FASCELL. The gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Kolter.

Mr. KOLTER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too would wish to congratulate the Commission for their findings, their 64 recommendations, I do have one question, Senator.

I can see where we as responsible Members of Congress can take care of the problem here in these United States. But in your estimation can something be done at the high risk airports overseas? Senator LAUTENBERG. Well, one recommendation is that an onsite security manager be in place to make certain that our carriers and the airports in the countries with which we work are in tune with our needs. And I think that we've already seen signs of improved security, of serious effort by all concerned to try to reduce the possibility of a terrorist attack.

Everyone knows that we can never eliminate it totally, but what we have to continue to do is reduce that possibility. And I think that's underway, and if these changes are put into place, Mr. Kolter, I think that we'll be in much better shape.

Mr. KOLTER. Thank you.

Chairman FASCELL. Senator, thank you very much. We appreciate your attendance here today and your contribution to this subject.

Senator LAUTENBERG. Thank you very much.

Chairman FASCELL. I hope you get back to the Senate in time. Senator LAUTENBERG. Thank you.

Chairman FASCELL. Our next witness is Ann McLaughlin, Chairman, President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism and we're delighted to welcome you back again and to see you. I

know you have a prepared statement, a considerable amount to say, and you should have. So why don't you proceed.

Mr. Oberstar? Sir. Excuse me. We've got some opening remarks that we want to get in the record that I overlooked. Mr. Broomfield.

Mr. BROOMFIELD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to take this opportunity, Ann, to welcome you back to the committee and obviously to congratulate you for the fine work that the Commission has done.

You probably are aware that our staff has already taken the recommendations from the report of the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism and prepared implementing legislation.

I realize, however, that the Commission's report was just issued and this bill is being considered by the committee apparently before the President has had an opportunity to evaluate the recommendations of his own Commission.

I also understand that many of the Commission's recommendations can be adopted by the President without legislative action. Your comments on this particular area would be appreciated.

The problems of international terrorism is still with us and we must be unrelenting in our efforts to combat that menace. We have learned many lessons from the Lockerbie disaster. We now must profit from the past and ensure that such a tragedy like that does not strike again.

International cooperation in the war of terrorism is essential. It's imperative that our Government agencies involved in counterterrorism work closely together. Intelligence information relating to terrorism should be more widely shared.

Our airlines will not be left alone in their efforts to upgrade aviation security. Congress will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our aviation security systems and provide funding where appropriate.

ing

want to again say the President's decision to establish the Commission was certainly prudent and productive and I thank the Commission for their fine work.

Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Chairman, once again I'd like to commend you as well as the distinguished ranking minority member, Mr. Broomfield, for your diligent efforts on behalf of the families of Pan Am 103 victims to improve the safety and increase the security standards of our nation's airlines.

Four of the victims of the Pan Am 103 debacle were my constituents: Theodora Cohen, Mark Zwenenberg, Kenneth Bisset and Pamela Posen were just four of the innocent victims of one of the most egregious and despicable terrorist incidents in aviation histo

ry.

However, I am pleased to note that we in the Congress are not alone in this fight. Some of the witnesses today are on the front line of the counterterrorism battle and the report of the McLaughlin Commission was thorough, unbiased and characteristic of the outstanding work of our former Labor Secretary, Ann McLaughlin. I would also like to commend Ambassador Morris Busby for the outstanding work that he's been doing during his tenure as Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism. And I may note that his

bureau, the State Department's Counterterrorism Office, which is the agency of primary responsibility for formulating our nation's international counterterrorism policy, should be the recipient of even more funding for their research and development.

And I'm acutely aware of the perennial problem of funding all of the worthy bureaus and organizations that work on this issue, but the State Department Counterterrorism office has continuously impressed us as being a highly capable professional organization which has consistently gone out of it's way to apprise the Congress of important issues in the counterterrorism sphere, and I'd be pleased to work with the chairman of the subcommittee on International Operations, Mr. Dymally, as well as our good ranking member, Mrs. Snowe, to see how best we can help improve the work of that bureau.

And I also want to commend the Aviation Subcommittee and it's distinguished chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation for their diligence in approaching this problem.

Our committee looks forward to a thorough review of H.R. 5200, the Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990, which hopefully will be enacted prior to the close of this session.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We look forward to our witnesses.
Chairman FASCELL. Chairman Oberstar.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Chairman Fascell, thank you very much. It's a pleasure to once again join the forces of the Subcommittee on Aviation and the full Committee on Public Works and Transportation with those of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in a matter so important to all Americans, especially air travelers.

As Chairman of the Avaition Subcommittee and a member of the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism, I trudged through these issues with the Commission here and on our trip to Europe, to the key foreign airports, the subject of the Commission's inquiry, and through the long hours we spent drafting that report.

As a member of that Commission, I made a vow that that report would not sit on a shelf and gather dust. I have seen that happen to too many other Commission reports. This one affects lives; this one affects people; this one affects the security of the United States and we're not going to let it sit around and be another dead letter. That's why we drafted this legislation.

I want to express my appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, for the cooperation of your staff with ours in working many hours to craft the 64 recommendations of the Commission into a bill that we expect to be enacted into law this year.

That we are at this point is due to one person, Chairwoman Ann McLaughlin. She exerted leadership, she proved herself a quick study, she grasped quickly the intricacies of aviation and of security, drew the Commission together, built a superb staff and kept us on track to complete that report on time and within budget, and produce a report that is of unquestioned integrity and accuracy and responsibility.

And we now owe it to the families of the victims to move that report into action. The Executive Branch is moving, the Legislative Branch must do its part.