Robert H. Kupperman, Ph.D., Center for Strategic International Studies Morris D. Busby, Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism, U.S. Department of Oliver B. Revell, Associate Deputy Director-Investigations, Federal Bureau Adm. Stansfield Turner, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Noel Koch, former Director of Special Planning, Department of Defense.. Prepared statements of witnesses in order of appearance.. Statement of Hon. Joe Barton, a U.S. Representative in Congress from the THREAT OF TERRORISM AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO TERRORISM MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1989 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:35 a.m., in room SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Joseph I. Lieberman, presiding. Present: Senators Glenn, Lieberman, and Cohen. OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR LIEBERMAN Senator LIEBERMAN. Good morning. Earlier this year under the leadership of Chairman John Glenn, the Governmental Affairs Committee held hearings on our Government's efforts to protect our domestic infrastructure-electric utility systems, power systems, informational systems-from terrorist attack. Chairman Glenn has kindly authorized me to expand today upon these hearings and to examine our Government's efforts to combat terrorism in general. All of this is part of this Committee's responsibility for oversight of interagency programs, in this case the coordination of counter-terrorism efforts among the various Federal agencies. These hearings were planned and worked on last spring, when what one of the witnesses refers to as the episodic nature of terrorism was at a lull. Recent events, including the revelation of the killing of Lieutenant Colonel Higgins, threats to other American hostages held in the Middle East, and now the possible threat of terrorist retaliation from international drug cartels, which we are taking on, shows us again that the threat of terrorism is real and makes this exercise of this Committee's governmental oversight functions relevant and important. We appear to be entering a new era in our foreign relations, an era in which the defense of our national security may have to be redefined. The most serious threats to our security may no longer come from Soviet attack, particularly Soviet nuclear attack, but instead from assaults by renegade nations, the international drug cartel and terrorists groups. Those certainly have been the sources of the most serious losses that we have suffered in recent years. Terrorists have blown up a United States jet over Scotland, kidnapped and killed Americans in the Middle East, and murdered U.S. missionaries in Latin America. Fortunately, we have thus far been spared major terrorist incidents on United States territory. Nonetheless, last year someone tried to kill the wife of the commander of the USS Vincennes in California. U.S. authorities arrested a Japanese Red Army terrorist on the New Jersey turnpike headed towards New York City with a pipe bomb. With the extradition of alleged drug financier Eduardo Martinez Romero from Colombia last week, the United States could well become the target of terrorists hired by the narcotics empire. These recent events, as well as the tragic death of Lieutenant Colonel Higgins, underscore the continuing threat of terrorism, our vulnerability to it, and the need for an effective, coordinated counter-terrorism policy. In the years ahead the threat of terrorism may become even greater as terrorists gain access to more sophisticated technology. A small amount of modern plastic explosives, no more than what fits inside a radio cassette, destroyed Pan Am Flight 103. A bomb with a long-delay timing device was used in an attempt to kill Prime Minister Thatcher in 1985. As chemical and biological weapons capability spreads throughout the Third World, terrorists may resort to such means of mass destruction. Defending against terrorism is obviously no simple matter. Intelligence can be difficult to obtain because of the tight-knit nature of these groups. Captured terrorists who are willing to talk after an attack are often low-level operatives who don't know much about the inner workings of their organization. Even if we learn about the leaders of terrorists organizations, we may not know where they are located at a given time. Despite these problems, we have achieved some success in fighting terrorism. The air strike against Libya in 1986 certainly seems to have made Colonel Qadhafi more circumspect. Improved security seems to have reduced the number of attacks against U.S. embassies and the number of airplane hijackings. Various countries have meted out stiff prison sentences to terrorists despite threats of retaliation. We have even begun a dialogue with the Soviets about joint exercises with regard to terrorism. The purpose of the hearing today is to explore the terrorist threat to United States interests today and in the near future, and to ask how well our Government is prepared to meet that threat. Is there a danger of terrorist retaliation if we become more deeply involved in South America in the fight against drugs? Could cooperation with the Soviet Union yield worthwhile results? What steps have we taken to improve airport security in the wake of Pan Am 103? Will terrorists resort to weapons of mass destruction? Do we need tougher procedures and laws to prevent terrorists from entering the United States and to expel individuals from the United States who are suspected of involvement in terrorism? Is our intelligence, particularly our human intelligence, adequate? Is the Government's Interagency Group on Terrorism, headed by the State Department, an effective vehicle for directing U.S. policy on terrorism? And do we have the full panoply of policy options at our disposal to deal with these challenges, including the use of force where necessary? This morning we are fortunate to have a number of widely respected authorities on terrorism here to address these important questions: Brian Jenkins of the Rand Corporation and Robert Kupperman of the Center for Strategic International Studies will pro vide an overview of the current and near-term future terrorist threat and will review some of the major issues concerning terrorism that face the new Administration and Congress. Ambassador Morris Busby, Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism at the State Department, and Oliver Revell, Associate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation will describe the Government's current efforts to deal with terrorism. Finally, Admiral Stansfield Turner, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Noel Koch, former Director of Special Planning at the Defense Department, will discuss major policy options for responding to acts of terrorism, including negotiations, concessions, economic sanctions and the use of force. I do want to indicate for the record that over the weekend former ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick informed this Committee that she would not be able to attend the hearing this morning. We are sorry she cannot be with us today, but, of course, I am grateful for the outstanding group of witnesses who are with us and who we look forward to hearing now. I am also grateful, as I suggested out of his presence, for the leadership that the Chairman of this Committee, Senator Glenn has shown in directing the oversight functions of this Committee towards the critical question of terrorism, and in authorizing me to proceed on behalf of the Committee with this hearing today, and I am, obviously, honored to introduce Chairman Glenn at this time. OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN GLENN Chairman GLENN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I just want to thank you for the leadership you are taking on the Committee in this particular area. I know from talking to you personally of your personal interest in this, and that makes a big difference too, and your personal concerns that we get a handle on this if we can. I think that is the big question-if we can. You have a good staff put together and you are working on this. You know, there are some legislators around here who make their careers responding to events and there are others who have the vision and the wisdom to recognize this is not enough and we must also try to anticipate these crises of the future, and Senator Lieberman has certainly demonstrated this quality of statesmanship and I am proud to have him as a member of this Committee. There was a textbook published in 1973 called "Congress and America's Future." In that political scientist David Truman observed that, "The 20th century has been hard on the legislatures." Hardly anyone these days would dispute this statement. Today we face so many problems that seem to defy quick and easy solutions, problems that are increasingly international in scope and sometimes complex beyond imagination. We struggle to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and other arms of mass destruction. We try to protect the environment, cure chronic health problems, preserve the vitality of our economy in an increasingly competitive international marketplace. We declare wars these days almost at the drop of a hat, wars on poverty and drug abuse, and yet the problems go on. |