[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 9, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1653-E1654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1653]]



                    NATIONAL COMMISSION ON TERRORISM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 9, 1998

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing legislation which will 
establish a national commission on terrorism. This will be a 
bipartisan, national panel of experts with diverse skills and 
outlooks--highly respected people from across the political spectrum. 
The commission would be accountable to the President, to Congress, and 
to the American people.
  The purpose of the commission would be to take a close look at the 
problem of terrorism, including Middle Eastern-related terrorism, to 
study its origins and develop effective countermeasures and make 
recommendations to reshape our traditional policy on combating 
terrorism. A number of person could be considered as possible 
commissioners, and I've listed a few suggestions for starters on the 
enclosed list.
  The proposed bipartisan national commission will consist of 15 
distinguished members, five each appointed by the President, and by the 
Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate in 
consultation with the Minority Leaders of the House and Senate. I 
believe that President George H.W. Bush, who is not only a former 
president and vice president, but also a former director of the CIA, 
would be an ideal chairman for the commission. The commissioners will 
include three Members of Congress and three Senators. The commission 
will have a duration of six months and will be given every means to 
deal quickly with this national problem, including access to classified 
information, travel funds to engage in on-the-spot investigations, and 
accompanying congressional hearings.
  A few weeks ago, 267 people lost their lives and more than 5,000 
people were injured in the bombings of two U.S. embassies in East 
Africa. Twelve of those who died were Americans.
  On August 20, President Clinton announced that the U.S. had 
determined a multimillionaire militant and terrorist kingpin, Osama Bin 
Ladin, was responsible for the attack. American forces bombed secret 
compounds and facilities linked to Bin Ladin in Afghanistan and Sudan 
that same day. While this response was proper and necessary, I believe 
we need to take another look at our nation's overall policy on 
terrorism. Bin Ladin is certainly not our only worry. Unfortunately, 
there are other groups are also known to be active in the area of 
terrorism.
  As the world's leader, America and its people are natural terrorist 
targets. Our military, industrial and commercial presence around the 
globe attracts frustration from many terrorist groups.
  But the problem is not limited to America alone. In Israel, Algeria, 
Egypt, and many other countries, terrorism has become an awful fact of 
life. A recent study in the Journal of Counterterrorism and Security 
International of all fatalities in international terrorist incidents in 
1993-96 showed that three-quarters of the deaths from those attacks 
could be laid at the feet of the militant, fundamentalist groups.
  In my travels to many of these countries, I have seen firsthand the 
destruction that terrorism has inflicted on many innocent people. I 
visited Sudan on three different occasions, and saw the great 
instability that terrorist elements bring to a country when they are 
allowed to flourish. Over the July 1998 congressional recess, I visited 
Algeria, where 70,000 people have been killed by terrorists. I saw the 
fear and the sorrow that grips the people there as they have lost 
countless friends and loved ones in the violence in that nation. When I 
visited Lebanon after the horrible bombing in Beirut in 1983, I saw the 
Marine barracks that had been destroyed. On October 23, 1983, massive 
vehicle bombs devastated the headquarters of the U.S. Marine 
contingent, killing 241 U.S. Marines.
  After my recent trip to Algeria and with this latest attack on the 
embassies in East Africa, I am convinced that it is time to reevaluate 
American counterterrorist strategy. I say this not to be critical of 
what has already been done or of current efforts. Much is being 
accomplished by the intelligence community in this regard. They are 
doing a great job and are to be complimented. Still, terrorism is 
growing.

  Until now, we have been fortunate not to experience the full brunt of 
many terrorist attacks on our home soil. According to a recent article 
in the Economist, investigators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing 
concluded that those plotting the incident intended to cause one tower 
to topple onto the other and to kill up to 250,000 people. Fortunately, 
the attack was not as successful as planned.
  Some regions of the world are much more dangerous than others. Since 
1983, more Americans have been killed by attacks perpetrated by 
terrorists either based in or connected to the Middle East than any 
other region of the world. In fact, the largest number of American 
lives lost to politically motivated violence since the end of the 
Vietnam War has been connected to Middle Eastern terrorism.
  A number of incidents have not yet been fully resolved. In some 
cases, the perpetrators remain unknown. In other cases, the 
perpetrators are known but have not yet been held accountable for their 
actions, or have taken refuge in other countries.
  Outstanding incidents are many. One of the most deadly years for 
terrorist violence was 1983, with bombing of the Beirut embassy in 
April and the Marine barracks in October. Five years later, Pan Am 
Flight 103 was destroyed in flight over Scotland by a bomb, killing 259 
persons on board, including 189 Americans, and 11 others on the ground. 
Experts say that although the culprits have been pinpointed, they are 
currently hiding in Libya and that nation is refusing to hand them over 
to authorities.
  More recently came the car bomb explosion in the parking lot of the 
Office of Program Manager/Saudi Arabian National Guard in Riyadh, Saudi 
Arabia, in November 1995, which killed seven people and wounded 42 
others. Seven months later in that country, a fuel truck carrying a 
bomb exploded outside the U.S. military's Khobar Towers housing 
facility in Dharan, killing 19 U.S. military personnel and wounding 515 
persons, including 240 U.S. personnel.
  Unidentified gunmen shot to death four U.S. auditors from Union Texas 
Petroleum and their Pakistani driver in Karachi, Pakistan, in November 
1997. Now we are facing the latest terrorist incident of the bombing of 
two American embassies in East Africa. But over these last 15 years, 
there have been many other terrorist attacks and American blood has 
been shed both at home and abroad.
  U.S. government agencies and private organizations have done valuable 
work to unearth the perpetrators of these crimes. Unfortunately, the 
potential for both an increased number of terrorist acts and for acts 
that can result in massive numbers of casualties is great and is 
growing.
  America, and the world, must be prepared for new and more deadly 
kinds of terrorism--nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons of mass 
destruction. The danger is growing as weapons of mass destruction 
become more accessible.
  The world watched in horror in March 1995, when the news came that 
members of a small religious sect had set off a nerve gas called sarin 
in the Tokyo subway. The incident killed 12 people and injured several 
thousand, but it was actually, like the World Trade Center, a botched 
job. When they investigated later, police found enough sarin in the 
sect's possession to kill millions of people.
  It is imperative that the United States assess the most effective 
ways of combating terrorism and that policymakers have the full 
spectrum of options at their disposal. This is what the National 
Commission on Terrorism will do. And it must do so quickly. The 
American people deserve to be fully informed on this issue in the face 
of a powerful and vicious adversary.

                                Addendum


                    National Commission on Terrorism

       Robert Abrams, former attorney general, New York State; 
     Fouad Ajami, professor at the School of Advanced 
     International Studies Johns Hopkins University; Ed Badaloto, 
     chairman of the International Association of Counterterrorism 
     Professionals; Lawrence Barcella, former federal prosecutor; 
     Paul Bremer, former head of counter-terrorism, Department of 
     State; John Deutch, former director of the CIA; David 
     Gavigan, assistant adjutant general, Massachusetts Army 
     National Guard; Robin Higgins, Marine colonel; David Kay, 
     Director of SAIC's Center of Counter-terrorism; and Jeane 
     Kirkpatrick, former ambassador to the United Nations.

[[Page E1654]]

       Andrew McCarthy, former chief prosecutor, World Trade 
     Center bombing; Riad Nachef, head of the Association of 
     Islamic Charitable Projects; Raphael Perl, Congressional 
     Research Service; Richard Perle, former assistant secretary 
     of defense; Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum; 
     Steven Pomerantz, former assistant director of the FBI for 
     counter-terrorism; George Shultz, former secretary of state; 
     Glenn Schweizer, National Science Foundation; William 
     Webster, former director of the FBI and CIA; Phil Wilcox, 
     former coordinator for counterterrorism at the State 
     Department; and Jim Woosley, former director of the CIA.
       (Note: This addendum is provided to illustrate the types of 
     people who could serve on the commission and is by no means 
     all-inclusive. There are many more individuals who are fully 
     qualified to be on this commission.)


     
                                  ____
                                H.R. --

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION OF THE COMMISSION.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established a national 
     commission on terrorism to review counter-terrorism policies 
     regarding the prevention and punishment of international acts 
     of terrorism directed at the United States. The commission 
     shall be known as ``The National Commission on Terrorism''.
       (b) Composition.--The commission shall be composed of 15 
     members appointed as follows:
       (1) Five members shall be appointed by the President from 
     among officers or employees of the executive branch, private 
     citizens of the United States, or both. Not more than 3 
     members selected by the President shall be members of the 
     same political party.
       (2) Five members shall be appointed by the Majority Leader 
     of the Senate, in consultation with the Minority Leader of 
     the Senate, from among members of the Senate, private 
     citizens of the United States, or both. Not more than 3 of 
     the members selected by the Majority Leader shall be members 
     of the same political party and 3 members shall be members of 
     the Senate.
       (3) Five members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives, in consultation with the Minority 
     Leader of the House of Representatives, from among members of 
     the House of Representatives, private citizens of the United 
     States, or both. Not more than 3 of the members selected by 
     the Speaker shall be members of the same political party and 
     3 members shall be members of the House of Representatives.
       (4) The appointments of the members of the commission 
     should be made no later than 3 months after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (c) Qualifications.--The members should have a knowledge 
     and expertise in matters to be studied by the commission.
       (d) Chairman.--The chairman of the commission shall be 
     elected by the members of the commission.

     SEC. 2. DUTIES.

       (a) In General.--The commission shall consider issues 
     relating to international terrorism directed at the United 
     States as follows:
       (1) Review the laws, regulations, policies, directives, and 
     practices relating to counterterrorism in the prevention and 
     punishment of international terrorism directed towards the 
     United States.
       (2) Assess the extent to which laws, regulations, policies, 
     directives, and practices relating to counterterrorism have 
     been effective in preventing or punishing international 
     terrorism directed towards the United States. At a minimum, 
     the assessment should include a review of the following:
       (A) Evidence that terrorist organizations have established 
     an infrastructure in the western hemisphere for the support 
     and conduct of terrorist activities.
       (B) Executive branch efforts to coordinate counterterrorism 
     activities among Federal, State, and local agencies and with 
     other nations to determine the effectiveness of such 
     coordination efforts.
       (C) Executive branch efforts to prevent the use of nuclear, 
     biological, and chemical weapons by terrorists.
       (3) Recommend changes to counterterrorism policy in 
     preventing and punishing international terrorism directed 
     toward the United States.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date on 
     which the Commission first meets, the Commission shall submit 
     to the President and the Congress a final report of the 
     findings and conclusions of the commission, together with any 
     recommendations.

     SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.

       (a) Meetings.--
       (1) The commission shall hold its first meeting on a date 
     designated by the Speaker of the House which is not later 
     than 30 days after the date on which all members have been 
     appointed.
       (2) After the first meeting, the commission shall meet upon 
     the call of the chairman.
       (3) A majority of the members of the commission shall 
     constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold meetings.
       (b) Authority of Individuals to Act for Commission.--Any 
     member or agent of the commission may, if authorized by the 
     commission, take any action which the commission is 
     authorized to take under this Act.
       (c) Powers.--
       (1) The commission may hold such hearings, sit and act at 
     such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such 
     evidence as the commission considers advisable to carry out 
     its duties.
       (2) The commission may secure directly from any agency of 
     the Federal Government such information as the commission 
     considers necessary to carry out its duties. Upon the request 
     of the chairman of the commission, the head of a department 
     or agency shall furnish the requested information 
     expeditiously to the commission.
       (3) The commission may use the United States mails in the 
     same manner and under the same conditions as other 
     departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
       (d) Pay and Expenses of Commission Members.--
       (1) Each member of the commission who is not an employee of 
     the government shall be paid at a rate equal for the daily 
     equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for 
     level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of 
     title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel 
     time) during which such member is engaged in performing the 
     duties of the commission.
       (2) Members and personnel for the commission may travel on 
     aircraft, vehicles, or other conveyances of the Armed Forces 
     of the United States when travel is necessary in the 
     performance of a duty of the commission except when the cost 
     of commercial transportation is less expensive.
       (3) The members of the commission may be allowed travel 
     expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
     authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 
     chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from 
     their homes or regular places of business in the performance 
     of services for the commission.
       (4)(A) A member of the commission who is an annuitant 
     otherwise covered by section 8344 of 8468 of title 5, United 
     States Code, by reason of membership on the commission shall 
     not be subject to the provisions of such section with respect 
     to membership on the commission.
       (B) A member of the commission who is a member or former 
     member of a uniformed service shall not be subject to the 
     provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of section 5532 of such 
     title with respect to membership on the commission.
       (e) Staff and Administrative Support.--
       (1) The chairman of the commission may, without regard to 
     civil service laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an 
     executive director and up to 3 additional staff members as 
     necessary to enable the commission to perform its duties. The 
     chairman of the commission may fix the compensation of the 
     executive director and other personnel without regard to the 
     provisions of chapter 51, and subchapter III of chapter 53, 
     of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of 
     positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the 
     rate of pay may not exceed the maximum rate of pay for GS-15 
     under the General Schedule.
       (2) Upon the request of the chairman of the commission, the 
     head of any department or agency of the Federal Government 
     may detail, without reimbursement, any personnel of the 
     department or agency to the commission to assist in carrying 
     out its duties. The detail of an employee shall be without 
     interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege.

     SEC. 4. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.

       The commission shall terminate 30 days after the date on 
     which the commission submits a final report.

     SEC. 5. FUNDING.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
     necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

     

                          ____________________